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

  • 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

  • A new guide has been published to assist canola and pulse growers to identify frost damage and consider crop management decisions. Frost damage reduces crop yield and grain quality.

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

  • Young pods abort or are poorly filled

    Canola is most susceptible to frost damage from flowering to the clear watery stage (approximately 60% moisture). Plants frequently recover from frost at early flowering by producing more flowers.