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

Identification and control of pest slugs and snails for broadacre crops in Western Australia

6 February 2014

Numbers of slugs and snails have increased in broadacre cropping in Western Australia with the use of minimum tillage and stubble-retention practices.
Management of European earwig

20 February 2014

The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is native to Europe and has been in Australia from the mid-1850s.
Primary Industries Development 2022 Research Trials Map

22 January 2018

In 2022, the department is conducting more than 300 research trials across the state from Kununurra in the north to Esperance in the south.
Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS)

15 October 2013

The Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) provides advisory and identification services on animal and plant pests, weeds and diseases that impact Western Australia's agriculture and food ind
Management and economic thresholds for native budworm

12 February 2014

Native budworm (Helicoverpa punctigera) is a major pest of pulse and canola crops in the south west of Western Australia.
Identification of aphids in lupin crops

13 December 2012

Aphids reduce yields by direct feeding damage which causes flower and pod abortion and occasionally plant death in lupins.
Aphid feeding damage to cereal crops

14 February 2011

Adult and nymph aphids suck sap with large populations limiting grain yield and size, especially winter and spring infestations.
Diagnosing weevils in canola

17 February 2014

Weevils are beetles with long snouts that can damage or kill young seedlings.
Diagnosing mouse damage in narrow-leafed lupins

19 January 2015

Mice are seasonal pests that can affect any crop. Usually they favour paddocks with high stubble retention.
Time snail baiting to coincide with maximum snail movement and before snails lay eggs

24 August 2020

Snail monitoring using time-lapse cameras show snails move on nights when relative humidity (RH) is above 70% though are most active when RH is above 80%.