Production & postharvest

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development contributes to the productivity, profitability and sustainability of plant-based agriculture. From broad scale dryland cropping systems to intensive irrigated production, we work with industry and business to address challenges in plant production through research and development, knowledge transfer and government policy settings.

Articles

Soil organic carbon in Western Australian

17 November 2016

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is inherently low in Western Australian soils – limited by climate and soil type – with some potential to increase through management.
Developing a liming program

27 November 2013

Soil acidification is an inevitable and ongoing consequence of productive agriculture.
Essentials for a successful wheat crop

1 September 2017

Variety choice and variety management are key factors for profitable wheat production and this 'essentials' guide provides a guide to assist with these decisions.
Barley variety fact sheets

11 April 2016

Comparing the latest barley varieties with commonly grown, established varieties can be confusing.
2019 canola variety guide for Western Australia

2 July 2014

The DPIRD Canola variety guide for Western Australia 2019 has been developed to assist growers compare canola varieties. It provides a summary of yield, oil and blackleg resistance of commercially
Calculating Readily Available Water

7 November 2013

Scheduling irrigation requires an understanding of how much water your soil can hold and how much of that water your crop can use.
Converting Readily Available Water to litres for drip irrigation

7 November 2013

Drip irrigation is common in modern orchards. For this method of irrigation it is easier to use litres rather than the more traditional unit of millimetres when describing readily available water i
Citrus irrigation recommendations in Western Australia

7 November 2013

Irrigation is one of the most important factors in producing a good yield of quality citrus.
Applying lime

27 November 2013

If you are deep-ripping, ploughing or spading to remove subsurface compaction or another constraint, it is a good idea to incorporate lime in the same operation.
Benefits of maintaining an appropriate pH profile

27 November 2013

Liming to recover an acidic soil to an appropriate pH can result in significant production benefits, however a response to liming indicates that previous production has been lost due to an acidic t