Life Sciences Commons^™

Success With Serradella In The Wheatbelt, Clinton Revell, Bradley Nutt, Michael Ewing

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

Clinton Revell, Bradley Nutt, and Michael Ewing review the latest developments with new varieties of French serradella and yellow seradella that should provide the basis for productive legume pastures on acidic, sandy soils throughout the wheatbelt of Western Australia

The Production Of Table Grapes In Western Australia, Jim Campbell-Clause

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

The table grape industry in Western Australia is expanding to fill increasing export and domestic demand. Expansion of the industry has been based on Redglobe production in new areas ranging from Camarvon in the north to Margaret River in the South. Expansion has been rapid with success due in part to adoption of research findings. Jim Campbell-Clause reviews the direction the industry must follow to continue to expand. It will need to adopt new varieties to fill market niches, use production methods that minimise inputs and off site effects and maximise yield and quality.

Wheat And Wool Prices : Lessons From The Past, Ross Kingwell

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

Historical information about wool and wheat prices can help farmers to plan and manage their wheat and wool production. Ross Kingwell describes some management lessons derived from analysing wheat and wool price movements.

Stable Flies On The Swan Coastal Plain, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Natalie Keals, Bob Paulin

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

Grower associations are developing best management practices to minimise stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) breeding in horticulture and turf production. Three types of insect controls are discussed.

Wool 2000, Tunbridge Steve

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

The Wool 2000 Market Awareness Workshops have been a highly successful venture by Agriculture Western Australia and the International Wool Secretariat. In the past two years over 35 workshops have been held in about as many locations in the southern half of Western Australia, from Gascoyne Junction to Esperance.

Woolpro : The Way To Better Pastures And Sheep, Julia Fry

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

WOOLPRO farmers recognise that sustainable increases in productivity are essentail to maintain and improve income of wool growers.

Finfish Aquaculture In Western Australia, David Berry

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

David Berry surveys fish farming from Broome to Williams, on off shore reefs and in farm dams, for barramundi, silver perch and black bream, trout and tuna.

Defusing The Salt Time Bomb, David Berry

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

Practical adviser to famers about managing salt affected soils on their property.

Better Flock Benchmarking From Wether Trials, David Windsor, Bronwyn Clarke

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

Genetic links between wether trials put in place by Agriculture Western Australia's Wool Program are helping farmers benchmark the productivity of their flocks on a statewide basis. David Windsor and Bronwyn Cklarke report on the progress to date.

Bean Yellow Mosiac Virus In Lupins, Roger Jones

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

Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) is a threat to lupin crops in high rainfall areas of south-western Australia, particularly in districts where subterranean clover pastures are prevalent. The disease causes markedly reduced grain yield in all types of lupins. Worldwide this is the most important virus affecting lupins. The author outlines the symptoms, spread and management of this serious disease.

Blup For Merino Breeding, David Windsor, Johan Greeff

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

Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) experiences of farmers into their genetic breeding programs.

Communications Embracing New Technologies, Peter Watt, Tony Kubicki

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

The global trend in information delivery has been to electronic publications on disc, CD-Rom and the internet. Peter Watt and Tony Kubicki report on a survey of farmer preferences for receiving informationn, and describe Agriculture Western Australia's new electronic communication packages.

Breeding For Improved Feed Conversion Efficiency, Alan Lymbery

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

Alan Lymbery reports on a trial that has started at Vasse Research Atation to investigate the impact of genetic improvement on feed conversion efficiency on costs of production.

Teasing Apart The Threads Of Staple Strength, Andrew Peterson

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

A successful partnership between two local inventors and Agriculture WA's Wool Program has created a new instrument which, just like the growth rings of trees, can show seasonal changes in the fibre diameter of wool. This will have considerable value to the wool industry as Andrew Peterson explains.

Western Flower Thrips, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernie Steiner, Brett Scourse

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

Western flower thrips (Franklinislla occidentalis Pergands) is a serious pest of floral and vegetable crops. From its original habitat in western USA it has now spread throughout North America, Mexico, New Zealand and Europe. David Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernis Steiner and Brett Scourse outline its biology and the control options available.

Sheep Blowflies Strike Out!, David F. Cook, Ian Dadour, Ernie Steiner

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

Woolgrowers are constantly concerned that the sheep blowfly may be able to breed in sheep or other animal carcasses. David Cook, Ian Dadour and Ernis Steiner report on an experiment that answers that question once and for all.

Promising Pasture Plants From Overseas, John Lawson

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

Farmers from Northampton to Albany were among the 00 visitors to a spring field day at Agriculture Western Austrslis's Medina Research Station, where they saw a collection of promising new and different pasture legumes. These were the products of a highly succesful selection and breeding program based mainly on material collected overseas.

John Lawson highlights the overseas collection aspects of an exciting and rewarding program.

