Western Australia’s crop breeding effort has been bolstered with the completion of new state-of-the-art seed handling and storage facilities at the Department of Agriculture’s Wongan Hills Research Station.

Local grain growers were invited to examine the new $1.5 million facilities, officially opened today at the Research Station’s 80^th annual field day.

Acting Director General Rob Delane said the Wongan Hills Research Station formed an integral part of the Department’s overall crop breeding program which had developed 80 per cent of wheat varieties currently grown in WA.

Mr Delane said the breeding programs co-funded by grain growers through the Grains Research and Development Corporation and royalties underpinned the success of the State’s grain industry exports.

“Wongan Hills is the operational base for much of the Department’s crop breeding field research, pure seed production activities and related research support,” he said.

“The new seed handling and storage capacity incorporates facilities such as new cool room storage, processing and work areas to improve operational efficiencies and research capability.

“Further investment has also been made in the development of new sheep handling areas, the construction of a fertiliser storage shed and machinery shed, modifications to existing sheds and road and earth works.”

Mr Delane said crop breeding was a vital part of the Department’s extensive research and development program, which aimed to improve the marketability, productivity and sustainability of the State’s grains industry.

Field testing on the research station and the storage, assessment, preparation and distribution of new crop breeding lines forms a critically important component of the breeding effort. 

The Wongan Hills Research Station has about 1000 hectares of land under crop rotations each year, with approximately 500 hectares used for crop breeding, crop seed production and crop agronomy experimentation.

The field day provided industry with an opportunity to view the new and improved facilities and to discuss the latest research and development activities, including the performance of new crop varieties.