Life Sciences Commons^™

Plant Diseases Impacting Oaten Hay Production In Australia - A Review, Kylie Chambers, Geoff J. Thomas

Bulletins 4000 -

In Australia, there are a range of fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens that infect oats, impacting on yield and quality of grain and hay crops. The overall impact of these diseases on oaten hay production is not well researched or understood, especially compared to that of other cereal crops. Export hay is evaluated on physical qualities such as stem thickness and greenness and nutritional qualities including water-soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and dry matter digestibility. The colour/ greenness of oaten hay can be reduced by disease lesions, chlorosis and saphrophytic fungi growing on dead tissue all of …

Seed Biology And Yield Of Grain Crops, Dennis B. Egli

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Book Gallery

Description from CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International):

This new edition of an established title examines the determination of grain crop yield from a unique perspective, by concentrating on the influence of the seed itself. As the food supply for an expanding world population is based on grain crops harvested for their seeds, understanding the process of seed growth and its regulation is crucial to our efforts to increase production and meet the needs of that population. Yield of grain crops is determined by their assimilatory processes such as photosynthesis and the biosynthetic processes in the seed, which are …

The Value Of Break Crops In Weed Management, Wayne Parker, Ian Pritchard, Abul Hashem

Bulletins 4000 -

This publication discusses the effect on weed management of the inclusion of break crops (lupin, field pea, chickpea, faba bean, lentil and canola) in the cropping rotation compared to a rotation of continuous cereals.

Including break crops in the cropping rotation allows weed management options unavailable or not suited in wheat. For example, growing field peas allows crop-topping/ desiccation for weed seed set control, crop topping cannot be used in wheat without severe yield loss. Problem weeds can be targeted through break crops, for example, grass weeds are generally more easily controlled in break crops than in cereals. Most weed …

Subsurface Compaction A Guide For Wa Farmers And Consultants, Stephen Davies, Alison Lacey

Bulletins 4000 -

For plants to grow in agricultural soils, roots and emerging shoots must be able to force their way through the soil. In soils of high strength, this growth is physically restricted. High strength soils may be due to natural soil characteristics and conditions or develop as a result of agricultural practices and may be in layers or throughout the soil profile.

In agriculture, high strength soils commonly occur as a result of compaction. Compaction of agricultural soils can be in the surface (often caused by stock trampling or rain drop splatter) or in the subsurface (usually in a layer at …

Diagnosing Crop And Pasture Problems With Detective Doug, Doug Sawkins

Bulletins 4000 -

There are numerous publications for diagnosing crop and pasture growth problems. Although they are excellent for experienced people, they can be time consuming and possibly misleading for the less experienced.

Many guidebooks assume that the user has already decided that their problem falls into the category covered by their particular guidebook, for example, a disease, pest or herbicide problem.

Guidebooks are often based on plant symptoms. However, in the field, symptoms vary and different problems can have similar symptoms.

This bulletin presents a problem diagnosis method that uses plant symptoms and paddock clues. It can be used to draw up …

Tree Windbreaks In The Wheatbelt, Robert Sudmeyer, David Bicknell, Neil Coles

Bulletins 4000 -

Windbreaks comprising trees, or tree and shrub combinations, can offer many benefits on wheatbelt farms, particularly for protection of soil, stock, crops and pastures from damaging winds and erosion. Additional benefits include reduced evaporation from farm dams, reduced groundwater recharge, their use as nature conservation corridors and habitats, increased biodiversity including predators of crop and pasture pests, fire control, tree products and improved lifestyle and aesthetics.

In other areas and farming systems such as intensive horticulture, man-made windbreaks may be used, but their higher cost makes them unsuited for broadscale agriculture. Man-made windbreaks can be effective in reducing evaporative losses …

Current Property Size Distribution Of Landholders In The Northam Advisory District, Jeff Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

The reason for conducting this short study was to gain a better understanding of the property size distribution of landholdings that exists within the Northam Advisory District (NAD). There has been some deal of conjecture as to the extent of property size within the district upon which some basic assumptions are being made for the viability of farming / agricultural industries in the district.

This outline may help to give a greater accuracy of the nature of the clientele of the district in decision making processes for district extension management and on ground activities.

2005 Crop Variety Sowing Guide For Western Australia, Jenny Garlinge

Bulletins 4000 -

The Crop Variety Sowing Guide attempts to present all the information that is necessary for you to make the best choice of variety for each of the major crops. As well as varietal characteristics and performance, it contains information on herbicide resistance, disease, agronomic factors, deliveries and marketing.

Much of the information presented this year is on the basis of the ‘Agzone’. This is an amalgamation of the traditional ‘region zone cells’which were coded H1 to L5 according to length-of-growing season zones from north to south (1 to 5) and rainfall regions, based on annual average rainfall, from west to …

Fertigation Of Vegetables In Western Australia, J Burt

Bulletins 4000 -

Fertigation is the technique of using soluble fertilisers to supply essential nutrients to vegetables through sprinkler or trickle irrigation systems, or by means of a boom spray. It is ideally suited to most horticultural areas in Western Australia, especially the sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain that have a poor capacity to retain nutrients.

Before and after planting, nutrients are often applied to vegetables on soils of the Swan Coastal Plain by applications of poultry manure* or solid fertilisers. After planting, fertigation is a safe and effective method of applying top-dressings of nutrients to crops, especially after the rows …

Trees For Windbreaks On Swan Coastal Plain Farms, Leon English, Ken Angell, Metropolitan District Office, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Strong easterly and south-westerly winds are a feature of the Swan Coastal Plain and we receive frequent inquiries about which tree species are suitable for planting as windbreaks. When selecting trees for windbreaks you must match the species to the various soil types which occur along the Coastal Plain. The mature height of the tree is also an important consideration in good windbreak design. This Bulletin lists species which are suitable for windbreaks in descending order of mature height and indicates the soil type(s) on which they should be planted.