Life Sciences Commons^™

Compost Production And Use In Horticulture, Bob Paulin, Peter O'Malley

Bulletins 4000 -

Maintaining and improving soil organic carbon levels is becoming an increasingly important aspect of modern farming. Compost provides potentially one of the most effective ways of applying organic matter to soils and improving organic carbon levels.

Improving soil organic carbon is directly related to soil quality and performance. Increased quality reflects improved biological function (soil health), fertility and physical attributes that include better drainage, reduced compaction and erosion, and improved moisture-holding capability, at least for lighter soils.

Compost is not the only option available. Others include the use of cover or break crops, reducing the use of cultivations, selecting safe …

Natural Resource Management Issues In The Avon River Basin, Paul Galloway

Resource management technical reports

Analyses the risk of soil, land and water degradation within the Avon River Basin of Western Australia. Information is based on the interpretation of the characteristics of soils and landscapes within the Avon River basin. This report deals with 15 natural resource management issues and describes the extent of each issue, the impacts that each issue will have, management options that can be used to deal with each issue, and the effectiveness of each management option in dealing with the issues.

Agricultural Resource Priorities And Recommendations For The Avon River Basin Natural Resource Management Strategy, Paul D. Galloway, C E. Mcconnell, D W. Cummins, K Ohlsen

Resource management technical reports

This report for the Avon Natural Resource Management Strategy provides an assessment of the current status of land resources throughout the Avon River Basin in Western Australia. It identifies the sub-regions and landscape components of the area and the land resource assets. The greatest threats are salinity, soil acidification, subsurface compaction, waterlogging, water and wind erosion, and biosecurity.

Technical Assessment Of Natural Resource Management Threats And Options In The Northern Agricultural Region Of Western Australia, Lorinda Hunt, G Patterson, Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (Wa)

Resource management technical reports

Analysis of the risk of soil, land and water degradation within the Northern Agricultural Region of Western Australia. Natural resource issues discussed include: acid groundwater, acid sulfate soils, climate change, dryland salinity, flooding, herbicide resistance, non-wetting (water repellence), nutrient loss and eutrophication, remnant vegetation decline, soil acidity, soil fertility decline, soil structure decline, subsurface compaction, waterlogging, wind erosion and soil contamination.

Natural Resource Management Issues In The Agricultural Zone Of Western Australia : South West Region, B Nicholas, Paul Galloway, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Heather M. Percy

Resource management technical reports

Provides and analysis of current pressures on agricultural resources of the South West region of Western Australia. Differing ranges of risks are shown for different degradation issues because of various impacts. Each natural resource management issues covers nature and extent of susceptibility, impacts on agriculture and the environment, management options and effectiveness of management options.

Organic Vegetables : A Guide To Production, Steven Mccoy

Bulletins 4000 -

There appears to be considerable opportunity for the development of organic vegetable production in Western Australia for either fresh or processed product. While a number of growers are successfully producing relatively small quantities of organic vegetables for both domestic and export markets, few large scale commercial growers have sought to capitalise on this opportunity.

Consumer interest in organically grown vegetables has increased rapidly in recent years due largely to concerns relating to food safety, health and the environment. For more information on markets for organic vegetables refer to AGWEST publication “Market Prospects – Organic Carrots and other Vegetables”.

Crop Updates 2001 - Grower Booklet, Graeme Robertson, Jatinderpal Bathal, Cameron Weeks, Kith Jayasena, Robert Loughman, Bill Bowden, Chris Gazey, Ross Brennan, Ian Foster, Q. Knight, Ross Kingwell, S. B. Sharma, S. Kelly, Glen Mcdonald, Kevin Young, Blakely Paynter, Keith Devenish, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, Terry Piper, Sally Peltzer, Clinton Revell, Candy Hudson, Ian Rose, Alexandra Wallace, Paul Blackwell, Miles Obst, David Bowran, Bevan J. Buirchell, Moin Salam, Art Diggle, Geoff Thomas, Mark Sweetingham, Bill O'Neill, Rafiul Alam, Glen Riethmuller, Greg Hamilton, Paul Carmody, G. Walton, B. Macleod, M. Seymour, H. Dhammu, D. Nicholson, M. D'Antuono

Crop Updates

1. Strategies for leaf disease management in wheat, Jatinderpal Bhathal¹, Cameron Weeks², Kith Jayasena¹ and Robert Loughman¹, 1Agriculture Western Australia. 2Mingenew-Irwin Group Inc.

