The 2026 GRDC Update in Perth is being held today and tomorrow, and has drawn a record attendance of almost 900.

OFF the back of a record harvest, the Western Australian grain industry and visitors have turned out in force to hear the latest in agronomy and markets at the Grains Research and Development Corporation Perth Update.

Held over today and tomorrow Optus Stadium, the event has drawn a record crowd of close to 900 from across WA and beyond.

The event’s first plenary session included a Looking Forward, Looking Back panel discussion involving InterGrain’s Nicole Kerr, Sweet Spot Ag Research’s Mark Sweetingham, Summit Fertilizers’ Juliet McDonald and Farm Focus Consultants’ Geoff Fosbery, all former employees of WA’s agriculture department.

In various roles since, they and the others in the room have seen the WA grain industry grow hugely over the past 30 years to produce the record 2025-26 crop of 27.35 million tonnes, which GRDC senior regional manager west Peter Bird described as “just over 21 Optus Stadium’s full of grain”.

In his address, GRDC managing director Nigel Hart congratulated WA growers on the result and referenced gains in water-use efficiency which in part reflect the efficacy of GRDC-funded projects over the years.

He referenced PlanFarm data, which shows WA growers are now getting 14kg of grain per millimetre of rain, up from 9kg not so long ago.

The update’s first morning saw the presentation of the Western Region Seed of Light to Ron Yates.

“Ron’s work in pasture legume and nitrogen fixation has resulted in new pasture legume varieties, better adapted rhizobia and new application techniques that allow crops to be sown before the first autumn rains to maximise potential,” GRDC Western panel chair Gary Lang said in presenting the award.

“Secondly, the buy-in from Ron’s PhD and honours students is impressiv; he has a strong track record of attracting and retaining young research talent to the WA grains industry.”

Southern Cross grower Callum Wesley won the Western Region Emerging Leader award, who also spoke about gains in water-use efficiency.

“What’s greater than getting decile 8 rainfall and decile 8 yields…is decile 4 rainfall and decile 8 yields.

InterGrain’s Nicole Kerr, Sweet Spot Ag Research’s Mark Sweetingham, Summit Fertilizers’ Juliet McDonald and Farm Focus Consultants’ Geoff Fosbery on the Looking Forward, Looking Back panel discussing 30 years of GRDC Updates in WA.

GRDC managing director Nigel Hart, 2026 Seed of Light – West winner Dr Ron Yates, 2026 Emerging Leader – West and Southern Cross grower Callum Wesley and GRDC Western Panel chair Gary Lang. Photo: GRDC

Jack and Clare Mitchell from Mitchell Family Farms, Mingenew, and Steph Rose and Montana Bradley from Mingenew-Irwin Group.

Bolgart grower Trevor Syme, Waddi Park Farming, Lawson Grains WA general manager Anthony Foss, and Richard Devlin from ag R&D company Living Farm, York.

Coorow grower Michael O’Callaghan, Beverley grower and Grain Producers Australia director Duncan Young, and retired grower and former GRDC chair Terry Enright, Geraldton.

GRDC Western Panel member Cathy Cooke, Mollerin, with daughter Hayley Cooke, Nutrien Ag and fellow graduate agronomist Tom Richardson with CRT Geraldton agronomist Blake Messina.

WA DPIRD Geraldton development officer Megan Abraham and Darling Downs, Qld, grower Vicki Green.

Crop Circle Consultants’ Grant Thompson, Geraldton, and Ashley Marsh, Mullewa.

Murdoch University Emeritus Professor Richard Bell, Innovation Squared’s Nathan Craig, and CSIRO researcher Dr Yvette Oliver.

WA DPIRD laboratory scientist Tonny Kinene and UWA researcher Alfredo Nhampossa Nildo.

GrainGrowers grower engagement manager April Browne, strategic communications officer Matt Johnston, and WA grower engagement officer Marcia Devenney.

South Coast NRM’s Rosie Boyham, Albany, and Jayme Burkett, Esperance.

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