Today's Woolgrowers : A Profile, Ian Mcfarland

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

Woolgrowers have been faced with fluctuating prices, a mix of seasons and rising production costs since the demise of the Floor Price Scheme in 1991. despite these difficult times, there are still very large differences in productivity and profitability between wool growing properties in Western Australia. Ian McFarland looksat production levels on wool growing properties in Western Australia and outlines some actions to lift productivity.

Drench Resistence : A Large Economic Cost, Brown Besier, Jill Lyon, Norm Mcquade

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

Drench restistant worms can cost sheep farmers a lot of money - more than most probably think. Brown Besier, Jill Lyon and Norm McQade discuss some new research that shows the value of conducting routine drench tests to ensure effective worm control.

No-Till Sowing : Helping To Keep Cropland Soils In Place, Kevin Bligh, Paul Findlater

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

Repeated erosion of tilled land can ;ower crop and pasture yields because of reduced available moisture and nutrient storage. Kevin Bligh and Paul Findlater look at the causes of water and wind erosion and the role of no-till sowing in minimising erosion.

Skeleton Weed : The Current Situation, Peter Scott, Jon Dodd

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

Skeleton weed is a major threat to western Australia's grain industry. This weed established itself throughout the entire eastern States wheatbelt in just over 50 years and is now found from south-east Queensland to South Australia. It was first founs in Western Australia at Ballidu in 1963, and since that time has been the subject of an ongoing and intensive eradication campaign. Peter Scott and Jon Dodd report on the present status of skeleton weed in Western Australia and outline the progress to date and future directions of the eradication campaign.

Rex ' 96 : An Expert Guide To Revegetation, David Bicknell

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

Agriculture Western Australia has provided coordination and technical input to a powerful source of information on plants for Australian conditions. David Bicknell outlines some of its features and uses.

Farmers, local government, advisers and even gardeners often have trouble finding the right plant for the right place for a given purpose. Rather than spend a lot of time, money and effort looking through scattered sources of information, many people stick with a limited number of species year after year. This neglects plants that may be much better suited to the purpose, and also fails to develop Australia's huge range of …

Beef : Meating The Market, Greg Sawyer, Richard Morris, Geoff Tudor

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

Nearly half of Western Australia's beef production is consumed on the domestic market, but the scene is changing rapidly.

In this article Greg Sawyer, Richard Morris and Geoff Tudor review information on production systems performance, and carcase and quality measurements that may well serve wider market opportunities in the future.

Cotton Rising From The Ashes, Georgina Wilson

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

Two hundred thousand dollars worth of quality cotton was deliberately destroyed by burning in the Kimberley last December. The same thing will probably happen again this year, but there will ne no cries of arson and police will not be seeking the perpetrators. Georgina Wilson reports on the emerging cotton industry on the Ord.

Farming For The Future : The Agwest Library Network, Jane Serventy

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

Jane Serventy reports on the changes in information delivery at the library of Agriculture Western Australia

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus And Its Management, Lindrea Latham, Roger Jones

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

In 1993, western flower thrips, an important pest of horticultural crops, was found in Western Australia. Since then there has been an upsurge in damsging virus disease epidemics caused by tomato spotter wilt virus in horticultural crops. This has occurred because western flower thrips is a more effective vector of tomato spotted wilt virus than other thrips species. Lindrea Latham and Roger Jones outline the symptoms, spread and management of this serious virus disease in vegetables and ornamentals.

Something Fishy Is Going On - Aquaculture, David Berry

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

Aquaculture id Australia's fastest growing primary industry. Product from fish farms is currently valued at $399 million, forecast to exceed $5oo million by 2000.

Whilst the figure pales into insignificance alongside world production (about $45 billion) it does represent a huge window of opportunity for prospective investors and for Australian primary producers who are keen to diversify.

David Berry reports on the prospects for yabbie and marron farming in Western Australia.

Weeds : A Curse For Native Plants In Farm Woodlands, Max Abensperg-Traun

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

Weeds have a mJOR IMPct on native Australian plants, particularly in the tropical north and the agricultural regions of southern Australia.

Maz Abensperg-Traun, and his clooeagues from the CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, explainthe effects of weed invasion on the diversity of native herbaceous plants in faarm woodlands in the centeral wheatbelt of south-west Western Australia.

Weeds Can Poison Crops, Aik Hock Cheam

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

Weeds can interfere with the growth of a crop simply by competing with the crop for nutrients, moisture and light. But some weeds also release chemicals that inhibit the germination and growth of crop plants; the technical term for this is allelopathy. Aik Cheam outlines the problems caused by two common weeds and the discusses preventative measures.

Virulent Footrot : Mild Or Severe?, Laurie Depiazzi

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

The footrot eradication scheme in Western Australia has resulted in a low prevalence of severe footrot.

To appreciate the achievement, we need to understand what exactly is being eradicated. 'S' strains of Dichelorbacter nodosus, the infectious bacterium of footrot, are the target of footrot eradication. Laurie Depiazzi examines the basis for eradicating 'S' strains.