Climate, land & water

Western Australia’s agriculture sector needs access to productive soil and water resources for growth and profit. However, the sector must compete with increasing resource demands from all sectors of the community, and the pressures of a changing climate. The Agriculture and Food division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supports agriculture by providing long-term management solutions, practical risk management strategies and tools to maintain and improve resource conditions, to meet the needs of industry and stakeholders. Agriculture and Food is also pioneering soil and water investigation of the state’s undeveloped areas to establish new irrigated agricultural industries.

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Articles

  • Dr Ben Biddulph at the frost research trial taking observations with crop monitoring equipment

    Fighting frost damage in cereals

    12 February 2013

    The department is a key partner in the Grains Research and Development Corporations' (GRDC) National Frost Initiative (NFI) which aims to provide the Australian grains industry with targeted resear

  • iLime tips and tricks

    29 September 2020

    These pages have been produced as an online user manual for iLime, outlining specific features of the app and how to use them.

  • Close-up of a head of wheat and surrounding leaves covered in a thin layer of sparkling frost crystals

    The science of frost and frequently asked questions

    8 February 2011

    Frost risk occurs virtually every year across southern and eastern agricultural regions. Actual occurrence of frost is determined by location and landscape factors as well as climate.

  • An air seeder seeding on stubble

    Frost risk – manage wheat variety and sowing time

    14 December 2010

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

  • Image of the frost guide cover

    Frost Identification Guide for Canola and Pulses

    5 February 2019

    A new guide has been published to assist canola and pulse growers to identify frost damage and consider crop management decisions. Frost damage reduces crop yield and grain quality.

  • A stem of a lupin plant against a black brackground. Some of the pods have a shrivelled brown appearance symptomatic of frost damage.

    Frost - assessment and diagnosis

    17 December 2010

    Frost damage to braocacre crops is a significant annual production constraint for localised parts of the Western Australian wheatbelt.

  • Frost event ocurring at grain filling Z75-85. Frost affected grain is light, shrivelled and distorted. Healthy grain on the right.

    Harvesting a frosted crop

    3 November 2016

    Harvesting a frosted crop brings another layer of complexity to an already busy time of year.

  • An operator is checking the salinity of soil using an EM38 machine which measures the electrical conductivity

    Measuring soil salinity

    1 April 2015

    To make sound decisions on managing saline sites, you need to know the source of salt, how salinisation is occurring, the landscape context, and most importantly, the actual salt concentration of t

  • Wheatbelt valley secondary salinity

    Diagnosing salinity in canola

    12 May 2014

    Salinity affects growth by reducing plant root ability to extract water from the soil, and chloride toxicity.

  • Late-affected plants lodge and die prematurely

    Diagnosing waterlogging in canola

    8 May 2014

    Canola is more susceptible to waterlogging than cereals after the seed has imbibed (absorbed water before germination).

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