Life Sciences Commons^™

Review Of Toxicity Of Agricultural Chemicals And Implications For Aquatic Fauna Of The Keep River, Samanatha Reynolds, David Morgan

Natural resources commissioned reports

This report was compiled for the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) as part of the National Water Grid Authority (NWGA) project entitled “Managing water quality to enable future irrigation development in the Kimberley Region, WA”. The purpose of this report is to review the toxicity of farm chemicals (herbicides and insecticides) used by farm operators in the Keep River catchment and their potential impacts on the aquatic species in the river, in particular those species that are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It is designed to complement the report entitled …

Genomic Approaches To Enhance Adaptive Plasticity To Cope With Soil Constraints Amidst Climate Change In Wheat, Roopali Bhoite, Yong Han, Alamuru Krishna Chaitanya, Rajeev K. Varshney, Darshan L. Sharma

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Climate change is varying the availability of resources, soil physicochemical properties, and rainfall events, which collectively determines soil physical and chemical properties. Soil constraints—acidity (pH < 6), salinity (pH ≤ 8.5), sodicity, and dispersion (pH > 8.5)—are major causes of wheat yield loss in arid and semiarid cropping systems. To cope with changing environments, plants employ adaptive strategies such as phenotypic plasticity, a key multifaceted trait, to promote shifts in phenotypes. Adaptive strategies for constrained soils are complex, determined by key functional traits and genotype × environment × management interactions. The understanding of the molecular basis of stress tolerance is particularly challenging for plasticity traits. Advances in sequencing and high-throughput genomics …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 07 - June 2023, Cindy L. Webster, Benjamin S. Congdon, Svetlana Micic

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 7 - June 2023 contents:

• Mealy bugs
• Green peach aphid and turnip yellows virus update
• Slaters

Pestfacts Wa Issue 08 - June 2023, Rebecca Severtson, Svetlana Micic, Cindy L. Webster, Jean Galloway, Ciara Beard, Andrea Hills

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 8 - June 2023 contents:

• The unknown “Dongara” weevil has been attacking canola
• European earwigs are hatching again
• Blackleg in canola
• Sclerotinia stem rot
• Early spot-form net blotch is around, but stay calm and don’t spray
• Scald on barley

Pestfacts Wa Issue 06 - June 2023, Benjamin S. Congdon, Rebecca Severtson

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 6 - June 2023 contents:

• Green peach aphid alert
• 2023 winter spring insecticide guide is now available

Exploring The Use Of Innovative Sustainable Proteins In Marine Finfish Diets, Luke Pilmer, Lindsey Woolley, Md Reaz Chaklader

Conference papers and presentations

No abstract provided.

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 30 - May 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 30 - May 2023 contents:

• GRDC Perth Research Updates – Pathology – Part 2
• Impact of fungicide product, rotation and timing on Net form net blotch in Planet barley in southern WA
• Economical management of Spot form net blotch in low rainfall environments
• Meet crop protection team member – Jason Bradley

Recreational Fishing For Abalone In Western Australia In 2021/22: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch., Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva K.M. Lai, Lucy J. Rudd, Lachlan W. Strain

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Australian Recreational Abalone Fishery (RAF) operates in shallow coastal waters along the metropolitan, south-west and south coasts. This hand collection fishery targets three species of abalone. Roe’s Abalone (Haliotis roei) inhabit nearshore reef complexes and are therefore generally collected while wading from the shore in accessible areas. This species is taken from the metropolitan, south-west and south coast regions. Greenlip Abalone (H. laevigata) and Brownlip Abalone (H. conicopora) are collected while wading (including snorkelling) and diving (using compressed air) and occur predominantly in the south coast region.

