Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Geology, Soils And Climate Of The Margaret River Wine Region, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter S. Gardiner

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This report is an extract from the broader description and analysis of the Geology, soils and climate of Western Australia's wine regions. It expands on the brief descriptions in the second edition of 'Viticulture' (Coombe & Dry 2004) concerning the soils and landscapes of Western Australia’s main wine growing regions. We have tailored this report extract to the specific needs of the Margaret River wine region. It contains local soil names and soil-landscape zones and systems maps.

The wine industry recognises the importance of giving customers an understanding of the vines’ environment and how that may influence wine character …

A Simple Guide For Describing Soils, Angela Stuart-Street, Nicolyn Short Dr, Paul Galloway, Noel R. Schoknecht

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Soils are enormously diverse and can be very confusing to understand and talk about. This simple guide for describing soils helps to identify the most important parts of a soil profile and provide an easy way to understand and explain what you see. It gives you a step-by-step guide of what soil properties to describe and how to describe them, along with the tools to make basic soil classifications. The soil descriptors help you to identify the soil type and aid in assigning a simple and standardised name to the soil. While this guide is designed to link with a …

Report Card On Sustainable Natural Resource Use In Agriculture, Robert Summers, David Weaver

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Condition and trend Nutrients, such as phosphorus (P), are essential for profitable agriculture in the south-west of WA; however, excess P – more than is required for optimal production – is stored in many agricultural soils. On average, pasture soils and arable soils contain 1.3 times and 1.6 times respectively, as much P as is required for optimal production. Production in P-enriched soils is more likely to be constrained by soil acidity (50–60% of pasture and arable soils), potassium (K) (50% of pasture soils and less than 10% of arable soils), and sulphur (S) (30% of pasture soils). Management implications …

Soil Peels: Their Preparation And Presentation, Tim D. Overheu

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Soil peels are an exciting and inexpensive technique for collecting an exact reproduction of soil profiles. They are an excellent product for displays and soil extension activities. Introduced in the mid-1960s, the soil peel (lackfilm) technique was initially developed using a flexible glue product in combination with a cloth base, and was used to preserve soil stratigraphy at geo-archaeological excavations (Voight & Gittins 1977). The method described in this update introduces refinements to the technique for heavy and consolidated clay or duplex soils in Western Australia. Applying and removingtechnique was initially developed using a flexible glue product in combination with …

Water Management Plan For The Town Of Perenjori, Mark Pridham

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The Rural Towns – Liquid Assets (RT–LA) project was established with the aim of integrating salinity, waterlogging and flooding control with development of new water supplies in wheatbelt towns, and where possible, finding ways of putting the excess water to commercial use. Following the identification of effective integrated water management strategies, these have been applied to the 15 Shires participating in the DAFWA led RT–LA project. This report summarises the outcomes from all scientific investigations undertaken for Perenjori. In addition it presents the water management options, a preliminary analysis of those options and the priority recommended ones. Due to the …

Benchmarking Biodiversity: Land Resource Mapping In The Ord River Catchment., Tricia Handasyde, Peter J. Tille, Noel R. Schoknecht, Karen Carnes

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This 2009 report describes the mapping of landform, vegetation and soils undertaken in the Ord River Catchment in the East Kimberley of Western Australia in order to provide a basis for biodiversity benchmarking. The project: • brought together and standardised existing Ord River catchment land resource mapping held by the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) and Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in a format compatible with adjoining mapping in the Northern Territory • mapped to land unit level an additional 4400 sq km of the Ord River catchment. • re-digitised 2200 sq km of vegetation mapping previously not …

Optlime, A Bioecenomic Model Of Soil Acidity Management In Agricultural Systems, Chris Gazey

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Optlime is a model that represents the essential biological, physical and economic factors related to soil acidity management in Western Australia. The model allows users to define site and soil characteristics for an acidic scenario and then simultaneously assess likely outcomes for 2 different lime sources and application strategies. With and without liming scenarios are examined over a 20 year simulation so as to capture the long-term impacts of soil acidity management. Output provided allows you to examine the likely effect of liming on pH, exchangeable aluminium, yields, and profits. An investment appraisal is provided to show you how liming …

Annual Pasture Legume Options For Key Soil Types, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia, Grains Research & Development Corporation

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No abstract provided.

