Life Sciences Commons^™

Production Of High-Value Wheats : One Sustainable Answer To The Cost:Price Squeeze, Wal Anderson, Alan Peggs, Doug Sawkins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Farmers and scientists alike over the past decade have sought to address the declining terms of farm trade (the cost.price squeeze) by increasing wheat yields in ways that will ensure both their economic and ecological survival. Nevertheless, costs have continued to increase as a proportion of the value of the product.

Many farmers have increased their wheat yields substantially and the industry as a whole is more conscious of the quality of its product.

Over the past 10 years or more there has been intense interest in, and considerable adoption of. conservation farming techniques such as minimum tillage, residue retention, …

Field Peas In The Wheatbelt, R J. French

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Plantings of lupins in the Western Australian wheatbelt increased rapidly in the late 1970s and early 980s as improved varieties became available and farmers realised the benefits to be gained from growing grain legumes. Grain legumes are useful not simply as alternative cash crops. They provide 'fixed' atmospheric nitrogewn to following cereal crops and act as a cleaning crop to break cereal disease cycles. They are also valuable sheep feed.

In 1975, throughout the wheatbelt, the Department of Agriculture began a comparison of several alternative legumes. The crops included field peas, faba beans, chickpeas, lentills and various vetches. Field peas …

Effect Of Agronomic Practices On Wheat Protein Levels, M G. Mason

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

High grain protein levels are preferred for many end-uses of wheat. However, there has been little or no incentive for farmers to use practices which would increase protein levels, because wheat payments are made without a price differential for proteinlevel, except where wheat could qualify for the Australian Hard grade.

Growing Sunflowers In South-Western Australia, M L. Poole

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The oil produced from sunflowers falls into the "polyunsaturated" group and usually commands a premium price on world markets.

Some Western Australian farmers seeking to diversify their cropping programmes in the face of marketing difficulties for many agricultural products are trying sunflowers, although commercial production has not yet been achieved.

This article sets out some basic information for farmers wishing to try sunflowers.

Promising Results With Pineapples At Carnarvon, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Pineapples were investigated commercially in Carnarvon in the early 1930's but drought, sunscorch, alkaline soils and problems with transport and marketing caused the infant industry to collapse in 1936.

Recently however, trials at Gascoyne Research Station have shown that pineapples can produce good yields of high quality fruit in the area.

The trials have been aimed at establishing the viability of pineapple production at Carnarvon and have been carried out by officers of the Horticulture Division.

Faster Weed Germination With Early Cultivation, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The key to cultural control of weeds in cereal crops is an understanding of the factors which govern germination of the weed seeds.

Covering the seed with soil keeps out light, provides a stable moisture supply and makes germination faster than if the seed is left on the soil surface.

Shallow cultivation at the start of the growing season provides the soil cover needed for fast, even germination of weed seeds.

A New Look At Sweet Lupins In Western Australia, C M. Francis, M. L. Poole, M. H. Chopping

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BECAUSE they have a seed protein content of 30 to 45 per cent., sweet lupins are playing a growing role in animal feeding, particularly in the poultry industry. Their value as a protein supplement should ensure a continued local market as at current prices they are highly competitive with soya beans in cost per unit of protein.

Field Peas : A Crop For The Cereal Growing Areas?, M L. Poole, H. M. Fisher

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Rapeseed. 1. Establishing A Healthy Crop, M L. Poole, M. G. Mason

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Linseed Within The Clover Ley Farming System, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

LINSEED was one of the first crops to be widely used as an alternative to cereals in the over-17 inch rainfall areas. It is now an established crop with a total 1969 production worth just under half a million dollars.

Linseed is currently worth nearly twice as much as wheat per bushel, wih its short term prospects still attractive.

Rapeseed Production In Western Australia, M L. Poole

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

RAPESEED production began in Western Australia in 1968 when a few acres were grown. In 1969, about 20 growers ptanted small acreages for about 80 tons of seed. In 1970, up to 20,000 acres will be grown, and a total of 40,000 acres seems possible within the next few years.

Growing Barley For Grain In Western Australia : Varieties And Production Methods, H M. Fisher

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BARLEY is an adaptable crop which can be grown successfully throughout the cereal areas of Western Australia. It is more suited to the wetter areas than wheat and tolerates the drier, shorter season of the eastern cereal districts better than oats.

Lupins In Western Australia. 1. Species And Varieties, John Sylvester Gladstones

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

First in a series of articles on the varieties, cultivation and uses of lupins in Western Australia.

Lupins are ideally suited to the climate and soils of many districts of Western Australia and their cultivation here dates from the early years of the century.

However, although there were some 500,000 acres of lupins growing in the State in 1968, their cultivation in recent years has been largely limited to infertile sandplain soils where other legumes usually fail.

West Midlands Development : Development Techniques, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Most clearing in the West Midlands is carried out by chaining, though the method chosen will depend on the country being cleared and on the resources of the farmer.

Wimmera Rye Grass : Major Pasture Grass Of The Cereal And Sheep Areas, H G. Cariss

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

MANY of the volunteer pasture species of the cereal and sheep areas seed profusely, persist well and produce useful early green feed.

Mostly, however, they produce poor quality herbage of low forage value, particularly during the spring and summer months.

The seeds of many species cause problems in stock husbandry and lower the value of wool.

Safflower : An Oil Crop For The Kimberleys, D F. Beech

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

EXPERIMENTS with irrigated safflower carried out at the Kimberley Research Station have shown that the crop is well adapted to the local conditions.

In recent years yields of 2,000 to 3,000 lb. per acre have been generally obtained. Oil content of the main variety under trial varied between 33 and 35 per cent.

Locally produced safflower oil could help to make the Australian paint industry largely independent of imports.

Safflower meal is a protein-rich concentrate and could have considerable impact on the Kimberley cattle industry.

Safflower is likely to play an important part in the early development of irrigation agriculture …