User Profile

Sebastian Calderon

Peter Magarey: Pioneering plant pathologist shaping our ag future

RECENT struggles within the farming industry have revived a long-standing conversation about plant diseases and pathologies affecting crops amid record heatwaves and shifting climate patterns. With local growers facing an increase in plant diseases...

Sebastian Calderon

June 2025

Weather & Water

Nothing but dry…

A SENIOR Riverland agricultural industry figure is among countless South Australian farmers hoping for some decent rainfall to arrive. Farmers across South Australia have been struggling with drought conditions since the beginning of 2025, with...

Hugh Schuitemaker

May 2025

Wine

Weathering the wine crisis: A Riverland perspective with Jeff McDonald

AUSTRALIA’S grape growers have been facing serious financial headwinds the last couple of years, but currently there are paths forward for those willing to adapt. Jeff McDonald, of Riverland Lending Services, believes that innovation, financial...

Sebastian Calderon

May 2025

Weather & Water

Brackish groundwater can be used to irrigate crops in the Riverland

A NEW chapter in groundwater treatment and resource allocation started a couple of months ago, aiming to improve the potential use and benefits of groundwater. A small reverse-osmosis (RO) plant was installed on September, in a small plot of land at...

Sebastian Calderon

December 2024

Agriculture

Precision agriculture can benefit citrus and almond growers

SUSTAINABLE harvesting is amongst the ideal situation for any farmer in Australia, but with recent climate disruptions, new pests and rising costs, the use of new technologies and the responsible but effective limitation of fertilisers are among...

Sebastian Calderon

December 2024

Agriculture

Using ‘white noise’ to stimulate soil and ecosystem recovery

HUMANS have studied soundwaves for centuries and the idea that themselves move in waves goes back to the first century B.C, with the Roman engineer Vitruvius and Roman Philosopher Boethius theorising that sound moved in waves. Fifteen centuries...

Sebastian Calderon

November 2024

Horticulture

Transforming Riverland turmeric into a sought-after delicacy

NESTLED on Barmera’s south side, the 70-acre property looks unassuming, but once you realise what a husband-and-wife team are farming and how they are doing it, everything you see starts to dazzle the eyes. Barmera’s Peter and Anne Brooke are...

Sebastian Calderon

August 2024