Current Status And 25 Year Trends For Soil Acidity, Fertility And Salinity In The Coastal Catchments Of The Peel-Harvey, Robert Summers, David Weaver

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The current status and trends of soil analyses in the coastal catchment of the Peel Harvey estuary were developed from historical soil data (1982 to 1991) combined with a renewed sampling to greater depth (1 m). This report encompasses the data collected from the first year of the project. Soil phosphorus content was found to be high but has dropped slightly since 1991. Soil pH is very low and is likely to be limiting production but have risen slightly since 1991. Soil potassium content is generally so low that it may be limiting production especially to the west of the …

Field Pea In The Great Southern, Ian Pritchard, Rodger Beermier, Mark Seymour

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Semi-leafless field pea like Kaspa have lifted the benchmark set by the previous conventional varieties such as Parafield and Dunwa. Semi-leafless field pea have the same traits as conventional field pea: adaptation to a range of soil types; wide selection of weed control options (including crop topping); nitrogen input; disease break; and reduction in root lesion nematodes. Semi-leafless pea is easier to harvest and is less prone to pod shatter.

Vegetation Health Analysis (Peel-Harvey Coastal Plain Catchment) : An Impact Study On The Use Of Alkaloam (Bauxite Residue) As A Soil Amendment On Agricultural Land, Garry Heady, Chris Ferreira

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In 1997, a program was established to monitor the long term, (a minimum of 10 years), impacts on remnant native vegetation, of Alkaloam bauxite residue used as a soil amendment on adjacent agricultural land Data collection is to be repeated on an annual basis for the duration of the program. This report presents pre-treatment site and vegetation data for 2001, the fourth year of sampling in the program. Overall results are compared with those from 1997, 1998 and 2000. Descriptions of monitoring sites and an outline of project design and methodology are provided so the report can be read independently …

Avon And Upper Hotham Region Natural Resource Atlas, Sarah Weaving, Jason Batory

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The Avon and Upper Hotham Region Atlas is one of a series of Natural Resource Atlases covering the agricultural region of Western Australia. The purpose of the Atlas is to provide data for local people who manage or have an interest in natural resources. This includes the members of Land Conservation District Committees (LCDC), catchment groups, local government, non-government organisations, conservation groups, schools and libraries.

The aim of this publication is to bring together land and natural resource information from a number of sources and present it in a clear and accessible way. The data covers a number of topics …

Social And Economic Data For Regional And Natural Resource Management In Western Australia's South West Catchment : Results Of The 2006 Landholder Survey, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, South West Catchments Council (W.A.), Michael Hanslip, Australia. Bureau Of Rural Sciences.

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This report presents a summary of the key findings from a mailed survey to 2,000 landholders in the South West Region of Western Australia in 2006. The survey gathered information on the key social and economic factors affecting landholder decision-making about the adoption of practices expected to improve the management of natural resources in the region. The response rate for the survey was 69.4%.

The South West Catchment Council, Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food and the Bureau of Rural Sciences were key project partners. Funding was from a mix of national, state and regional programmes, including the Natural …

Geographe Bay Catchment Natural Resource Atlas, Sarah Weaving

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The Geographe Bay Catchment Atlas is one of a series of Natural Resource Atlases covering the agricultural region of Western Australia. The purpose of the Atlas is to provide data for people in local communities who manage or have an interest in natural resources. It is now realised that the various components of the land interact with each other and therefore need to be managed together. This Atlas is intended to present natural resource and land information in an accessible way to people of the area. It may act as a focus for catchment planning and provide a starting point …

Phosphorus In The Landscape: Diffuse Sources To Surface Waters. Land And Water Resources Research And Development Corporation. Occasional Paper 16/98, Richard Davis, Anne Hamblin, E O'Loughlin, Nic Austin, R Banens, P Cornish, P Hairsin, M Mcculloch, Phil Moody, J Olley, B Prove, I Smalls, David Weaver