2. Burn stubble windrows: to diagnose soil fertility problems, Bill Bowden, Chris Gazey and Ross Brennan, Agriculture Western Australia

3. Rainfall – what happened in 2000 and the prospects for 2001, Ian Foster, Agriculture Western Australia

4. Strategies for leaf disease management in malting barley, K. Jayasena1, Q. Knight2 and R. Loughman1, 1Agriculture Western Australia, 2IAMA Agribusiness

5. Planning your cropping program in season 2001, Dr …

Crop Updates 2001 - Cereals, Ross Kingwell, Wal Anderson, Eddy Pol, Peter Burgess, Ashley Bacon, D. M. Bakker, G. J. Hamilton, D. Houlbrooke, C. Spann, M. A. Hamza, Paul Blackwell, M. D. A. Bolland, Maurice Black, R. F. Brennan, W. L. Crabtree, Bill Bowden, Chris Gazey, Rochelle Strahan, Bob Gilkes, Zed Rengel, Stephen Loss, Tim O'Dea, Patrick Gethin, Ryan Guthrie, Lisa Leaver, David Phelps, Darshan Sharma, Mohammad Amjad, Md Sanajahanh Miyan, James Fisher, Senthold Asseng, Bill Bowden, Michael Robertson, Glen Macdonald, Kevin Young, Blakely Paynter, Jatinderpal Bathal, Cameron Weeks, Kith Jayasena, Robert Loughman, Q. Knight, Dominie Wright, Nichole Burges, Lisa-Jane Blacklow, Rob Hulme, Rob Griffith, Jenny Hawkes, Roger Jones, Debbie Thackray, S. B. Sharma, S. Kelly, Peter Newman, Dave Nicholson, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper, Mario F. D'Antuono, Mehmet Cakir, Nick Galwey, David Poulsen, Garry Ablett, Reg Lance, Greg Platz, Joe Panozzo, Barbara Read, David Moody, Andy Barr, Peter Langridge, Tina Botwright, Tony Condon, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Howard Carr, Greg Shea, Ian Foster, David Tennant

Crop Updates

This session covers forty two papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. Planning your cropping program in season 2001, Dr Ross Kingwell, Agriculture Western Australia and University of Western Australia

WORKSHOP

2. Can we produce high yields without high inputs? Wal Anderson, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia

VARIETIES

3. Local and interstate wheat variety performance and $ return to WA growers, Eddy Pol, Peter Burgess and Ashley Bacon, Agritech Crop Research

CROP ESTABLISHMENT

4 Soil management of waterlogged soils, D.M. Bakker, G.J. Hamilton, D. Houlbrooke and C. Spann, Agriculture Western Australia

5. Effect of soil …

The Role Of Earthworms In Western Australian Agriculture, Tom Mccredie, Lex Parker

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

Earthworms have a reputation as soil builders and renovators, particularly among 'organic' farmers and gardeners. They improve soil fertility through increased aeration, aggregation, water infiltration and release of nutrients from organic matter. However, the benefits of earthworms in the wheatbelt have been doubted for many years because of their poor survival in cultivated soils.

Since cropping began in the Western Auslmlian whealbelt over 1OO years ago, the physical condition of many soils has deteriorated. The primary causes of soil degradation were the European cultivation practices used by farmers and the trampling effect of introduced animals. in particular, sheep.

Soil Improvement With Bauxite Residues, W H. Tacey, S. C. Ward, K. J. Summers, N. J. Barrow

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

The sandy soils of the Peel-Harvey catchment hold water and nutrients very poorly. The Gavin ridges dry out quickly during rainless periods and this severely limits pasture growth. These ridges and the lower lying Joel and Coolup sands also lose a large proportion of the phosphorus, sulfer and potash fertilisers applied to them. Normally the sands lack clay materials to bind and hold the nutrients so rainfall leaches them out.

The Peel-Harvey Study Group, CSIRO, Alcoa and Murdock University have studied the use of a residue from bauxite mining to help overcome these problems. The treated residue has a texture …

Soil And Plant Analysis : A Guide To Fertilizer Usage, Walter Jacob Cox

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

Soil and plant analysis can be used to identify problems in soils, diagnose nutrient deficiencies and as a guide to fertiliser usage.

Soil testing is particularily useful where large amounts of phosphorus and potassium are leached or removed from the paddock in hay or silage.

Actual rates of fertiliser can only be recommended from soil testing and only in conjunction with additional biological and economic information.

Fertility Build Up Under Northern Wheatbelt Pastures, M L. Poole

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

Experiments on two farmers' properties demonstrated that legume pastures increase the fertility of northern wheatbelt soils.

Crops on legume pastures had higher yields than crops on volunteer pasture.

The experiments also indicated the most productive legume species for each situation and demonstrated that nitrogen added by legumes has a residual effect in the soil.

Kimberley Research Station Progress Report, 1964 : Soil Fertility And Plant Nutrition, D B. Parbery, R. Wetselaar

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

BEFORE 1963, very little work, other than that described in Burvill's original report, had been done on the analysis of Ord soils, nor had their fertility status been clearly defined.

Light Lands In Western Australia. 3. Microbiological Problems In The Establishment Of Legumes On Light Lands, C A. Parker

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

EXPERIENCE has shown that the establishment of leguminous pastures is essential for successful economic development of Western Australian light lands.

Subterranean clover is the preferred legume in most light land areas, with lupins holding an important place in the more northerly districts, and on the deeper sands.

The Testing Of Bacterial Strains Used In The Inoculation Of Legumes, Olga M. Goss

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 3

A part from their value as fodder plants, legumes such as peas, beans, clovers, vetches and lucerne play an important role in increasing soil fertility. Their value in the soil-enriching sphere has been recognised for centuries, but it is only comparatively recently that the reason for it has been fully understood.