Crops

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development continues to support the growth and international competitiveness of all crop industries in Western Australia.

With a 2400 kilometre span from its tropical north to its temperate south, WA supports a broad range of cropping industries from rain-fed winter cereals through to irrigated horticultural crops.

In the 2012/13 year the WA cropping industries exported a total of $3.9 billion which comprised: $3.1 billion of cereals, $859 million of pulses, pastures and oilseeds, $142 million of horticultural crops. The major contributors to these exports were wheat ($2.7 billion), canola ($756 million), barley ($377 million), lupins ($42 million), carrots at $48 million, oats ($12 million), and strawberries at $5.5 million.

Articles

  • Western Australia has many insect and mollusc pests (snails and slugs) that can affect the quality and yield of vegetable brassicas crops.

  • Garden weevil (Phlyctinus callosus) was accidentally introduced into Western Australia from South Africa.

  • Leaf eating ladybirds are a relatively minor pest of potatoes in Indonesia and Western Australia, but should be monitored.

  • Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) is a serious horticultural pest in Western Australia. It attacks a range of cultivated fruits and some fruiting vegetables.

  • Sweet potato weevil Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) is the most serious pest of sweet potato, not only in the United States, but around the world.

  • Pesticides are often used to control western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) in horticultural crops. However, western flower thrips is regarded to be a 'pesticide-induced proble

  • Radish flea beetle (Phyllotreta chotanica Duvivier 1892) is present throughout Asia and feeds on the leaves of cruciferous crops such as cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, broccoli and

  • Expansion of potato production into the Mid West for winter production is a real possibility by using seed of the correct physiological age and quality.