Life Sciences Commons^™

Two New Lupins, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The Department of Agriculture recently released two new lupin varieties— Marri and Ultra. Marri closely resembles the existing Uniharvest variety, but is resistant to the grey leaf spot disease. Ultra is the first commercial release of a sweet Mediterranean white lupin variety in Australia.

Emus On The Move : 1976, Michael T. Sexton

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

The greatest migration of emus in recent times came out of the ZMurchison and Gascoyne pastoral areas during the winter of 1976. The emus were driven south-westerly by an instinctive search for food.

The Agriculture Protection Board's barrier fences stoped the wave of emus on the fringes of the wheatbelt, causing a congregation estimated in mid June to total 50,000 birds.

This article reviews the reason behind the emu migration and the policies employed to deal with such a situation.

Bounty Systems In Vermin Control, S J O Whitehouse

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

For more than 3000 years man has tried to reduce the numbers of pest animals by payment of bounties. In general, the system has failed.

This article, by a research scientist who specalizes in the study of declared (pest) animals in Western Australia reviews some of the literature about bounties and comments on the situation in Australia.

The Cork Oak, S R J Newton

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

The oak or Querus genus embraces about 450 species which are generally restricted to the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Commercial cork is the over-abundant suberous tissue or bark from two rather unique members of the Querus genus, namely Q. suber and Q. occidentalis.

A lthough Western Australia has a most suitable climate for growing cork trees the potential of a local cork growing industry is severely limited.

A Comparison Of Hay Conservation Systems, E E. Rowley

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

The high cost an dshortage of farm labour in the Esperance District is posing serious problems for farmers using traditional hay conservation systems. Author Ted Rowley, then an advisor with the Esperance District office of the Department of Agriculture surveyed a number of farms to study the economics of varoius alternatives. This article is a summary of his report presented to a 1976 Fodder Conservation Workshop.

Progress In The Nursery Industry, W J. Heggers

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

The demand for ornamental plants in Western Australia is sat an unprecedented level, making the nursery industry a relatively prosperous branch of horticulture.

One reason for the continued demand for nursery lines is probably that people are concerned about the environment - "green survival", as it is often refered to in promotional literature.

In rural areas, farmers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of planting windbreaks, shade and ornamental trees, while mining companies and the Forests Department are actively engaged in re-afforestation.

As a result the nursery industry is in a healthy situation and can continue to develop in …

Low Protein Rations Halve Bacon Pig Profits, N W. Godfrey

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

For many years the department of agriculture has recommended that pig producers include meat meal or other protein concentrate in pig rations based on cereal grains. However, it is still common for pigs to be raised on cereal grains with little or no protein added.

Recent trials at the Department of Agriculture's Medina Pig Research Station have demonstrated the losses which can result from feeding pigs on low-protein cereal rations.

Phomopsis : The Causal Fungus Of Lupinosis, P Mcr Wood, A. G. P. Brown

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

It is now well known that lupinosis of sheep and cattle follows ingestion of lupin stubble colonised by the fungus Phomopsis rossiana. The fungus infects green lupins but persists on the stubble and under certain conditions apparently produces a toxin which causes the disease.

As Phomopsis is now widespread on lupins in Western Australia its ecology has been studied in detail as a basis for possible control measures.

This article outlines what is known so far of the disease and its control.

Calcium And Phosphorus Requirements In Lupin Seed Rations For Pigs, N W. Godfrey, A. R. Mercy

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

Seed of lupin varieties now available can be combined with wheat or barley to produce a balanced diet for growing/finishing pigs, and lupin seed has become a popular ingredient of pig rations.

As a protein concentrate, lupin seed is a satisfactory alternative to meatmeal, provided adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorus are added as supplements. Without the addition of these elements to rations of lupin seed and grain, a number of problems are likely to arise.

Trials at the Medina Pig Research Station have shown that Christmas Island rock phosphate is the cheapest and most convenient source of supplementary calcium …

Decide : How Much Superphosphate, G A. Robertson, J. W. Bowden, N. J. Halse

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

* A 400 per cent increase in ihe price of superphosphate has reduced the economic optimum rates of super for crops and pastures in 1975.

* Many factors, both biological and economic, must be taken into account in determining the rate of superphosphate to apply.

• DECIDE, a model developed by CSIRO and the Department of Agriculture, provides a formal system in which all these factors can be considered.

