Life Sciences Commons^™

Accelerating Variety Release With Double Haploids, Sue Broughton

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

The use of plant tissue culture to produce special lines called doubled haploids is reducing the time taken to breed new varieties of cereal crops by up to three years. Sue Broughton outlines what doubled haploids are, how they are produced, and why they have been able to short circuit the usual lengthy breeding process.

Fast Tracking Barley Varieties Using Anther Culture, Sue Broughton, Penny Priest

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

Breeding new varieties of barley or other cereal crops usually takes between 12 and 15 years. five years of that time may be needed to stabalise the new varieties so that they breed trueto type, but anther culture can reduce this delay to only eight months. This technology will allow the Department of Agriculture's barley breeding programme to respond more rapidly to changes in goals set by industry and to meet market demands.

Crops In The Woolbelt : Current Options And Emerging Prospects, Wal Anderson, Ross Gilmour, Robyn Mclean, Peter Nelson, K H.M Siddique, Paul Carmody, Ian Prtichard

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

It has traditionally been more profitable to grow sheep for wool in the medium rainfall parts of the south-west of Western Australia than to grow crops . Crop production has been difficult owing to the hilly terrain, the frequency of waterlogging, the high incidence of damaging frosts in some areas, the frequency of losses from diseases, difficulties with wet weather at harvest, and a lack of adapted crop varieties.

Advances over the past decade have made cropping on a limited scale potentially profitable in the woo/belt.

This article is intended to bring the various options for crop production to the …

Breeding Better Malting Barleys, Ross Gilmour, Allen Tarr, Stefan Harasymow

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

Development of new barley cultivars in Western Australia has substantially improved the grain yield and quality of the State's barley crop. This has increased returns to barley growers and enhanced Western Australia's reputation in export markets as a major supplier of barley for malting and feed.

The State exports more than 200, 000 t of malting barley, 60, 000 t of barley malt and 150, 000 t of feed barley each year.

The major challenge for the future is to develop new, high yielding cultivars with improved malting quality.

In this article, the authors discuss the achievements of the past; …

Flower : Predicting Flowering Times Of Cereal Crops, G A B Elliott, Stephen Loss

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

FLOWER is a computer program which predicts the flowering date of a given wheat or barley variety at a specified location and sowing date. Department of Agriculture agronomists, breeders and advisers are using the program to provide useful information on how the development of cereals responds to different environments across Western Australia's cereal growing areas.

Swathing Field Crops In The South-West, R Snowball

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

Swathing is a long established method of haarvesting field crops, especially in parts of Europe and North America. It involves cutting the crop when the seed is nearly mature and laying it in a swath or windrow to dry. when the crop has dried it is harvested using conventional harvesting machinery with a pick-up attatchment.

On the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, an area prone to strong moist sea breezes, swathing barley is a common practice. More farmers along Western Australia's south coast are also swathing barley to reduce losses from conventional harvesting. Pod shattering losses of lupins and field …

Row Spacing And Cereal Crop Yield, R N. Burch, M. W. Perry

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

Cereal growers in western Australia have, traditionally, burned cereal stubbles. Burning stubble residues reduces weed seed populations and fungal pathogens, but its main purpose has been to eliminate straw which might cause blockages od seeding machinery and por see-bed preparation in the time critical seeding operation.

In 982, the Department of Agriculture began a project to determine whether wider spaced rows also depressed cereal yields in Western Australia. This article summarises some of the important results from that work.

Barley Breeding Update, P A. Portmann

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

Barley production in Western Australia has increased over the past few years, peaking at 1.42 million tonnes in 1984. The European Economic Community, however, has flooded world markets for barley and over half of ourbarley was sold for feed to Saudi Arabia last year. Current prices therefore have declined as has the total area sown to barley in this State.

Despite this, the potential to increase barley yields is most promising. The Department of Agriculture has cross-bred lines in advanced stages of field testing which could increase yield by 10 per cent across the agricultural areas.

In the longer term, …

Keeping Ahead Of Powdery Mildew In Barley, T N. Khan, K. Young, P. A. Portmann

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

Powdery mildew is one of the world's most significant barley diseases. In Australia, and more particularly Western Australia, its importance has been under-rated, and only recently has interest in this disease emerged.

Powdery mildew was widespread throughout Western Australia's southern cereal growing areas in 1983. Only a prolonged dry period in August and early September of that year prevented possible large-scale crop losses. Similar outbreaks occurred in 1984.

While some barley varieties are resistant to infection, the use of fungicides, particularly seed dressings, can minimise further infection.

Barley Production And Soil Acidity, P J. Dolling, W. M. Porter

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

One of the causes of reduced plant yields on acid soils is aluminium toxicity. because barley is extremely sensitive to this mineral, a project started last year to examine the influence of soil acidity on barley production in the main barley growing areas of Western Australia.

This article discusses some of the background information on the project and its aims.

Crop Varieties For 1979, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

New crop varieties recommended for 1979 include two wheats, Tincurrin and Warimba, Moore oats and blackleg resistant Westro rapeseed.

Halo Blight Of Barley Confirmed In Western Australia, T N. Khan

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

Halo blight on barley has been confirmed in Western Australia for the first time.

What is it and how will it affect barley production in the future?

