WA Agricultural Research Collaboration

Launched in July 2023, the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC) aims to rebuild and reinvigorate WA’s RDE&A capabilities through applied research programs on emerging industry issues.

The work will build on scientific research efforts that underpin the State’s agricultural industry success and high productivity by applying cutting-edge science to WA’s unique challenges and opportunities.

The Grower Group Alliance is among six Collaboration participants including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, and Western Australian universities: Curtin, Murdoch and the University of Western Australia.

WAARC Programs

The Collaboration will focus on a series of programs to respond to the needs of WA industries by applying the best available scientific knowledge to our State’s unique context. These include:

 1. Northern Agriculture

Increasing the gross value of production through intensification of agriculture by 2030, focusing on sustainable growth of irrigated agriculture and the northern beef industry.

2. Grains Transformation

Transforming the WA grains industry to achieve an average 25 million tonne crop per annum by 2035, achieved with 50% decrease in fertiliser, crop protection and fuel input use than 2022.

3. Climate Resilience

Addressing the impacts of climate change through technologies that can deliver future landscapes that maintain agricultural productivity while reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2035.

4. Agricultural Technologies

Driving 20% improvement in margins of the leading 10% of producers by 2035.

5. Aboriginal Participation

Doubling Aboriginal employment in agriculture by 2035 including by direct participation in agricultural businesses.

 6. Capacity Building and Extension 

Encouraging and supporting WA growers to apply research outcomes in the paddock. 

Grower Group University Honours Program 2026

GGA has partnered with WAARC to offer an Honours program to the GGA Network.

The partnerships connects university honours students from Curtin University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia (UWA) with grower groups to tackle real-world challenges facing WA agriculture, attracting strong interest and high-calibre research proposals from across the State.

Honours students:

• Receive $10,000 Honours scholarship (plus a contribution towards travel and operating costs)
• Gain meaningful, field-based research experience in regional WA
• Build strong links with industry and enhance both research and industry career pathways
• Become part of a program that provides a clear pipeline into PhD study for those who want to pursue research, while also being highly valued by industry for those wanting to enter the workforce.

Grower groups:

• Receive a $10,000 hosting fee to assist with orientation, research co-design, supervision, and community engagement throughout the year
• Access research tailored to your group’s priorities
• Contribute to developing WA’s next generation of agricultural professionals
• Bring new thinking and analytical capability into your organisation.

Recipients:

Caitlyn Stuart from UWA, who will be investigating how environmental factors influence cattle reproductive performance and productivity in northern pastoral systems with grower group Gascoyne Pilbara Rangelands Initiative.

Leran Peng from UWA, whose project will be leveraging Earth observation and AI technologies to predict tree and block yield in Western Australian avocado orchards with grower group Society of Precision Agriculture Australia (SPAA).

Chris Watts from Curtin University, whose project will yield impact of biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) trait in CIMMYT wheat lines under contrasting nitrogen fertiliser rates in Western Australia with grower group Living Farm.

Annie Bone from Curtin University, who will be investigating technology for rangelands condition management in the Southern rangelands with grower group Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance.

Joel Tinetti from, Murdoch University, who will be investigating the impact of oat (Avena sativa) flour nutrient composition on physicochemical properties of oat beverages with grower group Facey Group.

Jewel Pivac from, Murdoch University, who will be investigating the effects of salinity on long-term carbon plantings and review site selection standards with grower group Oil Mallee Association of Australia (BioResourcesWA).

Program Updates

Final WAARC-GGA Honours scholarship recipient announced
18 June 2026

New partnership links WA honours students with growers
21 April 2026

Round two scholarships now open to inspire future ag leaders
31 March 2025

WA Agricultural Research Collaboration: Northern agriculture strengthened by first Collaboration project
24 May 2023

Research collaboration welcomes grower insights
28 Feb 2023

News

Collaborators