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

More than one million hectares of broadacre farmland are estimated to be affected by dryland salinity in Western Australia, causing significant production losses.

In this episode, Dr Richard George from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) reflects on four decades of work tackling dryland salinity across Western Australia.

He unpacks the complexity of salinity in the Wheatbelt, tracing its historical roots and examining the pressures of land clearing, climate, and agricultural practices on salinity levels, and outlines practical management strategies that have emerged from years of research.

The conversation also looks ahead, highlighting the potential of water‑smart farming approaches to better manage water in a drying climate and support more resilient agricultural systems.

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.

• Sandy soils series: Re-engineering sandy soils into productive land - SW WA Hub
• Drought Resilience in Action webinar series: Making the most of salinity - Facey Group
• Managing soils - DPIRD
• WaterSmart Farms – water security and resilience in a drying climate - DPIRD
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Declining rainfall and reduced water availability since the 1970s have made efficient water use in food production more important than ever.

In this episode, Dr Julia Easton and Professor Mark Gibbard from the Centre for Crop Disease Management at Curtin University discuss the 'On Farm Water Demand' project, funded through the WA Node of Food Agility CRC.

On Farm Water Demand is a regional project that began with a community meeting and grew into a multi-farm trial using soil moisture sensors and irrigation monitoring to better understand water use in high-value crops like avocados, truffles, apples, wine grapes, and potatoes.

With 27 farms involved, data was collected year-round to track irrigation and soil moisture. Farmers used this to fine-tune decisions, whether daily or seasonally, and to back up choices with evidence rather than just instinct. The project highlights how structured data supports business planning, water efficiency, and even climate adaptation modelling at a catchment scale.

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

• Curtin 4 Agribusiness Profitability (C4AP) - CCDM
• Southern Forests Drought Node - Southern Forests Food Council
• On-Farm Water Demand - Food Agility CRC
• Hub news - Drought Hub

In this episode, we’re joined by Jethro Sercombe, Director of Innovation Practice at Third Story, and Tanya Kilminster, SW WA Hub Knowledge Broker, for a deep dive into co-design in agriculture.

Together, they unpack what co-design really means and explore how it can be applied to agriculture-related projects to achieve stronger outcomes. They highlight why intent matters: true co-design is about making decisions with stakeholders, not steering them toward a pre-determined solution. Done well, co-design strengthens projects, builds trust, and fosters lasting relationships rather than burning bridges.

Whether you’re working with a grower group, leading an on-farm team, or involved in broader agricultural projects, this episode offers practical insights into the essential elements of co-design, and how to make it work effectively.

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

• ThirdStory
• Co-design in agriculture takes centre stage at SW WA Hub Breakfast - SW WA Hub
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Neil Lantzke, Principal Research Scientist in DPIRD’s Intensive and Irrigated Plant Systems team, shares his expertise on growing horticultural crops on the sandy soils of Western Australia’s Swan Coastal Plain.

Neil explains why these soils struggle to retain nutrients and water, and highlights innovative agricultural practices that are being developed to address these issues. The conversation also touches on the broader impact of climate change on water resources and how these changes shape horticultural management. He shares practical insights and advice on various irrigation techniques, the potential of soil re-engineering, and the economic considerations that influence growers' decisions. This episode offers a detailed look at the strategies being used to sustain horticultural production in challenging environments.

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.

• Evaluating on farm water and nutrient recapture in Western Australia - Hort Innovation
• Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Improved Drought Resilience - SW WA Hub
• Irrigation calculator - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Murdoch University’s Professor David Henry and recent PhD graduate Maria Pfeifle, now with DPIRD, explore the issue of non-wetting soils (also known as soil water repellency) in Western Australia.

They unpack what it is, why it occurs, and what remains unknown, delving into the complexities of managing this persistent challenge.

The conversation also examines how sandy soils, temperature, drought, organic matter, and microbial activity all influence the extent and impact of water repellency across the State.

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.

• Soil Water Repellence - Soil Quality Knowledge Base
• Hub news - Drought Hub

Dr Gaus Azam, a soils researcher at DPIRD leading the GRDC project “Re-engineering soils to improve the access of crop root systems to water and nutrients stored in the subsoil”, joins Esperance agronomist Quenten Knight from Agronomy Focus to discuss the soil re-engineering work underway across Western Australia.

Together, they explore how this innovative approach to soil management is improving water access for crops, increasing yields, and strengthening drought resilience. They share insights on the importance of understanding soil types, the practical applications of soil amelioration, and the benefits of enhancing soil health to improve crop yields and resilience during dry seasons.

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.

• Pre-emergent herbicides factsheet - GRDC
• Google Scholar: Dr Gaus Azam's publications
• Re-engineering soil profiles might happen sooner than expected (video) - GRDC
• Re-engineering soils to improve the access of crop root systems to water and nutrients stored in the subsoil - GRDC
• The resilience of re-engineered sandy soils in wet and dry seasons in Western Australia (PDF) - Gaus Azam, DPIRD
• Less rain, more wheat: How Australian farmers defied climate doom - Reuters
• ‘Moonshot’ investment tracks soil amelioration over time and space - GRDC Ground Cover
• Hub news - Drought Hub