Life Sciences Commons^™

Control Of Wild Oats, J G. Paterson

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

WILD OATS are widespread throughout the world.

Their importance can be gauged from the fact that in the wheat growing areas of Canada and the U.S.A. some 60 million acres are infested.

Two chemicals are now available for the control of wild oats in wheat. This article compares their relative merits and gives recommendations for their use.

Hydatid Disease In Western Australia, K J. Austen

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

BECAUSE hydatid disease is a disease of humans as well as animals every consideration must be given to its control and to the prevention of any possible increase in incidence.

The incidence of hydatids in Western Australia has not, in the past, been very high.

However, the great increase in sheep numbers which has taken place in recent years and which is expected to continue for many years to come, will produce a situation where it could be expected that the incidence of the disease will rise unless stock owners, particularly sheep owners, take appropriate steps to control the tapeworms …

Serradella, H G. Cariss, B. J. Quinlivan

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

SERRADELLA is an annual pasture legume which is now coming increasingly under notice.

I t is not a new species, for it has been grown in Western Australia as a pasture plant for some 12 years and in Europe for over 100 years.

The Indian Crow, John L. Long

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

THE Indian crow occasionally reaches the shores of Australia from southern Asia via ships travelling between Indian and Australian ports.

Legume Inoculants For 1967, W A. Shipton

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

PERIODIC changes are made in the strains of rhizobia released for the inoculation of various legume groups.

These changes are made when it is evident from experimental data that better strains of rhizobia are available, or that the old ones are no longer effective.

New strains of rhizobia may give improved nodulation of legume seedlings or increase dry matter yields.

Controlled Environment Broiler Houses In Western Australia, D F. Hessels

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

The three main features which contribute to the better returns from controlled environment broiler housing are higher density, better conversion and a reduction in labour.

The higher initial cost of housing and higher running costs are more than covered by these three advantages.

Poison Plants Of Western Australia : The Toxic Species Of The Genera Gastrolobium And Oxylobium : Prickly Poison And Bullock Poison, T E H Aplin

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

PRICKLY POISON is one of the most widely distributed and one of the most variable of species of the genus Gastrolobium.

Beef Production In A 14 Inch Rainfall District, D J. Barker, H. G. Cariss

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

Progress report on a farm scale beef-raising investigation at the Department of Agriculture's Wongan Hills Research Station.

A SMALL herd of beef cattle was established at Wongan Hills Research Station in 1964 and the first crop of calves was dropped in the autumn of 1965. The calves' growth rates were recorded and they were marketed as 18-month-old steer beef in November, 1966.

Recommended Wheat Varieties, 1968, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE wheat varieties Falcon and Gamenya are the only varieties recommended by the State Wheat Advisory Committee for sowing in 1968.

Water Blooms, T E H Aplin

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

WHEN a body of water becomes discoloured with a super-abundance of free-floating, microscopic plant or, in rare cases, animal life, it is said to develop a "water bloom."

This article discusses some aspects of the appearance of water blooms, particularly those caused by algae, and with the effects that certain toxic algae have on livestock.

Land Grading In South West Irrigation Areas, 1966-67, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Land grading in the South West Irrigation Areas with modern earth moving equipment first commenced in 1949.

The advantages of land grading are well recognised by farmers and this season grading operations were carried out on 208 farms.

Sheep Programmes For Esperance Settlers With Limited Finance, R J. Doyle, G. D. Oliver

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

FARMING in the Esperance region has now passed through the phase of experimentation into the phase of consolidation.

But not all new settlers are prosperous.

On occasions, a lifetime ambition to own and operate a farm has ended in failure because the settler has been forced through economic circumstances to give up his block.

Too often this follows the unequal struggle of trying to develop a block with too little capital.

Fertilisers For The Wheatbelt, William John Toms

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

A review of fertiliser research findings and recommendations for fertiliser applications to crops and pastures in the 12 to 15 inch rainfall areas.

NOT long ago, fertiliser to the cereal grower meant only superphosphate for cropping. Today, phosphorus, sulphur, nitrogen, copper, zinc and molybdenum are all important, and the needs of improved pastures must be considered as well as those of cereals.

Recommended Cereal Varieties, 1967, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE wheat varieties Claymore, Gabo and Wagin have been withdrawn from the list of wheat varieties recommended by the State Wheat Advisory Committee for sowing this season, mainly because of their lower yield performances.

THE varieties Avon, Fulmark, Irwin and Kent are recommended for sowing in 1967 by the Coarse Grains Advisory Committee and the Department of Agriculture. The areas where satisfactory crops of these varieties can be grown are given in the map and table.

