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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Using Landsat Satellite Imagery To Estimate Groundcover In The Grainbelt Of Western Australia, Justin Laycock, Nick Middleton, Karen Holmes Dec 2022

Using Landsat Satellite Imagery To Estimate Groundcover In The Grainbelt Of Western Australia, Justin Laycock, Nick Middleton, Karen Holmes

Resource management technical reports

Maintaining vegetative groundcover is an important component of sustainable agricultural systems and plays a critical function for soil and land conservation in Western Australia’s (WA) grainbelt (the south-west cropping region). This report describes how satellite imagery can be used to quantitatively and objectively estimate total vegetative groundcover, both in near real time and historically across large areas. We used the Landsat seasonal fractional groundcover products developed by the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program from the extensive archive of Landsat imagery. These products provide an estimate of the percentage of green vegetation, non-green vegetation and bare soil for each 30 m …


Investigations Of The Potential For Irrigated Agriculture On The Bonaparte Plains: Hydrogeology, Aquifer Properties And Groundwater Chemistry, Don Bennett, Paul Raper, Robert Paul, Tim Pope, Richard J. George Dr Aug 2022

Investigations Of The Potential For Irrigated Agriculture On The Bonaparte Plains: Hydrogeology, Aquifer Properties And Groundwater Chemistry, Don Bennett, Paul Raper, Robert Paul, Tim Pope, Richard J. George Dr

Resource management technical reports

‘Cockatoo Sands’ is a common name for the Cockatoo Sands family of soils (comprising red to yellowish-red sands, sandy earths, and loamy earths) that have formed from quartz sandstone colluviums in relatively isolated patches throughout the East Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Cockatoo Sands are recognised as potentially suitable for irrigated agriculture because they are generally well drained and not subject to waterlogging or inundation. These characteristics allow them to be cultivated and prepared for planting various crops during the wet and dry seasons of northern Australia.

Expanding agricultural production onto the Cockatoo Sands around Kununurra …


Geology, Soils And Climate Of The Margaret River Wine Region, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter S. Gardiner Aug 2020

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

All other publications

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 …


Crop And Climate Suitability For Irrigated Agriculture In The Midlands Area Of Western Australia, 2nd Edition, Leon Van Wyk Jul 2019

Crop And Climate Suitability For Irrigated Agriculture In The Midlands Area Of Western Australia, 2nd Edition, Leon Van Wyk

Resource management technical reports

The Midlands groundwater and land assessment is a $4.7 million Water for Food project. Its aim is to confirm groundwater availability at one or more focus areas that may form precincts of 2000–3000 hectares suitable for intensive irrigated horticulture. This report forms part of this project.

Firstly, this report describes the climate of the Midlands study area and highlights the subtle differences between the two selected focus areas, Irwin and Dinner Hill. It discusses the importance of climate in determining crop suitability. We also investigated the following additional factors that determine crop suitability: water quality, water quantity, land capability (soils) …


Land Capability Assessment For Expanding Irrigated Horticulture Around Myalup, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Dafwa Dec 2017

Land Capability Assessment For Expanding Irrigated Horticulture Around Myalup, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Dafwa

Resource management technical reports

The Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD, formerly Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia), assessed the suitability of land for expanding irrigated horticulture around Myalup, Western Australia. The assessment builds upon existing soil-landscape mapping produced by van Gool and Kipling (1992), and Barnesby and Proulx-Nixon (2000). This report provides guidance to decision-makers and investors about areas with potential for irrigated horticulture.

The survey area for this assessment is east of Myalup, covering 37 800 hectares (ha). Johnston Road forms the northern boundary and the Brunswick River forms the southern boundary (Figure 1.1). The sandy soils of the …


Soil Groups Of Western Australia: A Simple Guide To The Main Soils Of Western Australia (4th Edn), Noel R. Schoknecht, Shahab Pathan Mar 2013

Soil Groups Of Western Australia: A Simple Guide To The Main Soils Of Western Australia (4th Edn), Noel R. Schoknecht, Shahab Pathan

Resource management technical reports

This publication provides a simple, standardised and easy-to-understand way to recognise the most common soils in Western Australia.

It is designed to:

1) Provide a standard way of giving common names to the main soils of the State;

2) Provide a simple method to identify them;

3) Assist with the communication of soils information at a general level.


