Grains Research & Development

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has grains research and development connections across Australia and with more than 25 countries worldwide – ranging from collaboration with Japanese flour millers involved with the udon noodle industry through to seeking out barley genes tolerant of acid soils on the Tibetan Plateau and commercialising department-bred lupin varieties for use in the Chilean salmon industry.

These research, development and extension linkages and partnerships underpin the department’s capacity to tackle grains issues of national and regional agricultural importance and deliver profitable management solutions to the state’s 4000 grain producers.

The department is committed to leading and contributing to specific priority areas of research and development through the Grains Industry National Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) Strategy.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) – a national organisation coordinating research and development of behalf of Australian grain growers is a key funder of the department's grain research, development and extension activities.

Major initiatives being undertaken through the GRDC-DPIRD partnership include developing solutions to frost and soil constraints, which together can cost the Western Australian grains industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production each year.

Grains Research and Industry Development Projects

Articles

  • This page hosts the 2018 frost trial information, handy project resources and the frost severity maps (from August).

  • Frost occurs on clear nights in early spring when the air temperature drops to 2°C or less.

  • Information is provided here to assist management of diseases and viruses that occur in broadacre crops grown in Western Australia - cereals (wheat, barley, oats and triticale), pulses (field pea,

  • An important component of climate change is the increased uncertainty of forecasting seasonal weather.

  • Much of the Western Australia's wheatbelt has experienced a very dry 2018–2019 summer leaving very little stored moisture at present (DPIRD, May seasonal report 2019). Yield potential varies signif

  • One-off soil inversion results in the complete burial of the water repellent topsoil in a layer typically at a depth of 15 to 35 cm, and brings to the surface a layer of wettable subsoil.

  • 'Regional Research Agronomy' is the abbreviated working title for the 'Building crop protection and crop production agronomy research and development capacity in regional Western Australia' project

  • The Crop Sowing Guide for Western Australia is a one stop shop for variety information on all the major crops grown in WA.

  • Windmill grass (Chloris truncata) is a native species and is the tenth most common summer weed species in the Western Australian wheatbelt.

  • Annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) is one of the most serious and costly weeds of annual winter cropping systems in southern Australia.

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