Life Sciences Commons^™

Storing Vegetable Seed, W H. Kooyman

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

GOOD storage conditions are vitally important for retaining the germinating capacity of seeds.

Strawberry Culture, K T. Whitely

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

WHETHER fresh or preserved, the strawberry finds universal favour and is regarded more or less as a luxury.

For the grower it offers the quickest cash return of all fruits, cropping in the first year. It is, therefore, very useful to a man trying to establish a fruit growing property with limited capital.

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.

Cotton Fireweed : A Native Weed Menace, G R W Meadly

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

INTRODUCED plants have provided most of our weed problems. Cape tulip, double gee and soursob come from South Africa, Saffron thistle, Paterson's curse, wild turnip and wild radish from Europe, mesquite from the southern United States and Bathurst burr from South America.

The relatively few native plants which have become troublesome weeds include Afghan thistle and Sarsaparilla.

Weed Control In Cereals : Aerial Spraying Trials, G R W Meadly

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

SPRAYING cereal crops for weed control is now standard farming practice in Western Australia. Almost 500,000 acres of cereal crops, mainly wheat, are sprayed each year, and approximately three-quarters of this area is treated by aircraft.

Recent trials have shown that aerial application of 'extra low" volumes of hormone-like herbicides, with oil or water solvents, does not damage cereals if spraying is done at the right stage of growth.

Bacterial Blight Or Black Spot Of Walnuts, O M. Goss, R. F. Doepel

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

Bacterial blight is the most important disease of walnuts in Western Australia.

In bad seasons it can cause heavy losses in susceptible varieties such as Wilson's Wonder, and in some seedling trees.

Carefully timed sprays greatly reduce the incidence of bacterial blight, and it is also recommended that less susceptible varieties—such as Franquette— should be used for new plantings.

Wheat Variety Trials On Research Stations, J T. Reeves, J. L. Mcmullan

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

THE results of wheat variety trials at seven Research Stations in the medium and low rainfall areas for the years 1957, 1958 and 1959 are presented and discussed.

The trials are designed to give information on yield and flour quality of promising crossbreds originating from local breeding programmes and newly produced varieties from other parts of Australia.

Large scale variety trials are the final tests in the long process of selection and testing which is essential before a new crossbred can be released.

The new wheats are compared with standard ones under different conditions of soil and climate.

Silage Competition : 1959-1960, H G. Elliott

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

THE Australian Dairy Produce Board Pasture Improvement Committee (W.A.) have sponsored a silage competition in the dairying areas over the past three years and this has been judged by officers of the Dairying Division of this Department.

Preserving And Pickling, O. Evans Scott

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

AT this time of the year many housewives wish that fruit trees would bear little and often throughout the year rather than a lot in a comparatively short space of time.

We preserve fruits to try to spread this short period, and to have them on hand to vary menus when fruit is out of season.

A cupboard shelf packed with bottles of colourful, neatly arranged preserved fruits is indeed a satisfying sight.

Bottling is the most popular method, with pickling being done to a smaller extent.

Fertiliser Trials With Potatoes, Manjimup : 1958-1959, T Wachtel

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

THIS experiment was the third of this type carried out in karri loam soils.

Significant yield responses were obtained from increasing rates of fertiliser applications.

The results appear to be generally consistent with those obtained previously in the area.

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.

Plant Diseases In Western Australia, S C. Chambers

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

This first supplement contains the diseases recorded on vegetables, cereals, grasses and pasture legumes, in the period between the publication of the revised lists (1), (2) for these hosts, and June 30, 1961

Factors In Weed Propagation, G R W Meadly

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

I N crop and pasture plants, seed production and harvesting are of vital impartance.

In a negative way, the formation of seeds by weeds can be equally important.

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.

Good Pasture On A Problem Soil, R Sprivulis

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

The acid peaty sands of the South-West have always been problem soils, and are often considered useless.

But, by following recommended establishment methods, farmers like Mr. F. E. Bellanger, of Nornalup, have shown that it can carry valuable pasture.

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.

Avoid Losses From Poison Plants, Robert Dunlop Royce

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

E VERY country in the world has its poisonous plant problems, but in Western Australia we have more than our share.

Farmers in "Poison" districts can avoid serious stock losses if they can recognise dangerous poison plants, and have a knowledge of how the concentrations of toxic substances in these plants change with the seasons.

In this article, R. D. Royce, Officer in Charge of the Botany Branch, outlines the principles involved.

Reclaim Salty Soils With Bluebush, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

BLUEBUSH (Kochia brevifolia) is an Australian plant which can produce good yields of excellent feed when grown on grown well drained salty soils in the 12 to 15-inch rainfall districts of Western Australia.

The Control Of Grasses With Chemicals, G R W Meadly

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

GRASSES are among man's greatest assets and usually he tries to encourage their growth.

The cereals, rice and many other grasses supply him with basic items of food and they are also important components of pastures which provide grazing for sheep and cattle.

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.

Castor Beans In Trial Plantings : Bundidup Research Station, Wokalup, 1959-60, T Pavy

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

THE main producing countries of the world are Brazil, India, U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. This means Australia has to import her supplies of castor oil, which has led to great interest in the possibility of growing castors in Australia.

Since the turn of the century, this interest has been increasing, and has accelerated in recent years, but it has never passed the experimental stage.

Dwarf Fruit Trees, Frank Melville

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

IN this country where most fruits and particularly apples and pears are grown without irrigation, heavy crops and summer stress restrict tree size.

The aim of most growers therefore, has been to grow larger trees and little interest has been shown in trees with dwarfing tendencies.

However, in countries with ideal conditions for growth, trees tend to grow too big and become uneconomic in terms of labour costs.

Registered Fertilisers : 1960-61, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE FOLLOWING REGISTERED FERTILISERS AND ANALYSES ARE SUPPLEMENTARY TO THE LIST PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY 1961 ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE

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.

Carton Packs For Granny Smiths, J S. Bloomfield

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

CONSIDERABLE quantities of Granny Smiths will be exported in carton containers in the 1961 season.

Last season an inaugural trial of tray pack cartons was shipped to the United Kingdom but this year will see the first use of cell pack cartons.

Potatoes Sprinkler Irrigated From The Collie River, John W. Lewis

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

THE highly productive soils of the flats along the Collie River at Roelands are an important source of many of our summer grown potatoes in this State.

Large areas are planted year after year, the record being held by Mr. Clarry Cox of Roelands, who has planted potatoes on the same seven acres every season since 1922.

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.

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.