Wheat

Wheat production accounts for 65% of total cereal production in Western Australia with about ten million tonnes generated annually in a rain-fed system across four million hectares of land.

About 95% of WA wheat is exported - predominantly to Asia and the Middle East - generating $2-5 billion in annual export earnings for the state.

Despite a decline in annual rainfall, the improvement in agronomic practices and development of new premium wheat varieties have enabled an increase in WA wheat yield over the past 30 years at a rate higher than world average.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has a strong research, development and extension focus on wheat production through its long history in wheat breeding - now privatised through Intergrain - and the development of wheat variety management packages for the state’s grain production zones.

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Articles

  • havester

    Dry season resources

    14 June 2017

    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

  • Muresk Institute General Manager Prue Jenkins and Dr Mark Sweetingham, Department of Agriculture and Food, are looking forward to the establishment the State Soil Archive at Northam.

    Boosting Grains Research and Development - Royalties for Regions

    20 August 2014

    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

  • Soil water tool

    9 June 2015

    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

  • Potential yield tool

    9 March 2016

    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.

  • 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.

  • claying

    Carbon farming: claying to increase soil carbon content in Western Australia

    18 November 2013

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

  • FlowerPower

    31 January 2012

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

  • Mature wheat being harvested

    How wheat yields are influenced by climate change in Western Australia

    21 March 2016

    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

    Diagnosing stem and head frost damage in cereals

    27 November 2013

    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.

  • Broadacre agronomy webinar series

    27 July 2017

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

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