Improved weather data for WA growers

The Western Australian Government has funded the installation 11 additional automatic weather stations to help support the state‘s grains industry.

The additions to the state’s 145 weather station network will be used to help provide grain growers with valuable localised weather information.

Soil moisture probes will also be installed to complement the new weather stations, which are located from Yuna in the north, to Grass Patch in the south, to Moorine Rock in the east. 14 grower groups will host the weather stations at 11 eDemonstration sites.

The weather stations provide real-time information including rainfall, temperature, humidity, evaporation rates, and wind speed and direction.

The new equipment is being funded through the $10 million eConnected Grainbelt project, which is being led by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA and funded by the state government’s Royalties for Regions program.

Agriculture and Food Minister Dean Nalder said the project also aims to provide feedback into how the weather data can be better applied for growers in the region.

“Grain growers have told us it’s all very well to have this information; what is important now is how to interpret the information and integrate it into easy-to-use decision-making tools,” he said.

“This is a unique opportunity for growers to have a say in the development of new, cutting-edge digital technology that best meets their needs and adds value to their cropping operations.”

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