Climate & weather

Enabling farm businesses to better manage the increasing seasonal variability is critical for the success of the Western Australian agrifood sector. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is enabling farm businesses to make more informed planning and financial decisions on weather and climate risks. These decisions range from short-term tactical decisions, through to managing strategic planning for climatic futures. The development of improved weather data and seasonal forecasting tools are designed to assist you to better manage and take full advantage of the opportunities related to seasonal variability and climate change.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has launched a new website; emergency.wa.gov.au. This website will replace the existing alerts and warnings websites from DFES and Parks and Wildlife, enabling people to get critical public information during fire, flood, storm, earthquake, tsunami and emergencies involving hazardous materials.

Articles

  • Western Australian agriculture experiences variability in its winter growing season (May–October): late starts, early finishes and 'dry seasons' with rainfall low enough to cause serious plant and

  • Through targeted grains research and development (R&D), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's (DPIRD) Boosting Grains Research and Development project aims to increase

  • Plant available soil water graphs show the amount of soil water accumulated from the start of summer (1 November) through the grain growing season and can be used as a tool in the seasonal decision

  • The potential yield tool uses seasonal rainfall and decile finishes, calculated from historical data, to calculate the maximum wheat yield possible in the absence of any other constraints.

  • Wheat is highly susceptible to frost damage between ear emergence and flowering – often termed reproductive frost.

  • Spreading clay on light, sandy soils helps to increase soil water holding capacity, retain nutrients and overcome water repellence.

  • FlowerPower is an online tool to predict cereal flowering dates (or cutting dates for oats) in your location.

  • Climate change is putting pressure on wheat yields in the south-west of Western Australia in several ways: lower annual and autumn and spring rainfall; later starts to the growing season; higher te

  • Image 1: Frost damage at booting vs healthy head

    All winter grains susceptible to frost. Wheat is more susceptible then barley at flowering, but it is not known if barley and wheat have different frost susceptibilities during grain fill.

  • In September 2017, six department research officers presented at the biennial Australian Agronomy Conference in Ballarat, Victoria.