The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is supporting the Western Australian grains industry and businesses to boost profitability, export competitiveness and sustainability across the entire grain value chain.
DPIRD works in conjunction with industry partners such as the Grains Research and Development Corporation [1] (GRDC) to help underpin the profitability of WA’s grain growers.
DPIRD delivers numerous applied research and development (R&D) projects in partnership with GRDC in the areas of integrated farming systems, crop protection, soil management and nutrition, and crop genetics. There are also a number of collaborations through national R&D programs. These national partnerships, reflecting the Grains Industry National RD&E Strategy [2], have been developed with substantial support from the GRDC and collaborating agencies.
Key university and CSIRO collaborations strengthen academic and industry linkage and access to DPIRD regional research infrastructure and target environments.
DPIRD has alliances with Murdoch University (Western Barley Genetics Alliance) and the University of Western Australia (SoilsWest) strengthening its research capability in barley genomics, genetics and germplasm development in partnership with GRDC, and building capacity and collaboration to integrate R&D across applied and core soil science.
There are also a number of joint research projects with the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) at Curtin University in crop pathology, UWA’s Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative in weed management, Murdoch University’s Centre for Rhizobial Studies in legume nitrogen fixation and CSIRO in soil water and bio-economic modelling.
DPIRD also works with Grain Industry Association of Western Australia [3] (GIWA), the Grower Group Alliance [4] (GGA), grower groups, and the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants [5](AAAC).
DPIRD will partner with agribusiness and technology providers — locally, nationally and internationally — to enable industry to capitalise on the growing demand for high quality, high value grains and grain products in Asia and the Middle East.