Recreational fishing for all abalone …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 03 - May 2023, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord, Andrea Hills, Jean Galloway, Rebecca Severtson

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 3 - May 2023 contents:

• Identifying weevils
• Downy mildew in canola
• Meet PestFacts WA team member, Bec Severtson

Pestfacts Wa Issue 05 - May 2023, Benjamin S. Congdon, Cindy L. Webster, Ciara Beard, Geoff J. Thomas

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 5 - May 2023 contents:

• Early season aphid and virus risk in cereals and canola
• Black and white tiger moth caterpillars
• Lupinosis risk this season

Pestfacts Wa Issue 04 - May 2023, Jean Galloway, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 4 - May 2023 contents:

• Do not confuse springtails with other pests
• Consider beneficial insects when spraying
• Growers may need to reapply baits for slugs and snails
• Field pea blackspot disease forecasts for WA are available online
• Plant disease webinar recording can now be viewed online

Water Erosion In The South-West Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The averaged annual direct cost of water erosion to dryland farming in Western Australia is estimated to be $10 million, but the costs are much higher in years of severe summer storms.

Water erosion occurs when water flowing over the land surface moves soil particles downslope. Water erosion is a natural process, but is accelerated under agriculture, especially on cropped land. Water erosion causes loss of topsoil, reduced crop yields, damaged infrastructure, weed dispersal, eutrophication (algal blooms) and silting of dams and natural waterways.

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 29 - April 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 29 - April 2023 contents:

• GRDC Perth Research Updates 2023 – Pathology and virology
• How long do sclerotinia sclerotia survive in WA?
• Insecticidal control of green peach aphid and turnip yellows virus: resistance threats, limitations, and future alternatives
• Meet Crop Protection team member – Jean Galloway

Pestfacts Wa Issue 01 - April 2023, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Janette Pratt, Jean Galloway, Adam H. Sparks

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA newsletter contents:

• Now is the time bait snails
• Black Portugue Millipedes
• Green bridge surveillance findings
• 2023 autumn winter insecticide spray guide is now available
• Pre-season climate and insect webinars are available online
• Canola blackleg risk forecasts
• Managing Ascochyta blight chickpea at seeding

Pestfacts Wa Issue 02 - April 2023, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 2 - April 2023 contents:

• Mites and lucerne flea have started hatching
• European and native earwigs
• Slugs and snails have started to lay eggs

Consultation For Proposed 2023/24 Declared Pest Rates Statistical Summary - 14 April To 15 May 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Before determining a rate, the Minister for Agriculture and Food is required to consult with owners of the land to be rated, as described in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Declared Pest Account) Regulations 2014 (the Regulations).

The annual process for consultation enables the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to gauge landholder perception on the Declared Pest Rate (DPR). This information is used to inform decisions regarding the DPR and associated biosecurity objectives.

Fisheries Science Update - Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource - April 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2022 stock assessment outcomes:

• The Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource (GDSR) comprises more than 60 species inhabiting Gascoyne oceanic waters (excluding inner Shark Bay), with pink snapper and goldband snapper recognised as the two indicator species.
• Oceanic pink snapper is five years into a 20-year recovery plan following a 2017 stock assessment that showed the stock was at severe risk.
• The GDSR oceanic pink snapper recovery plan is based on limiting the annual total fishing mortality of oceanic pink snapper to 100 tonnes (all sectors combined) and providing targeted protection for key spawning aggregations.
• The Department of Primary Industries …

Lanza® Tedera Is Strongly Suppressed By Competition From Lolium Multiflorum And Is Best Adapted To Light-Textured Soils, Jesús Fernández-Habas, D. Real, Tom Vanwalleghem, Pilar Fernández-Rebollo

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata, known as Tedera, is a promising forage for Mediterranean climates. An improved variety named LANZA® has been developed. Previous research suggests that soil water saturation in heavy-textured soils might affect its initial development. Competition from grasses could also compromise its successful establishment and persistence. We investigated the effects of soils with contrasting textures (loamy sand vs. clay) with a high soil water content and the competition from Lolium multiflorum on the development of LANZA® in a pot experiment. Dry mass (DM) production of LANZA® was strongly reduced (86%) when grown with L. multiflorum. LANZA® …

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Offshore Crustacean Resource., Jason How, Kimberley A. Smith, Hannah Donnelly, Linda Wiberg, Rebecca Oliver

Fisheries Research Reports

In December 2022, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Offshore Crustacean Resource (Resource).

The Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource are the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery, South Coast Crustacean Managed Fishery and West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. Due to the predominantly offshore distribution of the Resource, there is only minor recreational and customary access of this Resource related to harvesting of southern rock lobster on the south coast.

The ERA considered the potential ecological impacts of harvesting the Resource. …

Inland Dry Season Saline Intrusion In The Vietnamese Mekong River Delta Is Driving The Identification And Implementation Of Alternative Crops To Rice, Brooke Kaveney, Edward Barrett-Lennard, Khoi Chau Minh, Minh Dang Duy, Kim Phuong Nguyen Thi, Paul Kristiansen, Susan Orgill, Ben Stewart-Koster, Jason Condon

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

CONTEXT
Inland saline intrusion is occurring during the dry season in the Mekong River Delta (MRD), Vietnam. Rising sea levels, tidal fluctuations, drought, and changes to upstream flow contribute to extensive salinisation of rice producing areas of the MRD, leading to substantial rice crop losses.

OBJECTIVE
The identification, evaluation and implementation of alternative crop and soil management solutions are required to complement on-going rice production in the region.

METHODS
A review of scientific and grey literature was conducted regarding the nature and extent of salinisation in the MRD and the adoption and management of alternative crops to rice.

RESULTS
Familiar …

An International Wheat Diversity Panel Reveals Novel Sources Of Genetic Resistance To Tan Spot In Australia, Julian Taylor, Dorthe Jorgensen, Caroline S. Moffat, Ken J. Chalmers, Rebecca Fox, Grant J. Hollaway, Melissa J. Cook, Stephen M. Neate, Pao Theen See, Manisha Shankar

Biosecurity Research Articles

Tan spot is a foliar disease in wheat caused by the fungal pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) and has been reported to generate up to 50% yield losses under favourable disease conditions. Although farming management practices are available to reduce disease, the most economically sustainable approach is establishing genetic resistance through plant breeding. To further understand the genetic basis for disease resistance, we conducted a phenotypic and genetic analysis study using an international diversity panel of 192 wheat lines from the Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), the International Centre for Agriculture in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Australian (AUS) wheat …

Initial Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Australian Fisheries Production, Research Organisations And Assessment: Shocks, Responses And Implications For Decision Support And Resilience, Emily M. Ogier, David C. Smith, Sian Breen, Caleb Gardner, Daniel J. Gaughan, Harry K. Gorfine, Alistair J. Hobday, Natalie Moltschaniwskyj, Ryan Murphy, Thor Saunders, Michael Steer, James Woodhams

Fisheries Research Articles

Australia’s fisheries have experience in responding individually to specific shocks to stock levels (for example, marine heatwaves, floods) and markets (for example, global financial crisis, food safety access barriers). The COVID-19 pandemic was, however, novel in triggering a series of systemic shocks and disruptions to the activities and operating conditions for all Australia’s commercial fisheries sectors including those of the research agencies that provide the information needed for their sustainable management. While these disruptions have a single root cause—the public health impacts and containment responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—their transmission and effects have been varied. We examine both the impacts …

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 28 - March 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 28 - March 2023 contents:

• GRDC Perth Research Updates 2023 - Entomology
• Russian wheat aphid thresholds in WA and using biological control for RLEM
• Lessons learnt from native budworm activity in wheat, relative to traditional hosts lupins, pulses and canola
• Meet Crop Protection team member – Svetlana Micic

Best Practice Marking Of Lambs, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Lambs should be marked between two and 12 weeks of age, with the youngest animal in the mob at least 24 hours old, to ensure the formation of a maternal bond. If lambing extends for more than six weeks, consider having two mulesing/marking sessions.

