Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis has inaugurated a new $1.3 million high-tech glasshouse in Albany for critical research to safeguard and expand Western Australia’s (WA) agriculture sector.
The facility at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development‘s site provides a controlled environment for year-round usage by scientists working in grains, pasture and horticulture agronomy, entomology, and soils research.
“The new Albany glasshouse will be a tremendous asset to grains, pasture and horticulture research in Western Australia, leading to more targeted and efficient outcomes delivered more quickly at a lower cost,” Minister Jarvis said.
“Our Government continues to prioritise research and development, with extensive investments in infrastructure and assets across the State to assist our primary industries to remain internationally competitive,” Minister Jarvis added.
According to the WA Government, glasshouse studies supplement field experiments by isolating crucial factors that are not possible to isolate in the paddock and by better understanding plant responses.
The purpose-built structure, outfitted with cutting-edge technology, will allow researchers to double the number of tests they conduct and double their success rate.
The facility will pave the way for additional collaborative research between the public and commercial sectors on WA production systems for the benefit of the industry.
The Albany glasshouse will complement the State Government’s recent upgrades to agricultural research institutions such as the Northam Grains Research Facility, South Perth diagnostic laboratories, Merredin laboratories, and the Carnarvon Research Station.
The recent rise of the grains industry in the Great Southern and South Coast regions emphasises the need for first-rate facilities to assist with the challenges and possibilities facing local growers.
“I am thrilled that the Albany office of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has been chosen to house this critical piece of research infrastructure,” Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens said.
“The glasshouse highlights the Cook Government’s commitment to keeping WA’s world-leading agricultural sector internationally competitive,” Stephens added.
