Life Sciences Commons^™

Farming Without Fallow, H M. Fisher

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

UNDER the more intensive cropping rotations common in the early development of the cereal areas of Western Australia bare fallowing was a basic technique in cereal production.

By ploughing the land in July or August and keeping it bare of vegetation for nine or ten months, either by grazing or cultivation, a substantial beneficial effect on the subsequent crop could be expected.

Black Rot Of Cabbage, Cauliflower And Related Plants, W P. Cass Smith

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

BLACK ROT is a widespread disease which attacks many kinds of cruciferous plants.

In Western Australia, it is most prevalent and serious on cabbage and cauliflower, but it may also attack many other related plants, including brussels sprout, broccoli, turnip, swede, and a number of weeds such as mustard and wild radish.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals. 3. Crusting Of The Soil Surface, S C. Chambers

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

In some seasons extensive bare patches occur in cereal crops sown on the heavier wheat belt soils.

Experimental results from Beverley indicate that the poor emergence in some of these plantings may be due to crusting of the soil surface.

Working the surface with light harrows may destroy the crust and improve emergence.

Root Diseases In Wheat On Clover Ley : Factors Under Investigation. 2. Relative Susceptibility Of Wheat And Barley, S C. Chambers

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

ROOT ROTS of wheat and barley are caused by several fungi, the most important in Western Australia being Fusarium spp., Helminthosporium sativum and Ophiobolus graminis.

Local surveys have shown that the incidence of each organism varies with district and also depends on other factors, such as seasonal conditions and cultural practices.

The relative susceptibility of wheat and barley to these fungi has never been studied in detail under local conditions, although many such investigations have been conducted overseas.

Root Diseases In Wheat On Clover Ley : Factors Under Investigation. 5. The Evaluation Of Fungicidal Treatments, S C. Chambers

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

The use of fungicides, either as seed or soil dressings, for the control of root rotting diseases of wheat, was examined in a series of field experiments.

Results suggest that seed dressings have no effect on the incidence of root rotting fungi in the mature crop.

When fungicides were applied to the soil, a reduction in the incidence of take-all was noted in one experiment, but the same treatments had toxic effects on plants in a second similar experiment.

List Of The Smut Fungi Of Arkansas, George E. Templeton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Bluebush Seed : Cleaning, Drying And Storing, C V. Malcolm

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

BLUEBUSH (Kochia brevifolia) is a perennial plant which occurs naturally in Western Australia.

In the past it has attracted little attention, but in recent years it has created interest as a highly nutritious and salt tolerant plant well adapted to certain salt affected soils in the wheatbelt.

A previous article (Bulletin No. 2630) by Smith and Malcolm drew attention to its use. One of the problems in establishing bluebush is to obtain seed supplies.

Sclerotinia Rot Of Vegetables, S C. Chambers, M. Hardie

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

SCLEROTINIA ROT, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is now one of the most serious vegetable diseases in metropolitan market gardens.

Over the past decade it has been steadily increasing in prevalence and if present trends continue, many growers may be forced to abandon certain crops.

Although most vegetables are susceptible, the greatest losses are occurring in the autumn planting of beans, cauliflowers and lettuce and in the production of cauliflower seed.

Rust Of Snapdragons, O M. Goss

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

RUST caused by the fungus Puccinia antirrhini is possibly the most destructive disease attacking antirrhinums or snapdragons.

In Western Australia, the disease first appeared in 1955 and since that time has become very prevalent and widespread, frequently with devastating effects.

Bordeaux Mixture, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

BORDEAUX mixture is still proving a most effective spray against many serious plant diseases in this State despite the increasing use of the newer organic fungicides.

When properly made and applied it adheres to the plants with great tenacity and strongly resists the weathering action by rain.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals : Factors Under Investigation. 1. Seed Treatment And Moisture Content, S C. Chambers

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

UNDER the relatively dry climatic conditions of Western Australia, over-dosages of organic mercury dusts had no apparent ill-effects upon wheat emergence, irrespective of the initial moisture content of the seed.

However, seedling counts were significantly less, with seed of a high moisture content.

Citrus Psorosis, H L. Harvey

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

CAREFUL selection of propogating material will prevent the spread of citrus psorosis, a disease which reduces the yield and economic life of infected trees.

Rice Growing In The Ord River Valley, C B. Langfield

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

THE first commercial rice crop in the Ord River Valley was planted late in I960 and plans are in hand for some 35,000 acres of land to be subdivided for irrigation settlement by 1964, with rice as a major crop.

Root Lesion Eelworm (Pratylenchus Penetrans) In Vegetables, O M. Goss

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

ROOT lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus penetrans) have been found in many market gardens in the Balcatta-Osborne Park and Spearwood areas, associated with such crops as carrots, parsnips, swedes, lettuce, celery and rhubarb.

Castor Beans : Ricinus Communis Linn, T Pavy

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

MANY people have seen the wild castor oil plants around the metropolitan area, growing in rubbish dumps, and waste lands.

But they have not realised that the demand for castor oil has been increasing over the last 15 years.