Lambs should be tail docked using a gas-heated knife or rubber rings and mulesing should only be carried out when necessary.

The provision of pain relief with routine husbandry procedures benefits animal health and welfare and is now a consumer and community expectation. Producers have access to registered products that can relieve pain associated with mulesing, …

Differential Impacts Of Cereal And Protein Sources Fed To Pigs After Weaning On Diarrhoea And Faecal Shedding Of Escherichia Coli, Production, And Total Tract Apparent Digestibility, John R. Pluske, Bruce P. Mullan, Jae Cheol Kim, David J. Hampson

Animal production and livestock research articles

Different cereal types, in combination with different protein sources, are fed to pigs after weaning, but their interactions and possible implications are not well researched. In this study, 84 male weaned piglets were used in a 21-day feeding trial to investigate the effects of feeding either medium-grain or long-grain extruded rice or wheat, in a factorial combination with protein sources of either vegetable or animal origin, on postweaning performance, shedding of β–haemolytic Escherichia coli, and the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD). Pigs fed either rice type performed the same (p > 0.05) as wheat-fed pigs after weaning. The use …

Ergot And Sterility In Bahiagrass: Genotypic And Environmental Effects On Seed Yield Potential, Javier Do Canto, Rafael Reyno, Hector Oberti, Marco Dalla Rizza, Daniel Real

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Ergot disease (Claviceps paspali) and sterility have the potential to reduce seed yield in bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé). Our objective was to determine the genotypic and environmental effects on seed yield, and the levels of ergot and sterility. Seventeen genotypes were evaluated in three locations across two years for seed yield, ergot severity, and total seed fractions (percentage of full seeds, ergot sclerotia and empty seeds). The percentage of full seeds and total seed yield were correlated (r = 0.52) but both were negatively correlated with the percentage of ergot sclerotia (r = −0.81 and −0.51). …

A Diagnostic Framework For Reengineering Soil: Potential Strategies To Manage Combinations Of Soil Constraints For Sands And Texture Contrast Soils, Gaus Azam, Stephen Davies

Natural resources published reports

This report is an output of project DAW1902-003RTX ‘Reengineering soils to improve the access of crop root systems to water and nutrients stored in the subsoil’, supported by a co-investment between the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

Key messages:

• Existing soil amelioration options can generate substantial yield responses. However, further yield gain is possible with further improvement in soil amelioration strategies.

• Mapping of soil constraints and potential yield gaps using the water use efficiency achieved from a pilot reengineering experiment has identified a significant yield gap attributed …

Fine-Scale Variability In Catch And Growth Rates Of Western Rock Lobsters (Panulirus Cygnus) Show Heterogeneous Life-History Parameters, A Miller, Jason How, Simon De Lestang, Brooke A. Gibbons, E Lester, M Navarro, J Fitzhardinge, Tim J. Langlois

Fisheries Research Articles

Context: The western rock lobster fishery is recognised to be conservatively managed, with breeding stock levels estimated to be at record levels over the past decade. Despite this, anecdotal reports from commercial fishers identified an area of unexpectedly low catches in the centre of the fishery and lobsters’ biogeographic distribution.

Aim: To confirm the presence of this suspected ‘low-catch’ zone and examine the variability in catch and growth rates of lobsters if identified.

Methods: This study conducted an intensive mark–recapture survey over 8 months to explore catch rate, density, movement and growth rates across this ‘low-catch’ zone and three comparable …

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 27 - February 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 27 - February 2023 contents:

• Glyphosate alternatives for summer and pre-seeding knockdown weed control
• Meet Crop Protection team member – Cindy Webster

Propagation Of Bananas, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Horticulture factsheets

Tissue culture is the best method for propagating bananas. It ensures they are true to type and free from pests and diseases.

Check with Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development quarantine officer before bringing tissue culture material into Western Australia.

However, planting with bits is cheap and guarantees that new diseases are not introduced.