The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD’s) essential grain variety guide to help growers optimise crop productivity, profitability and sustainability is now online.
The 2026 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide features updated performance data and the latest variety information, supporting growers to make informed crop selection decisions.
The guide contains details on grain yield, quality and disease for wheat, barley, canola, oats and pulses, including lupins, field peas, faba beans, chickpeas, lentils and vetch.
The pulse section features an Agronomy and Herbicide Guide to support the management of these high-value crops.
DPIRD crop science and grain production manager Bob French said this year’s publication included several new variety releases.
“The guide has National Variety Trial information on 24 new varieties, including eight wheat, six canola, three lentil, two vetch, two feed barley and three barley varieties awaiting malt accreditation,” Dr French said.
“When considering a new variety it is important for growers to consider potential improvements in yield, quality and disease traits, as well as farming system aspects, like disease mitigation, weed management and market suitability, before purchasing seed.
“We encourage growers to use the guide in discussions with their consultants, agronomists and marketing agents to make crucial crop sowing selections.”
The easy-to-read publication includes updated agronomic information and advice, disease ratings and market information for each grain, as well as variety snapshots for barley, oats and wheat and a guide to picking a pulse.
New varieties in the wheat section include the high yielding, robust Australian Noodle Wheat AGT-Carnac and quick winter Australian Premium White variety Wallaroo.
There are several Australian Hard releases, including slow maturing varieties AGT-Colt and AGT-Hamelin, alongside InterGrain's quick-mid maturing Dale and quick maturing Kestrel offerings.
LongReach have released the quick-mid maturing LRPB Sonic, while RAGT Australia’s quick-mid maturing RGT Marsh is awaiting final classification.
The barley section profiles Ember and Kirwan CL feed varieties, as well as the three varieties undergoing Grains Australia malting accreditation, AGT-Bunyip IA, Rocket CL and Soldier CL, which will all be available for planting in 2026.
AGT-Bunyip IA is the first barley variety globally to offer dual herbicide tolerance, with resistance to both imidazolinone (IMI) and quizalofop-p-ethyl (Aggressor® AX).
Dr French said the Grains Industry Association of WA had provided valuable information and market intelligence to inform barley growers’ selections.
“The 2026-27 season will be pivotal for WA’s malting barley industry, with low malt premiums encouraging some growers to favour feed varieties or prioritise volume over quality,” he said.
“Before selecting barley varieties, it is important to consider market demand, pricing signals, the location of segregation sites and the risk of not satisfying malt-grade barley specifications.”
Three new lentil releases feature in the pulse section, including the IMI tolerant varieties GIA Colombo and ALB Dane, as well as the non-IMI tolerant red lentil ALB Burdett.
New canola releases in the guide include the TT varieties AGT Insurgent TT and Pioneer PY432T, the TT and LL variety InVigor LT 4030P, the GT and IMI Chronos TFI, as well as the Vesta IMI variety.
The publication also provides crucial information on new arrangements for Clearfield® CL Plus wheat varieties, the increasing incidence of flag smut in wheat, as well as tools available to manage the risk of frost damage.
The free 2026 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide is available online, where orders for hard copies can also be placed.
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