Although one of its main uses is in the lubrication of jet engines, it is also used in plastics, special low temperature lubricants, hydraulic fluids, paints, varnishes, textiles and pharmaceutics.

Control Of Damping-Off In Seed Beds, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

"DAMPING-OFF" of seedlings is caused by a number of moulds, for example Pythium, Rhizoctonia, etc., which are common inhabitants of garden soils.

Powdery Mildews Of Ornamentals, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

POWDERY mildews occur on a variety of ornamental plants.

As the name suggests, these diseases always appear as a greyish white powdery coating on the leaves. This is easily removed by rubbing or weathering, but beneath it a dark web-like discoloration of the leaf surface often develops.

Under some conditions these diseases can be very serious and cause considerable defoliation, stunting and malformation in such plants as Roses, Lagerstroemia (Crepe Myrtle), Hydrangea, Michaelmas Daisy, etc.

Chemical Poisoning In Animals. 3. Prussic Acid, H D. Seddon

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

HYDROCYANIC or prussic acid poisoning is a serious and not uncommon ailment of ruminants, and may be a cause of rapid death when pasture plants capable of developing dangerous levels of the poison are being grazed.

Shot Hole Of Stone Fruit, R F. Doepel

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

SHOT hole of stone fruit is a serious fungal disease which occurs in orchards throughout the fruit growing areas of the State.

Successful control is based on routine applications of Bordeaux mixture at leaf fall and bud burst.

Leaf Spot Of Celery, S C. Chambers

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

T EAF SPOT is the most serious disease of celery in Western Australia, and causes heavy losses in many crops during the cold wet months of June, July and August.

The disease is incited by the fungus Septoria apii Chester, and was first recorded in this State at Osborne Park in 1923.

Since then it has become a limiting factor in the production of marketable celery during the winter months.

Citrus Growing In The Home Garden, Frank Melville

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

ALTHOUGH well suited to our climate, citrus trees do not always thrive in the metropolitan area because of the unsuitable soil conditions in some suburbs.

Lemons can usually be grown successfully and grapefruit are worth persevering with, but oranges and mandarins are better suited to the loamy soils of the Gosnells, Guildford and Hills districts.

Cover Spraying For The Control Of Celery Leaf Spot. Part 2, S C. Chambers

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

SEVERAL additional cover spray schedules for the control of leaf spot in winter celery, have been evaluated during the past two years.

The most satisfactory of these is one in which Bordeaux 4 : 4 : 40 is replaced by Ziram for the last two applications before harvest.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals : Factors Under Investigation. 2. Depth Of Planting, S C. Chambers

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

DEPTH of planting appears to have an important influence upon the emergence of a cereal crop. Increasing the depth by one inch within the range 1-5 inches, not only depressed the emergence counts of wheat seedlings, but also increased the number which emerged abnormally.

Winter Pests In The Pasture, P N. Forte

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

ALTHOUGH the pests concerned in attacking winter pastures are known to most farmers a discussion of their control and relative importance will not be out of place.

The principal pests concerned fall into two groups. Firstly the red-legged earth mite and lucerne flea whose attacks are most noticeable soon after germination and secondly a group of caterpillars which appear about the same time and whose attack is not noticed until a large amount of damage has been done.

Net Blotch Of Barley, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

NET Blotch is the commonest disease of barley in Western Australia, attacking all commercial varieties and causing considerable damage to foliage of maturing crops.

Despite its prevalence, net blotch is rarely the cause of a serious crop loss.

Common Bean Mosaic, W P. Cass Smith

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

COMMON bean mosaic is a widespread disease which attacks both dwarf and pole bean varieties.

The disease is caused by an infective principle or virus which spreads throughout the sap of affected plants, and causes both delayed maturity and drastic reduction in yield.

Collecting Plant Specimens. 2. Specimens For Disease Identification, G C. Macnish

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

PLANT SPECIMENS submitted to the Department of Agriculture for disease identification are referred to officers of the Plant Pathology Branch, and in most cases a rapid diagnosis can be made.

Powdery Mildew Of Cucurbits, R F. Doepel

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

Powdery Mildew is one of the most damaging fungal diseases of cucurbits in Western Australia.

Disease development reaches epidemic proportions in most years and results in reduction in yield and quality of crops.

Regular applications of fungicides give economic control on susceptible varieties.

A Grazing Management Trial For The Control Of Lupinosis In Sheep, H G. Neil, C. M. Ralph, A. W. Hogstrom

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

A "WASTING" disease of sheep grazing on lupin stands, usually accompanied by heavy mortality, has become a serious problem in coastal areas between Perth and Geraldton in the past ten years.

Improving Potato Seed, James P. Fallon

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

SOME of the oldest records of potato cultivation show that throughout the ages it has been generally accepted that periodically, a change of seed is essential, and the only means of maintaining satisfactory yields in crops.

Even today most potato growers are familiar with the term "run out" as applied to any particular line of potatoes which tends to progressively decrease in vigour and productivity when planted from year to year.