Breeding A Barley Resistant To Leaf Disease, T N. Khan, P. A. Portmann

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

In the last few years the Department of Agriculture has begun a programme to produce brley varieties resistant to the leaf diseases, scald and net blotch. These diseases cause substantial losses that may not be apparent to an individual farmer.

Crop Variety Recommendations For The 1978 Season, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Recommendations on which varieties are likely to be most profitable for farmers to grow are based on yields in Department of Agriculture trials and suitability of grain, in relation to the capacity of vatious didtricts for producing different types of grain.

Grain Crop Varieties For Western Australia, H M. Fisher

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

Recommendations for grain crop varieties grown in Western Australia are based on the results of field trials carried out each year by the Department of Agriculture at some 50 sites throughout the agricultural areas.

New varieties are tested directly against existing commercial varieties in large scale field trials for several years. Yield and quality results are analysed and market requirements are studied before recommendations are formulated.

This article gives information on the varieties of a range of crops now recommended for growing in Western Australia.

Crop Recommendations (1975) And Variety Trials (1973-1974), Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Variety recommendations for 1975 were derived mainly from results of 259 trials conducted at 60 sites in 1973. The main programme included wheat, oat, barley and lupin trials sown at 43 sites in wheatbelt areas; biscuit wheat trials on 12 sites in southern medium and high rainfall areas, and special hard wheat trials on 12 heavy land sites in low rainfall areas.

Also included was a series of early-sowing trials with lupins, wheat and barley; linseed trials in southern coastal areas, and preliminary wheat, oat and barley variety trials on research stations.

Crop Variety Recommendations For 1974, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Crop variety recommendations are reviewed each year and reflect trends in the market situation and the availability of new varieties with specific applications and advantages.

The following recommendations for 1974 cover a wide range of grain crops grown in the agricultural areas of W.A.

Crop Variety Recommendations For 1973, H M. Fisher

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

Detailed wheat, barley, oats and linseed variety and planting time recommendations for the 1973 cropping season.

Frost Injury To Cereals In W.A, M W. Perry, A. G. P. Brown

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

Late spring frosts commonly reduce yields and affect the quality of grain in wheat crops, especially in the southern, eastern and north-eastern districts. The damage is usually localised on individual farms, but is sometimes widespread.

Barley, and oats to a lesser extent, are also affected. Average losses of wheat in Western Australia have been estimated at 3 to 5 per cent, per year, or about 2 million bushels on current production figures.

Don't Crop Areas Liable To Waterlogging, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The increasing areas of crops being sown in high rainfall districts make it likely that many crcp areas include sections liable to severe waterlogging.

This report presents results of a 1970 trial which clearly show that sowing such sections is not economic.

Grow Barley For Malt Or Feed, G B. Crosbie, J. A. Parish

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

MALTING barley can be grown in certain areas receiving more than 13 inches annual rainfall, and farmers have to make a choice between growing barley for malt or feed in these areas.

Barley And Oat Yield Tests In W.A, H M. Fisher

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

BARLEY production has increased sharply over the past two seasons to compensate reduced wheat acreages.

The change over to barley has been supported by the availability of suitable varieties, notably Dampier, and a good demand for West Australian barley overseas.

Alternative Crops To Wheat : An Assessment, H M. Fisher

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

INTRODUCTION of wheat production quotas in 1969 promoted widespread interest in suitable alternative crops.

The only other crops grown on a significant scale in W.A. were barley and oats and farmers were quick to substitute these cereals in their cropping programmes.

Recommended Crop Varieties : 1972, H M. Fisher

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

RECOMMENDATIONS on crop varieties for 1972 continue to place emphasis on grain quality in relation to the requirements of overseas buyers. Gamenya, Falcon and Bokal wheats, Dampier and Beecher barleys, Swan oats and Kameniza linseed are the main varieties recommended.

Barley Staining, J A. Parish, G. B. Crosbie, A. G. P. Brown, P. A. Portmann

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

GRAIN discolouration or "staining" is a quality defect in W.A. barley which substantially reduces the marketable value oi the crop. It also causes heavy losses to individual growers whose grain is docked or rejected.

Recommended Crop Varieties, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

RESULTS of variety trials carried out in 1968 by the Department of Agriculture were considered by the State Wheat Advisory Committee and the State Coarse Grains Advisory Committee in making recommendations on leading varieties of wheat, oats and barley.

Details of the recommendations are set out below.

Recommendations on linseed varieties have been included in view of the growing significance of the industry and representations from farmers for consideration of this crop along with the cereals.

Recommended Crop Varieties-1971/Vol11/Iss12, H M. Fisher

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

Cereal and linseed varieties recommended for 1971 should give the best returns to growers and benefit the industry in general, The main varieties are Gamenya, Bokal and Darkan wheats, Dampier and Beecher barleys, Swan oats and Kameniza linseed.

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.

The Outlook For Barley, P J. Hackett, E. J. O'Loughlin

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

World production of barley in 1968 was 4,107 million bushels—an increase of 7 per cent, on the previous year.

Further increases are estimated for the 1969 season, especially in Canada and France. World production is expected to be 3 per cent, higher than in 1968.

Growing Barley For Grain In Western Australia : Barley Quality, J A. Parish

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

Plumpness and absence of pinched grain are desirable for both malting and feed barley.

This is a brief discussion of various Quality standards in barley and how they may not be met.