Grains

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has significant direct investment in grains research, development and extension capability and activities, research infrastructure and policy development.

The Western Australian grains industry is a major contributor to the agrifood sector and the Australian economy. WA produces on average 18 million tonnes of grains (cereals, oilseeds and pulses) each year. Grain exports generate more than $5.9 billion (five year average) for the WA economy each year – making it the largest agricultural sector in the state, and the fifth largest export industry overall after iron ore, oil and gas, gold and lithium.

WA exports about 80% of its annual grain production to more than 50 countries worldwide. Indonesia is WA’s top wheat export market worth over $880 million per year, followed by China ($750 million) and Vietnam ($610million) over the last five years. WA is the world’s leading supplier of premium malting barley to Japan, China and India, the major supplier of wheat for the Japanese udon noodle market, and a major feed barley supplier to the Middle East.

In the 2021/22 season it is estimated the WA grains industry exported a total of $6 billion of cereals and $3.2 billion of pulse and oilseeds. The major contributors to these exports were wheat ($3.9 billion), canola ($3.0 billion), barley ($1.4 billion), lupins ($200 million) and oats ($160 million).

Grains Research and Industry Development Projects

DPIRD strives to provide essential knowledge and tools to increase profitability, meet market requirements, and improve the economic development of WA.

Research is undertaken in collaborative projects with other state government agencies, universities, CSIRO, grower groups, growers, and commercial partners.

DPIRD Grains priority projects

2024 Crop Sowing Guide for WA

The Crop Sowing Guide for Western Australia is a one stop shop for variety information on all the major crops grown in Western Australia, compiled by officers in DPIRD.

This edition includes the major crops grown in WA – wheat, barley, canola, oat, lupins and pulses. The publication aims to provide information to support growers with decisions on the best choice of variety for each of the major crops for the upcoming season. The lupin and pulse sections also include an “agronomy guide” summary to support management decisions required for these high value industries.

Hardcopies of the 2024 Crop Sowing Guide for Western Australia are available from DPIRD offices and other agribusiness outlets. Learn more

Articles

  • In poor growing seasons, crops may not be good enough to harvest.  Managers need to make some tough decisions, after assessing feed value for livestock, potential weed seed set, level of herbicide

  • In 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is conducting more than 250 research trials across the state.

  • Herbicide performance can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. These can include compatibility of herbicides, water quality, sprayer decontamination and controlling stressed weeds.

  • The term 'residual' applies to a number of herbicides that have a long lasting activity in the soil. These herbicides are often applied directly to the soil prior to planting crops, pre-emergent.

  • In Western Australia's Mediterranean-type climate, the survival of pests and diseases over summer is often critical in determining pest outbreaks and disease epidemics in broadacre crops.

  • Spray-topping or pasture topping is the application of a sub-lethal rate of herbicide when grasses are coming into head and flowering.

  • Spray-topping is a very effective method for managing annual grass seed set in pastures.

  • 'Crop-topping' is the late application of herbicides to prevent weed seed-set.

  • 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.

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

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