Knowledge Broker Dr Mary Anne Glanzlowe and Hub Adoption Officer Alison Lacey were among the GGA team attending this year’s GRDC Research Updates in Perth, and have summarised key takeaways on how grain producers can adapt to a drying climate while strengthening long‑term farm and community resilience.
2026 was the 30th annual GRDC Grains Research Updates in Perth. The event brought together more than 900 farmers, researchers and industry professionals to share the latest research shaping the future of grains in Western Australia.
Grains remain a cornerstone of Western Australia’s agricultural sector, and the industry’s ability to adapt to a changing climate is becoming increasingly important. With declining rainfall, rising temperatures and shifting seasonal patterns, grain production in Western Australia is evolving. Sustaining agricultural production into the future means understanding, and acting on, the links between caring for the environment, supporting people and communities, and building economically resilient farm businesses.
Drought resilience and sustainability in focus
This year’s program placed strong emphasis on drought resilience, climate adaptation and sustainable production. Several sessions highlighted practical strategies and emerging research that can help growers maintain productivity while reducing risk.
Carbon: understanding and managing emissions
- Focus Session: Measuring and Managing Emissions
GGA hosted a session exploring how growers can better understand and manage on‑farm emissions. Presentations from Maddison McNeil (GGA), Ed Scott (Soil & Land Company) and Danielle Gale (Planfarm Terrawise) shared learnings from the National Industry‑led Carbon Farming Outreach Program.
Speakers broke down emission scopes across the farm gate and supply chain, offering practical advice on carbon accounting and project implementation. A key message was that getting started on a carbon journey is now more accessible than ever, with clearer processes, improved tools and growing market and finance incentives.
Understanding your own emissions profile can open doors to new opportunities while supporting long‑term environmental stewardship.
Nitrogen: reducing losses and improving efficiency
- Ammonia volatilisation from surface-applied urea: how much N is lost from Australian grain-growing soils? – Graeme Schwenke (NSW DPIRD) et al.
Nitrogen efficiency remains a major lever for both profitability and sustainability. This national project combined field measurements with model development to improve the APSIM volatilisation module, helping growers make more accurate and context‑specific nitrogen decisions.
Better nitrogen management reduces input costs, minimises losses to the atmosphere and supports more resilient farming systems, which is an important step as growers face tighter margins and more variable seasons.
Soils: building capacity and reducing losses
- Amendments for sandy soils – Richard Bell (Murdoch) et al.
- Gravel mulch improves cereal yield and water use efficiency on alkaline sodic soils in the eastern wheatbelt of WA – Glen Riethmuller (DPIRD) et al.
- Tricks and tips for re-engineering soils across different environments – Gaus Azam (DPIRD) et al.
These talks reinforced the important role of soil improvement in climate resilience. Researchers showcased how amendments can increase the soil’s “bucket size” (its ability to hold water and nutrients) while also reducing evaporative losses.
One standout example was the gravel mulch trial, which demonstrated an 88% yield increase with just 20 mm of gravel applied to the soil surface. The finding highlights that mulch doesn’t need to be organic; it simply needs to disrupt capillary flow and conserve moisture.
Technology: learning from other industries
- Learning from other industries to drive automation in the grains sector – Roger Lawes (CSIRO) et al.
Automation and digital tools are becoming essential for improving efficiency and reducing labour pressure. This session drew lessons from agriculture and mining, emphasising that successful adoption relies on a clear value proposition, strong support and seamless system integration.
When implemented well, technology can free up time, reduce stress, and strengthen community resilience, which are important social dimensions of sustainability that are sometimes overlooked.
Legumes: unlocking the potential of pulses in Western Australia
- Grain legume development and extension in WA – Daniel Kidd (GGA)
- Focus session – Is there a future for pulses in WA? – Panel session Ruth Young, Barry Budge, Erin Cahill, Quenten Knight, Dan Mullan, Peter Wilson & Mark Seymour.
With tighter cropping rotations, fewer legume pastures and rising nitrogen costs, pulses are gaining renewed attention in Western Australia. The panel explored how improved varieties, better agronomy and increased grower experience are making pulses a more viable and profitable rotation option.
Daniel Kidd presented GGA’s Grain Legumes project, which is demonstrating advances in legume agronomy through on‑farm trials and assessing the economics of production.
Research into cold tolerance in chickpeas and efforts to strengthen pulse marketing pathways are helping address key barriers to adoption.
Grain legumes offer a valuable source of biological nitrogen and can fit into a wide range of Western Australian soil types, making them an important tool for both sustainability and profitability.
Papers and video recordings
The papers and recordings from the 2026 GRDC Grains Research Update, Perth are now available on the GRDC website.
