GRDC Update: Pulses a ‘Slow Burn’ as WA Seeks Wider Rotation

Why It Matters

Expanding pulse acreage can diversify WA’s cropping system, enhance soil health, and reduce reliance on synthetic nitrogen, offering growers resilience against price swings and disease pressure.

Key Takeaways

• WA pulse area remains under 1% of total harvest.
• Soil liming improves pulse establishment and nitrogen fixation.
• Multi‑year rotations boost profitability and reduce disease pressure.
• Breeding investment needed for WA‑specific pulse varieties.
• Market volatility requires on‑farm storage strategies.

Pulse Analysis

Western Australia’s grain belt has traditionally leaned on canola and cereals, with pulses occupying a fraction of the sown area. The 2026 GRDC Perth Update underscored a “slow‑burn” shift as growers, agronomists and marketers convened to discuss how pulses could reshape the region’s cropping matrix. A record 27 million‑tonne grain harvest still saw lupins at roughly 905 kt and other pulses at 120 kt, highlighting the gap between potential and current adoption. Yet rising fertilizer costs, tighter environmental regulations and consumer demand for protein‑rich foods are nudging producers toward legume diversification.

Scientific advances are turning that nudging into tangible gains. Researchers from the University of WA pointed to extensive liming and soil amelioration as key drivers of improved pulse establishment, especially on historically acidic sandplain soils. By integrating pulses into four‑year (sandplain) or eight‑year (better soils) rotation blocks, growers report higher overall profitability, reduced root‑lesion nematode pressure, and more flexible planting windows. The nitrogen‑fixing capacity of lupins, peas and lentils also lessens dependence on expensive bagged nitrogen, while breaking up cereal‑canola cycles curbs disease build‑up such as sclerotinia.

Despite agronomic promise, scaling pulse production hinges on genetics and market stability. InterGrain’s Dan Mullan warned that WA’s modest breeding pipelines lag behind cereal programs, leaving growers reliant on varieties not fully optimized for local climates. Targeted investment in WA‑specific pulse genetics could unlock further yield jumps and disease resistance. Meanwhile, price volatility—evident in lentil prices swinging from $925 to $650 per tonne—forces growers to adopt on‑farm storage and risk‑management tactics. Policymakers and industry bodies that support breeding funding, storage infrastructure, and export market diversification will be pivotal in converting the “slow burn” into a mainstream rotation component.