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The National Eutrophication Management Program (NEMP) and Environment Australia convened a workshop to develop a coherent overview of the sources and transport of diffuse phosphorus in Australian catchments based on the latest knowledge. The Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRDC) and the Murray–Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) jointly fund NEMP. A select group of scientists attended the workshop and developed a coherent statement about phosphorus sources and transport in Australian catchments. The group did not extend this statement to include recommended management practices. This paper reports the findings from the workshop. State governments have developed algal and nutrient …

Reading The Rangeland: A Guide To The Arid Shrublands Of Western Australia, Don Burnside, Alec Holm, Alan Payne, Georgina Wilson

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Managing the rangelands is complex. Soils and vegetation can vary considerably over short distances in distinct or subtle ways. Separating climatic from management influences on the condition of the land has always been difficult. Whether we live on a sheep station, in a country town, in an Aboriginal community, a mining camp, or even if we only visit the Australian outback, it is vital that we understand and appreciate the unique character and management requirements of the rangelands. Learning to ‘read the rangeland’ has been a slow process, involving the knowledge and skills of pastoralists, Aboriginal people and scientists. This …

Napier-King Land Conservation District : Land Management Manual, Peter Hocking

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With the discovery of the role of trace elements, large tracts of land in the south west of Western Australia, previously regarded as unsuitable for agriculture, were cleared in the 1950s and 1960s. Much of this land was taken up as Conditional Purchase Blocks, a scheme which enabled conversion of unalienated crown land to freehold title providing a set proportion of the block was 'developed'.

However, the removal of the natural deep rooted vegetation and its replacement with pasture species (up to 90% of privately owned land in the Napier-King LCD area is cleared) has not been without problems. The …

North Mullewa Research Station "Daisy Downs" Field Day, Peter Nelson

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NMRS (165 ha) was leased from "Daisy Downs" (Manager Mr Ken Thompson) in 1985. NMRS was established in response to famer and local goverment demand for more research on the shallow, heavy soils in a low rainfall area. It is run along similar lines to the East Chapman Research Station (ECRS), with large rotation paddocks (42 ha) set up to study farming systems the remainder of the leased area being used for general experimental purposes.

Communication Networks And The Adoption Of Three Farn Practices, P. W. Fry, F. K. Goss

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The report commences with a discussion of the diffusion and adoption model, and illustrates some of the research observations and practical outcomes that have emerged in recent years, An overview of social network research is presented as a means of understanding communication exchanges and providing data relevant to the diffusion debate. The communication and adoption studies are then reported in three separate sections in the order they were conducted. (A map of the location of the survey areas is shown in Figure I ) . The objectives, survey method, results and a summary are presented for each study.

A background …

The Distribution And Properties Of Lateritic Gravels At Yalanbee And Their Interactions With Soil Phosphorus, David Weaver

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This study aimed at investigating the distributive patterns and properties of lateritic gravels at "Yalanbee" (C.S.I.R.O. research station) and how these properties and patterns e ffect the adsorption of phosphorus onto the lateritic gravels. It also aimed partly at investigating the effect of the presence of lateritic gravels on the adsorption of phosphate by "whole soils". Gravels in the Yalanbee soil had migrated since their formation as was shown by their abundance and large size at the top of a slope which graded to less abundant, smaller and more rounded gravels further down the s lope. The distribution of gravels …

The Oombulgurri Project Clancy Committee Report, D J. Clancy, P Mccosker, C Mayberry, A J. Millington, P Ryan

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In early August the Oombulgurri community requested assistance in the following terms.

"On behalf of the Oombulgurri Community, we invite assistance in developing the grain and pasture cropping at Oombulgurri. We have experimented with peanuts, sorghum, and many varieties of vegetables. This has tested the reality of hopes to expand acreage and varieties to become self-sufficient in stock feed. The Farm and Garden Guild now needs the expertise of your services to plan a four-year programme. vie need assistance in choosing from the many options, opinions and advices available from Australia and elsewhere, for grain production, pastures, methods appropriate to …