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ABC Radio National listeners take on the wheat industry





Over the last few months, Australia’s wheat industry has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Now, ABC Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program invites everyone to take a different perspective.
 
How would you like to help plant, grow and harvest a paddock of wheat for export?

In Bush Telegraph’s ‘With The Grain’ project, listeners go online to make decisions that will affect the yield, profitability and soil health of a paddock owned and managed by Mallee wheat farmer John Ferrier. Making decisions however, won’t be made blindly.

For the duration of the program, you can access 'With the Grain' online from the BCG homepage:

















Bush Telegraph’s audience will draw on the science of the CSIRO and the technology of the Birchip Cropping Group to employ an online dry land crop simulator called Yield Prophet.

Yield Prophet helps answer questions like:

  • When should the wheat be planted?
  • Should crops be fertilised and, if so, how much?
  • How much rain could fall next month?
  • Is there enough moisture in the soil?
  • How are weeds and pests controlled?
  • What’s the contribution to greenhouse gases?

“This project is exciting because for the first time both city and rural people can influence the outcome of how we grow one of this country’s staple crops,” says Bush Telegraph presenter Michael Mackenzie.

“The test paddock is divided in half, so our audience decisions for ‘With The Grain’ can be compared directly to those made by grain grower, John Ferrier, using the same technology.”

A dedicated website will track the project and contain photos, audio and Yield Prophet results.

Every listener can cast a vote in a regular online poll in which key decisions will affect the success of the crop. John Ferrier will then implement those audience directives in the paddock, and when the wheat is harvested in late November, Bush Telegraph farmers can compare their paddock with John’s. It’s all a matter of balancing yield and productivity with profitability.

With the Grain was launched on Wednesday 26 April on ABC Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program from 11am.