From workshops and field days to conferences and study tours, our team is constantly engaging with growers, researchers, and industry leaders to understand what’s working, what’s emerging, and what’s changing in the drought resilience and innovation landscape.
This space showcases the ideas and on-the-ground insights we gather from industry events across Western Australia and beyond.
Applied research on show at UWA Farm Ridgefield Open Day 2026
The University of Western Australia’s Ridgefield farm demonstrates the importance of connecting academic research to industry practice, supporting the translation of new knowledge to beneficial outcomes on-farm.
Precision agriculture that’s ready to work
Every precision ag event comes with its share of shiny prototypes. What was striking at this year’s symposium was how much of the genuinely useful material was already commercially proven on farms, with a clear path to adoption.
Soil features at spring field days
The Spring Field Day season has been in full swing, with soil taking centre stage at events across the growing region. From research updates to practical discussions in the paddock, there has been plenty happening. Here are some of the soil highlights from around the regions in recent weeks.
What we learned at the Agronomy Australia Conference 2026: diversity as the future of farming
A key theme from the 2026 Agronomy Australia Conference was that diversified cropping systems outperform simplified rotations, particularly where rainfall variability is increasing.
Insights from the inaugural WA Horticulture Science Forum
A diverse array of horticultural-focused research projects are creating grower- and industry-relevant insights, and communicating and extending these projects will be key to achieving long-term impact. The inaugural WA Horticultural Science Forum provided a platform for those in attendance to share their research and to share information with those who can communicate and extend it to growers.
Telling our story: technology, trust and support at LambEx26
LambEx is Australia’s biennial global conference for the sheep, lamb and wool industries. The 2026 event showed that producers are willing to embrace new technology, but its value depends on the support available to them as they put it to the test.
What the 2026 UWA Institute of Agriculture Industry Forum means for drought resilience
Around 250 people attended the UWA Institute of Agriculture’s 20th annual Industry Forum at the University Club of Western Australia on 8 July 2026. The theme: ‘Can Australian agrifood capture a $200 billion opportunity by 2030?’ We share our insights from the event.
Reflections from the Collaborate Innovate Conference
The Collaborate Innovate Conference covered a wide range of sectors and themes, and several messages had strong relevance for the Future Drought Fund Drought Hubs Program and for agriculture more broadly.
Exploring the potential of agrisolar in Western Australia’s vineyards
A group of growers, researchers and industry representatives gathered at Plume Estate in Bickley on Tuesday 28 October to visit an agrisolar installation, where solar panels have been installed above grapevines in a commercial vineyard.
Resilient Futures: Western Australia’s Study Tour Across Victoria and Tasmania
In September 2025, participants from the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub) joined their counterparts in Victoria and Tasmania for a week-long study tour. The journey brought together Western Australian farmers, researchers, and consultants with peers, industry innovators, and extension professionals from across southern Australia.
Enhancing water use efficiency in wheat: SMART SPRAYS demos
Murdoch University and the Bioplastics Innovation Hub ran demonstrations at three spring field days for their Hub-supported project SMART SPRAYS – maximising the benefits from rainfall. The trials highlighted how these materials can capture and retain water, potentially reducing evaporation losses and redirecting rainfall to where crops need it most.
Soil questions front and centre at Dowerin
What’s top of mind for growers when it comes to soils? At this year’s Dowerin Field Days, the SoilsWest team put the question directly to farmers: “What do you need to know about plant and soil nutrition?”