THE varieties Prior and Beecher are again recommended for sowing in 1967 by the Coarse Grains Advisory Committee and the Department of Agriculture.

The Effects Of Shearing Time And Stocking Rate On Wool Production, R J. Lightfoot

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

THE results of the first experiment comparing "autumn" versus "spring" shearing over a two-year period were published in 1960.

In this experiment the autumn-shorn ewes cut heavier greasy fleeces (even though they also reared considerably more lambs) with less tender wool, resulting in a higher average return per head from this group.

The autumn-shorn wool carried more seed, was less attractive and contained relatively more pieces than did the spring-shorn wool.

The Control Of Doublegee, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

FOUR years ago no practical recommendations could be made for the control of doublegee.

With money provided by the State Wheat Research Fund, research has been undertaken into the control of this weed, and there is now no reason why most farmers cannot bring doublegee under control.

Watch Out For Afghan Thistle, J G. Paterson

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

ALTHOUGH known throughout the cereal and sheep districts of Western Australia as Afghan thistle, this plant is not really a thistle at all.

It belongs to the large botanical family of the Solonaceae and is closely related to the garden vegetables tomato and potato.

Powdery Mildew Of Cucurbits, G C. Macnish

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

POWDERY MILDEW is a widespread and prevalent fungal disease of cucurbits in Western Australia.

It is most general on early plantings of rockmelon and cucumbers.

What Is The Difference?, F C. Wilkinson

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

A lesson to be learnt - a dose in time saves the line.

Sow Yards, P Mcnamara

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

THE sow is the production unit in the pig enterprise and she must be carefully managed and fed both when suckling and in the dry period.

The use of a sow yard enables the management of the breeding herd to be closely controlled.

Feeding Urea To Dairy Cows, R A. Bettenay

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

IT has been known for some years that the ruminant animal, through the agency of microflora in the rumen, has the ability to use urea as a source of nitrogen, and to convert some of this to protein.

Assessment Of New Potato Varieties In Western Australia, D. C. Hosking

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

THE Mediterranean type of climate and low elevation of land in the South-West of Western Australia permits a year-round cycle of potato planting.

An early crop is planted in frost-free areas in June and July for harvest between October and December.

This is followed by a midseason crop, planted in August-October for harvest between December and March, and a late crop, planted November-April for harvest between March and September

Agriculture In Western Australia : Past, Present And Future, A W. Hogstrom

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

THE post war period has seen very rapid growth and changes in the agriculture of Western Australia.

Almost every industry and region of the State has contributed to the growth of rural production which in turn has been responsible for much of the development in other sectors of the economy.

Recommendations For The Establishment Of Harbinger Medic In The Northern Wheatbelt, R J. Parkin

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

Harbinger is an early-maturing medic that has met with success on some soil types, especially in the northern wheatbelt.

Similar to Cyprus barrel medic but best suited to different soil types, harbinger adds to the range of pasture legumes available for sowing in under 16 in. annual rainfall areas.

Barley Variety Trials, 1965, J L. Mcmullan, J. A. Parish

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

The highest yielding varieties in the 1965 barley variety trials were the two-row crossbred A l l , the white grained six-row varieties Arivat, Gem and Glacier and the recently-named two-row variety Dampier (previously known as W45).

The Control Of Weeds In Cereals, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

PROBABLY the simplest way of obtaining an increase in crop yield is to control the weeds present.

Nearly a million acres of cereal crops are sprayed by aircraft each year and when the area treated by ground units is added, something like 20 per cent of the total area sown is sprayed with herbicides.

Consumption And Digestion Of Dry Cupped Clover, E T. Bailey

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

FARMERS often ask if sheep eat the dry seed heads of cupped clover (Trifolium cherleri) and, if so, how much of the seed is digested.

Poultry Behaviour As It Affects Management, R H. Morris

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

UNDER natural conditions animals have considerable control over their movements and over their proximity to each other.

Today, however, there is a trend in animal husbandry towards greater intensificaton, and this is most evident in the poultry industry.

A Guide To Pig Feeding, P Mcnamara

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

FOOD is by far the greatest cost in pig production, accounting for between 60 per cent, and 75 per cent, of the total cost, and for this reason it is important that the basic principles of feeding be understood.

Ornamental Trees For The Farm Garden, P Luff

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

THE need for trees in the farm garden is being realized by many people.

Trees around the homestead are required to give such features as shade, colour, fragrance and many other advantages to generally make an area more livable.

Besides these advantages, trees appear to help smaller plants flourish by increasing the humidity and providing various degrees of shade and sunlight.