GRDC managing director Tony Williams at the Wagga Wagga 2021 GRDC Update.

GRAIN growers, agronomists, farm advisers and researchers indulging in a little extra screen time brought numbers to an all-time high at southern New South Wales’ premier grains research event in Wagga Wagga last week.

More than 500 people logged into the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) 2021 Grains Research Update, joining another 150 in the live audience for the annual event which delivers the latest grains research insights to industry.

The unique hybrid format, developed in response to COVID-19 concerns and designed to allow those online to interact directly with presenters, significantly bolstered numbers for the two-day event.

GRDC grower relations manager Graeme Sandral said this year’s program had been carefully selected to offer farm-ready, research relevant to southern NSW farming systems, covering topics such as nitrogen, weed management, soil amelioration and crop establishment.

But Mr Sandral said another key drawcard for this year’s event was a keynote address by GRDC’s new managing director Tony Williams, offering insights into the direction of grains research into the future.

Mr Williams, who joins the organisation with a strong commercial background, spoke about the challenges facing the grains industry and the importance of GRDC being strategy driven to inform he best possible investment decisions, and results focussed to deliver real value for growers.

GRDC 2021 Grains Research Update, Wagga Wagga, Gallery:

Farm manager John Stevenson, Warakirri Cropping’s Orange Park, Lockhart, with Ag Grow Agronomy and Research’s Barry Haskins and grain grower Roger Bolte, West Wyalong.

Farmlink’s Matt Kelly and incoming Farmlink CEO Andrew Bulkeley from Temora made the most of a chance to catch up face-to-face with NSW DPI soil scientist Graeme Schwenke, Tamworth.

Riverina Independent Agronomy trainee agronomist, Erin Dalton, Wagga Wagga, and Precision Agriculture’s southern NSW manager, Campbell Underwood.

Grain grower Ed Gebhardt, Kanoona Enterprises, Wagga Wagga, caught up with James Whiteley, from AGT, at the Update.

NSW DPI technical officer Ali Bajwa and researcher Eshan Tavakkoli compared notes after the nitrogen session at the Wagga Wagga Update.

Source: GRDC

For more information on GRDC Grains Research Updates, go to past events section or 2021 Update papers