Uncertain seasons require clear thinking, not more noise.

In this episode, Rod Birch, a grain grower from Coorow, shares his approach to planning for and managing through dry seasons and broader uncertainty.

Rod discusses the importance of focusing on core fundamentals, identifying key risks such as lower-than-expected rainfall, input supply and markets, and avoiding unnecessary noise when making decisions.

The conversation explores planning across short, medium, and long timeframes, along with the role of good relationships and trusted advice in supporting decision making.

While Rod speaks from a grain growing perspective, the principles apply across agriculture, reinforcing that although conditions change, the fundamentals of good planning remain the same.

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.

• Links on drought and mental health support - SW WA Hub
• RiskWi$e - The National Risk Management Initiative - Grower Group Alliance
• Navigating extreme seasonal variability in WA’s Wheatbelt - SW WA Hub
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Input constraints are a challenge, not just currently in 2026, but also off the back of dry seasons when financial constraints can dominate decision making. In both contexts, smart allocation can make a real difference to whole of farm performance.

In this episode, cropping farmer Dylan Hirsch from Latham WA and CSIRO research scientist Roger Lawes discuss practical strategies for making the most of limited inputs, with a strong focus on the highest input cost of nitrogen.

They discuss how ranking paddocks by yield potential using historical data and remote sensing can help target limited inputs, while also considering how growers can adjust crop and rotation decisions when conditions or supply constraints change.

Roger then shares insights from the national Grain Automate project, including a new calculator tool to help evaluate precision spraying investments.

The conversation highlights the role of farm data in decision making to effectively optimise a constrained resource.

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

• Grain Automate Economic Model Calculator - Grain Automate - GRDC & CSIRO
• Spray Program Calculator - GRDC & CSIRO
• Grain Automate - GRDC
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Seasonal climate outlooks can inform planning, but they are only one part of farm decision-making.

In this episode, Dr Meredith Guthrie, from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Phil Smyth, northern Wheatbelt agronomist from Nutrien Coorow, talk about the 2026 seasonal outlook.

Meredith explains current climate drivers, how to interpret climate model probabilities and how the potential development of an El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole may result in 2026 looking a bit like the difficult year of 2023.

They then go on to discuss what these forecasts may mean for growers, including dry sowing, crop selection, managing input costs, and making the most of early rainfall opportunities.

The conversation highlights the importance of using forecasts as guidance while focusing on sound management decisions throughout the season and how there is always space for hope.

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.

• Long-range weather, climate and water availability - Bureau of Meteorology
• Seasonal Climate Outlook - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
• Long-range forecasts: weeks, months and seasons - Bureau of Meteorology
• Hub news - Drought Hub