GRDC Western Region Panel chair Darrin Lee said the GRDC Grains Research Update, Perth, would be held at Crown Perth on February 25 and 26.

Lee said the two-day event continued to be an important source of agronomic and industry information and resources and a key opportunity for interaction between advisers, growers, researchers and other industry personnel.

"The Update provides excellent information on high priority issues ranging from technical research results that can be applied on-farm, through to broader industry perspectives, and is an excellent networking opportunity, with about 600 people attending the event in 2018," he said.

"Themes for opening sessions at the 2019 event will include ‘Innovation - applying grains R&D on-farm' and ‘The big picture - what our export customers want'."

Keynote speakers addressing the export theme will include Grains Bunge Asia distribution director Will Syers, who will talk about ‘Future demand for Australian grains in North East and South East Asia', and Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) chief executive officer Richard Simonaitis, who will address ‘Technical support for the Indonesian wheat industry - our single biggest wheat customer'.

On the innovation theme, Guillaume Jourdain, chief executive officer of French technology startup company Bilberry, will talk about the topic of ‘Precision post emergence control of target weeds in green crops'.

A number of concurrent sessions will be held over the two days on important issues impacting on grower profitability, ranging from nutrition management through to frost and soil constraints.

"The Update provides excellent information on high priority issues ranging from technical research results that can be applied on-farm, through to broader industry perspectives, and is an excellent networking opportunity, with about 600 people attending the event in 2018," Lee said.

"Themes for opening sessions at the 2019 event will include ‘Innovation - applying grains R&D on-farm' and ‘The big picture - what our export customers want'."

Keynote speakers addressing the export theme will include Grains Bunge Asia Pty Ltd distribution director Will Syers, who will talk about ‘Future demand for Australian grains in North East and South East Asia', and Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) chief executive officer Richard Simonaitis, who will address ‘Technical support for the Indonesian wheat industry - our single biggest wheat customer'.

Chief executive officer of French technology startup company Bilberry, Guillaume Jourdain, , will talk about the topic of ‘Precision post emergence control of target weeds in green crops'.

Many concurrent sessions will be held over the two days on important issues impacting on grower profitability - ranging from nutrition management through to frost and soil constraints.

Extended focus sessions on the second day will cover ‘effective messaging' to speed up the adoption of innovations to improve farm profitability; new research in the understanding and management of fungal diseases; and best management and control of ‘new' weeds.

The GRDC Grains Research Update, Perth, will be complemented by two one-day GRDC Grains Research Update events in the Geraldton port zone at Mullewa (hosted by the Mullewa Dryland Farmers Initiative and the Mingenew Irwin Group), on February 22, and in the Albany port zone at Kendenup (hosted by Stirlings to Coast Farmers) on February 28.