Land Systems Of The Kimberley Region, Western Australia, A L. Payne, N Schoknecht Dec 2011

Land Systems Of The Kimberley Region, Western Australia, A L. Payne, N Schoknecht

Technical Bulletins

The Land Systems of the Kimberley Region Report describes and maps the landscapes, soils and vegetation of the Kimberley region. This report is a consolidation of surveys carried out by different organisations, across different areas of the Kimberley, since the 1940s. The Kimberley region, as defined in this bulletin, covers 330 070km². The report categorises the Kimberley region into 111 land systems. Under each land system, the report identifies the vulnerabilities of those areas, and provides recommendations on how to achieve sustainable use. The report also publishes pasture types for the entire region and the grazing potential for each pasture, …


Water Management Plan For The Town Of Pingelly, Mark Pridham Feb 2010

Water Management Plan For The Town Of Pingelly, Mark Pridham

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Water Management Plan For The Town Of Perenjori, Mark Pridham Feb 2010

Water Management Plan For The Town Of Perenjori, Mark Pridham

All other publications

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 …


An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Western Australian Part Of The Nullarbor Region, P A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, P Hennig Jan 2010

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Western Australian Part Of The Nullarbor Region, P A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2005 and 2007, describes and maps the natural resources of the region. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the area's natural resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The Nullarbor region has …


The Crystal Chemistry Of Holtite, L. A. Groat, Edward S. Grew, R. J. Evans, A. Pieczka, T. S. Ercit Dec 2009

The Crystal Chemistry Of Holtite, L. A. Groat, Edward S. Grew, R. J. Evans, A. Pieczka, T. S. Ercit

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Holtite, approximately (Al,Ta,square)Al(6)(BO(3))(Si,Sb(3+),As(3+))(Sigma 3)O(12)(O,OH,square)(Sigma 3), is a member of the dumortierite group that has been found in pegmatite, or alluvial deposits derived from pegmatite, at three localities: Greenbushes, Western Australia; Voron'i Tundry, Kola Peninsula, Russia; and Szklary, Lower Silesia, Poland. Holtite can contain >30 wt.% Sb(2)O(3), As(2)O(3), Ta(2)O(5), Nb(2)O(5), and TiO(2) (taken together), but none of these constituents is dominant at a crystallographic site, which raises the question whether this mineral is distinct from dumortierite. The crystal structures of four samples from the three localities have been refined to R(1) = 0.02-0.05. The results show dominantly: Al, Ta, and vacancies …


Factors Influencing Perennial Pasture Adoption In The Medium Rainfall Zone Of The South West Natural Resource Management Region Of Western Australia, Ned Crossley, Stephen Tunbridge, Kathi Mcdonald Sep 2009

Factors Influencing Perennial Pasture Adoption In The Medium Rainfall Zone Of The South West Natural Resource Management Region Of Western Australia, Ned Crossley, Stephen Tunbridge, Kathi Mcdonald

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Esperance Area Acid Sulfate Soil Hazard Mapping, Paul Galloway, Simon Clarendon Aug 2009

Esperance Area Acid Sulfate Soil Hazard Mapping, Paul Galloway, Simon Clarendon

Resource management technical reports

This project created a regional scale (1:100 000) acid sulfate soil (ASS) hazard map for the Lake Warden and Esperance town areas, using a combination of existing soil-landscape mapping information and elevation data, supported by field observations and laboratory data from 18 soil cores and 29 additional borelogs with descriptive information useful for identifying ASS and potential ASS materials. All data gathered during this project used common standards and protocols developed in Australia for identifying and mapping ASS materials. The project extends the mapping for acid sulfate soil in the region, complementing existing maps compiled for other parts of the …


Options For Achieving And Maintaining Low Salinity In Agricultural Dams, Tilwin Westrup Jul 2009

Options For Achieving And Maintaining Low Salinity In Agricultural Dams, Tilwin Westrup

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Crop Updates - 2009 Katanning, Murray Scholz, Peter Newman, Glenn Adam, Trevor Bell, Michael Whitehead, W. K. Anderson, C. Gazey, J. Andrew, R. Pearce, Bill Bowden, Wayne Pluske, Jeremy Lemon, D. C. Edmeades, J. J. Russell, B. H. Paynter, David Ferris, Abul Hashem, Catherine Borger, Stephen B. Powels, Qin Yu, Mechelle Owen, Roberto Busi, Sudheesh Manalil, Sally Peltzer, David Minkey, Raj Malik Mar 2009

