Water quality is one of the most overlooked factors in spray performance, yet it can have major impacts on efficacy, compatibility and long-term resistance risk.

In this episode, agronomist Bill Campbell from Campbell Ag and Damon Cusack from the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group (FBG) discuss how water quality varies across Western Australia and what growers can do to better manage it.

They explore common issues including hard water tying up glyphosate, high turbidity reducing the effectiveness of paraquat, and elevated pH shortening the half-life of certain insecticides and fungicides.

The conversation highlights key results from FBG’s Water Quality Snapshot project, which revealed significant variability in water sources, even between dams on the same farm.

Practical strategies include testing all water sources, ranking them by quality, matching water to product where possible, and investing in storage or treatment systems. The episode also points to useful tools and fact sheets available through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

A small investment in understanding your water could make a big difference to spray results and farm resilience.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) and is hosted by Doug Hamilton.

• Sprayer workshops – filter to “west” region and “workshops” - GRDC
• Water tests - CSBP
• WaterSmart Dams: Making Dams Work Again — Fitzgerald Biosphere Group
• Water Evaluation Platform - University of Western Australia
• Water quality factsheet - GRDC
• Spray mixing and batch guides - GRDC
• Water Smart Dams project - Grower Group Alliance
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Livestock monitoring and management is crucial for keeping animals healthy and productive during extended summer periods.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Izzy Drage, Field Veterinary Officer at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and Katherine Davies, Senior Development Officer in DPIRD’s Animal Systems group. They bring valuable experience in livestock health and practical on‑farm management.

We discuss the practical and strategic approaches to managing livestock during prolonged dry and hot periods, touching on water management, feed planning, disease observation and prevention, and long-term climate resilience for livestock.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub and is hosted by Dr Mary-Anne Glanzlowe.

• Livestock nutrition in dry seasons with hay, silage and containment feeding - SW WA Hub
• WaterSmart Dams: capturing and keeping water in dams - SW WA Hub
• Managing heat stress in sheep, beef and dairy cattle - SW WA Hub
• Animal biosecurity - DPIRD
• Animal welfare in emergencies - Heatwave (and dry season) - DPIRD
• Annual ryegrass toxicity in livestock - DPIRD
• "Condition scoring of sheep" factsheet - DPIRD
• "Confined paddock feeding and feedlotting of sheep" factsheet - DPIRD
• DPIRD Diagnostics and Laboratory Services
• DPIRD field vet contacts
• Electronic identification for sheep and goats in Western Australia - DPIRD
• The Emergency Animal Disease Hotline – how does it work? - Animal Health Australia
• Emergency animal disease preparedness - DPIRD
• "Growing weaner sheep" factsheet - DPIRD
• Hypocalcaemia in sheep - Agriculture Victoria
• Livestock ownership, identification and movement in Western Australia - DPIRD
• Lupinosis - DPIRD
• Prevent chemical residues in livestock - DPIRD

Quality soil data and precision agriculture can reduce risk and improve farm performance.

This episode kicks off our new Innovation series, dropping every second instalment of the Dry Season Resources podcast. This series is hosted by Doug Hamilton, Innovation Specialist with the Grower Group Alliance and the SW WA Hub.

In this episode, Doug is joined by Aidan Sinnott, consultant and director at VRT Solutions, and Giles McMeikan, agronomist at Farmanco. Both bring extensive experience in precision agriculture and the handling, processing, analysis and interpretation of on-farm datasets.

They explore how soil surveying can be used to manage risk in modern farming systems, soil surveying technologies available to farmers, how soil data can help improve water use efficiency, and the practical implementation of variable rate technology (VRT).

The conversation highlights the importance of well-managed on-farm data, strong collaboration between agronomists and precision agriculture consultants, and ensuring VRT does not compromise key profit drivers such as time of sowing.

This episode is brought to you by the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) and is hosted by Doug Hamilton.

• VRTS Web Tools Directory
• Fostering the adoption of variable rate fertiliser application for improved nutrient use efficiency - SPAA
• Hub news - Drought Hub