Show Notes
James Walter is the bioinformatics lead at Australian Grain Technologies (AGT), working at the intersection of genetics, data science and plant breeding. His role focuses on turning vast amounts of genomic and field data into practical insights that help breeders make better decisions and ultimately deliver improved crop varieties to growers.
In this episode, James takes us behind the scenes of the plant breeding pipeline, unpacking the journey from initial crosses in the glasshouse through to years of field trials, quality testing and eventual commercial release. He explains how modern breeding balances resilience and performance, why stability across seasons is critical, and how the explosion of data and new technologies is reshaping how varieties are developed.
This episode explores:
● James’ pathway from agricultural science into bioinformatics and plant breeding
● What a role in genomics and data science looks like in agriculture
● How plant breeding programs work from glasshouse to commercial release
● Why it takes 8–10 years to develop a new crop variety
● The importance of stability versus peak performance in different seasons
● How genetics and field data are combined to guide breeding decisions
● The role of large-scale field trials across multiple environments
● How new technologies, AI and data are transforming plant breeding
● The sheer scale of data involved in modern breeding programs
● Career opportunities in agriculture beyond traditional farm roles
Watch this episode as a video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hEJmhVcDmtg
More information:
https://www.agtbreeding.com.au/
GRDC in Conversation is a limited series GRDC Podcast. It features in-depth interviews with growers and other experts in the grains industry who share their expertise, knowledge and experiences by exploring their personal stories, history, influences and motivations. The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of GRDC, the interviewees’ employer, institution or other associated parties.
GRDC Project Code:
HAG2507-001SAX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from GRDC Podcast
92,000 hectares of canola has been planted into canola stubble this year. Blackleg pathologist from the University of Melbourne, Associate Professor Angela Van de Wouw, Western Australian agronomist Geoff Fosbery, and plant breeder Raymond Cowley explain why the risks of canola-on-canola far outweigh any short-term benefits.
Ben White and Chris Warrick from GRDC’s grain storage extension team discuss practical grain storage best practice, including fumigation timing, safe application of chemicals, ventilation and withholding periods, as well as the effective use of diatomaceous earth (DE) for storage hygiene. They share recent research and practical tips to help growers manage insects, reduce resistance risks and improve workplace safety.
James Manson’s pathway into agriculture has been anything but conventional. Growing up in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he spent his early years immersed in a cross-cultural environment before discovering agriculture through an internship with an agricultural development NGO working alongside hill tribe communities near the Myanmar border. What began as an adventure quickly became a passion, leading him to study agriculture and international development before building a career in applied crop research.
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2027 growing season.
Welcome to GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) new variety podcast series, where Australia's leading breeding companies share their latest releases for the 2027 growing season.