More than 500 growers, agronomists, farm advisers and researchers across the State tuned into this week’s virtual livestream event for Western Australia’s premier grains research forum.

The GRDC Grains Research Update in Perth plays an important role in enabling these industry stakeholders to connect and share knowledge to further the State’s thriving export-focused grain industry, worth more than $8 billion in 2021/22.

This year’s Perth Update is being delivered for the first time in a completely virtual format, with well-attended sessions held on February 21 and 22 and half-day sessions scheduled on March 1, 3, 8 and 10.

Monday and Tuesday’s forum included international, interstate and local speakers, some recorded in-studio at Perth’s Crown Towers, delivered via livestream events with the opportunity for Q&A in some sessions.

GRDC senior regional manager – west, Peter Bird, says the health and wellbeing of the people in the WA grains industry was the top priority of the GRDC and event convenor, the Grain Industry Association of WA, had done an outstanding job of transitioning the program online to deliver a livestream event of exceptional quality.

Mr Bird says that despite the challenges of running events during the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRDC’s commitment to extension and communication had never been stronger.

“We need to continue to think ‘outside the box’ to provide event programs that deliver for growers within COVID-19 constraints and which are backed up by the GRDC’s quality online and print resources,” Mr Bird says.

The Grains Research Update - Perth virtual format included international, interstate and local speakers, some recorded in-studio at Perth's Crown Towers, delivered via livestream events with the opportunity for Q&A in some sessions. Image: GRDC

“The 2022 Grains Research Update, Perth is more accessible than ever before as it’s free to attend and can be accessed by anyone across Australia regardless of their location. Presentations are being recorded and most will be available online on the GRDC website.”

The program comprises more than 50 individual sessions across 6 days that address important issues ranging from markets, crop protection and varieties, through to soils and nutrition, agronomy and farming systems.

GRDC Western Panel Chair Darrin Lee opened Monday’s session with the Seed of Light Award presentation to highly respected independent rural consultant Julianne Hill.

This was followed by GRDC Chairman John Woods, outlining GRDC’s future directions for investments in grains research, development and extension (RD&E).

The morning’s facilitated panel discussion on the ‘Market outlook for the WA grains industry in 2022 and the longer term’ featured Cheryl Kalisch-Gordon, Rabobank; Jason Craig, CBH; John Orr, Premium Grain Handlers and Richard Simonaitis, AEGIC.

Tuesday’s facilitated panel addressed the highly topical ‘Fertiliser strategies in response to higher prices’ with Peter McEwen, Agri-Access; James Easton, CSBP; Elizabeth Petersen, UWA; and Craig Scanlan, DPIRD.

March’s themed half-day sessions are scheduled on the following days and topics:

• Tuesday 1 March – Nutrition & Nitrogen from Legumes
• Thursday 3 March – Crop Protection
• Tuesday 8 March – Canola & Cereals
• Thursday 10 March – Soils & Pulses

The planned Regional Grains Research Updates for WA have been postponed to July/August, with dates to be released in the coming months.

There is still time to register for the March sessions. To recap a vital piece of information, go to the GRDC’s past events webpage or review the 2022 Update papers.