Crop Updates - 2009 Katanning, Murray Scholz, Peter Newman, Glenn Adam, Trevor Bell, Michael Whitehead, W. K. Anderson, C. Gazey, J. Andrew, R. Pearce, Bill Bowden, Wayne Pluske, Jeremy Lemon, D. C. Edmeades, J. J. Russell, B. H. Paynter, David Ferris, Abul Hashem, Catherine Borger, Stephen B. Powels, Qin Yu, Mechelle Owen, Roberto Busi, Sudheesh Manalil, Sally Peltzer, David Minkey, Raj Malik

Crop Updates

This session covers seventeen papers from different authors

  1. GM canola – How will it affect the way I farm? Murray Scholz, 2008 Nuffield scholar, Southern NSW

  2. Eight years of IWM smashes tyegrass seed banks by 98% over 31 focus paddocks, Peter Newman, Glenn Adam & Trevor Bell, Department of Agriculture and Food

  3. The global economic climate and impacts on agriculture, profile on Michael Whitehead Rabobank New York

  4. Lessons from five years of cropping systems research, W.K. Anderson, Department of Agriculture and Food

  5. Case study of a 17year old agricultural lime trial, C. Gazey, Department of Agriculture …


Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Doradine Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper Jan 2009

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Doradine Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Farming For The Future : Industry Practice Baselines, Danielle England, Susan Murphy-White, John Noonan, Marie Shanks, Jon Warren Jan 2009

Farming For The Future : Industry Practice Baselines, Danielle England, Susan Murphy-White, John Noonan, Marie Shanks, Jon Warren

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


The Initial Hydrological Effect Of Deep Drains At Wallatin Creek : (2006-2008), Richard J. George Dr, Grant Stainer Jan 2009

The Initial Hydrological Effect Of Deep Drains At Wallatin Creek : (2006-2008), Richard J. George Dr, Grant Stainer

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


The Impact Of The "Profitable Perennials" Project On Adoption : An Evaluation, Jamie Bowyer, Rebecca Heath Jan 2009

The Impact Of The "Profitable Perennials" Project On Adoption : An Evaluation, Jamie Bowyer, Rebecca Heath

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Wilson Inlet Catchment Appraisal 2007, Ron Master Jan 2009

Wilson Inlet Catchment Appraisal 2007, Ron Master

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Date Creek Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper Jan 2009

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Date Creek Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Benchmarking Biodiversity: Land Resource Mapping In The Ord River Catchment., Tricia Handasyde, Peter J. Tille, Noel R. Schoknecht, Karen Carnes Jan 2009

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

All other publications

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 …


Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Upper Crossman Catchment, Leon Vanwyk, Gregory Paul Raper Jan 2009

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Upper Crossman Catchment, Leon Vanwyk, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Surface Water Management In The East Yornaning Catchment, Tilwin Westrup Jan 2009

Surface Water Management In The East Yornaning Catchment, Tilwin Westrup

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Surface Water Management In The Daping Creek Catchment, Tilwin Westrup Jan 2009

Surface Water Management In The Daping Creek Catchment, Tilwin Westrup

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Lake Towerrinning Catchment, G Paul Raper, Leon Vanwyk Jan 2009

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Lake Towerrinning Catchment, G Paul Raper, Leon Vanwyk

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Yilliminning Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper Jan 2009

Setting Targets For Resource Condition In Yilliminning Catchment, Leon Van Wyk, Gregory Paul Raper

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.


Tambellup-Borden Land Resources Survey, Angela Stuart-Street, Rohan Marold Jan 2009

Tambellup-Borden Land Resources Survey, Angela Stuart-Street, Rohan Marold

Land resources series

No abstract provided.


An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig Jan 2009

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of The Lower Murchison River Area, Western Australia, P Hennig

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of the lower Murchison River area, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2002 and 2003, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. This survey report presents …


Optlime, A Bioecenomic Model Of Soil Acidity Management In Agricultural Systems, Chris Gazey Sep 2008

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

All other publications

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 …