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Stubble : Friend And Foe, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Several articles in this issue of the Journal of Agriculture discuss some of the important issues of stubble management. The articles are condensed from some of the papers presented at a stubble workshop at Geraldton in 1991.

Stubble Retention For Control Of Wind Erosion, Dan Carter, Paul Findlater, Steve Porritt

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

The surest way to control wind erosion in continuous cropping systems is to retain stubble. Over the past ten years, Western Australian research has focused on the amounts of stubble needed to prevent that erosion.

How Stubble Affects Organic Matter, Plants And Animals In The Soil, Judy Tisdall

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

Cereal yields have not increased greatly in Australia over the past 30 years and they are still only about half the potential determined by rainfall. One of the reasons for these low yields is our fragile soils, worsened by traditional systems of tillage and the burning of stubble. These systems reduce the levels of organic matter and biological activity in soil

Red Kangaroos Can Set Back Range Regeneration, Andrew Mclaughlin

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

After years of severe drought, stocking rates in Western Australia s arid rangelands have been kept low since the 1970s to allow native pastures to regenerate. As well, extensive re-seeding programs have started and sheep and cattle grazing on these areas has been restricted or eliminated. However, pasture regeneration in the rangelands can only succeed when grazing by all animals - sheep, cattle, kangaroos, goo.ts, camels, brumbies and donkeys - is controlled Many more red kangaroos roam throughout Western Australia's pastoral areas today than 20 years ago. The installation of windmills and troughs to water domestic livestock has allowed kangaroo …

How Arsenic Residues Get In Wool, Tony Martin, Robin Jacob, Marion Davies, Peter Rutherford

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

Wool can become contaminated with arsenic in various ways, and several different sources may each contribute to any individual arsenic residue problem.

• dipping sheep in an arsenical dip ( now illegal),

• dipping sheep in a non-arsenical dip in a contaminated dipping facility

• penning sheep on soil with high levels of arsenic before shearing.

Other possible sources include running sheep on land contaminated by gold mine tailings or exploration sites, and allowing sheep access to sites on the farm where arsenical compounds have been dumped, for example, rubbish dumps or sites where dip/sump sludge has been dumped.

Farmers …

New Yellow Serradella Varieties For Low Rainfall Pastures, Clinton Revell

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

Large areas of acidic, sandy soils in Western Australia's low and medium rainfall, wheatsheep areas are suited to the pasture legume, yellow serradella.

In the past, a lack of varieties with suitable maturity has limited the use of this species.

New varieties developed in Western Australia and significantly earlier in maturity than traditional types can now extend the use of yellow serradella into these regions.

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.

Wider Spaced Rows For Lupins, Ron Jarvis

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

In this farm scale trial at Wongan Hills, a lined combine was used to seed lupins into rows spaced 380 mm apart in wheat stubble.

Cost Effective Stubble Retention Practices, Andrew Green, Ed Blanchard

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

To increase the rate of adoption of stubble retention farming systems the Grains Research and Development Corporation is funding a three-year project with the Farm Machinery Unit to develop low cost, stubble handling systems from harvest to seeding

How To Reduce Spending On Land Conservation, Tim Negus

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

Heavy spending on capital works for land conseroation is usually out of the question in the present financial climate, but the recession does not mean that landcare must be abandoned. There are many aspects of landcare that involve little or no extra cost. Soil conseroationist Tim Negus discusses them in this article.

Taking The Emu To Market, Paul Frapple, Ruth Hagan

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

Licensed, commercial emu farming in Western Australia is now five years old.

This year, 13,500 birds will be processed for their meat, skin and oil. Production has exceeded demand at prices which the industry considers fair because the industry is still developing marketd for these producys.

Without secure, long term markets, over-production will worsen as the turn-off in this State increases and emus become available from other Australian states and overseas.

The Department of Agriculture is assisting the industry to develop a viable industry.

The Pros & Cons Of Retaining Stubble, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Few farmers in Western Australia today would question the desirability of retaining crop stubble. The problem usually is how to manage stubble so that it does not interfere with other parts of the farming system

Results Of Stubble Research In Western Australia, Michael Perry, Ron Jarvis, Mel Mason, David Tennant

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

Few farmers would question the desirability of retaining stubbles, both for control of erosion by wind and water, and to return organic matter to the soil. While the present debate is focused on the short term management of stubbles, longer term effects also need to be considered.

The Department of Agriculture has several long-running trials intended to measure long term effects.

Stubble Handling Begins At Harvest, Ed Blanchard

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

Long stubble left in the paddock after harvest causes major difficulties at seeding time. To demonstrate the benefits of having short stubble at seeding, the Trayning Land Conservation District Committee created four stubble treatments at harvest in 1988 and sowed into these stubble treatments in 1989.

What Brings The First Rains Of The Season?, Ian Foster

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

There are two major sources of rainfall over south-western Australia.

Managing Brome Grass In The Wheat:Lupin Rotation, Aik Hock Cheam, Gurget Gil, Christine Zaicou

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

Some farmers and scientists are questioning the sustainability of the cereal:lupin rotation in the Western Australian wheatbelt.

Being a 'tight' rotation, its continuation is constantly under threat by disease, especially lupin root rots caused by Pleiochaeta (the brown spot organism) and Rhizoctonia fungi. To control disease, some farmers have lengthened the rotation to three years, such as wheat:wheat:lupins or wheat:barley:lupins. The longer cereal phase also helps to stabilise soil against wind erosion. However, such rotations can lead to a rapid buildup of brome grass during the two consecutive years of cereals. The implications of these rotations on the severity of …