• DECIDE is based on the results of all research on superphosphate carried out in Western Australia. However, each farmer's own knowledge of his farm, the soils, crops and animals is …

The Doublegee Problem In Western Australia, D J. Gilbey

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

Doublegee is native to South Africa and is now naturalised as a serious weed of crops and pastures throughout the temperate areas of Australia.

Doublegee was introduced for cultivation as a vegetable by English migrants to the Swan River Colony in 1830, and a bed of doublegees is known to have been sown at Mr. J. Phillips' property on the Canning River in 1833. However, the plant soon became a troublesome weed and its name was changed from Cape spinach to Tanner's curse and later to doublegee.

More than 180 doublegee seedlings per square metre have been counted in a …

Peanuts For The Ord, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Peanuts were extensively tested in experiments on the Ord River in the early 1950s, but it is only recently that varieties better adapted to heavier soils have re-opened prospects of commercial production.

The new varieties remain dormant after maturity and an irrigation just before harvesting allows the crop to be lifted with the soil friable enough to reduce harvesting losses and the amount of soil sticking to the kernels.

These varieties have been extensively tested in Department of Agriculture trials at Kimberley Research Station since 1958, and preliminary recommendations for crop production and pest and disease control have been formulated.

A Unit For Trapping Clean Pollen, S R. Chambers

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

Pollen, the fine particles formed in plant life and carrying the male germ cell responsible for fruit fertilisation and plant embryo formation, has been the subject of continual study over many years.

Original attempts to trap pollen loads from the honeybees were made with the object of feeding back pollen to colonies in times of short supply or over periods of pollen dearth.

With improved trapping methods, harvesting of pollen has developed to the extent that beekeepers can now produce a surplus to their needs.

In a time of world shortage of protein food substances it is not surprising that …

Virus Diseases In Agriculture, George Mclean

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

Viruses are extremely small particles which can only be seen with an electron microscope. A virus is present in a diseased plant as huge numbers of tiny particles within the cells of the plant. Viruses which are infectious can cause disease, and reproduce only inside the cells of a living plant.

Many insects transmit plant virus diseases—aphids, leafhoppers, mealy bugs, thrips and beetles. Generally a virus is spread by only one of these groups of insects.

The Western Australian Department of Agriculture is expanding the diagnostic service for the identification of plant viruses.

Blackleg Of Rapeseed, A Bokor, M. J. Barbetti, A. G. P. Brown, G. C. Mac Nish, P. Mcr. Wood

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

Unless blackleg can be controlled there is little future for rapeseed as a major commercial crop in W.A.

Until 1972, oilseed rape showed great promise as an alternative cash crop for Western Australian farmers, especially in the Great Southern and south coastal areas.

However, like most other cruciferous crops, rape is prone to attack from diseases and insect pests. Most of these can be controlled, but the fungus disease blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) emerged as a major threat to the industry.

Clearly, unless the disease can be controlled, there is little future for rapeseed as a major commercial crop in Western …

Kenaf : A Possible Multi-Purpose Crop For The Ord River Irrigation Area, I M. Wood

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

Kenaf is a tropical crop which shows promise for use in paper pulp, oil and protein production; the young growth is a nutritious animal feed.

It has proved a highly productive crop in the Ord River Irrigation area, raising speculation about its possible use as a commercial crop there. In this article a CSIRO research worker describes the properties of kenaf and reviews research results with the crop on the Ord

Lupinosis, M R. Gardiner

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

In spite of many years of intensive investigation lupinosis remains a remarkably complex and baffling problem. Current research is throwing new light on the disease and it is now much better understood— although far from beaten.

Lupinosis research is co-ordinated by the Department of Agriculture's Lupinosis Committee, on which are represented all groups working on the disease. These include veterinary surgeons and pathologists, chemists, plant pathologists and animal husbandry specialists.

Chairman of the Committee is Dr M. R. Gardiner, Chief of the Department's Animal Division and a veteran of lupinosis research.

In this article Dr Gardiner summarises the current state …

The Sheep Measles Control Programme, J B. White

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

In the first seven months of 1968 Australia exported to the United States 17 747 tons of boned mutton; of this 2 198 tons, or 12.4 per cent, was condemned on arrival in that country.

The main cause of rejection was the presence of Cystkercus ovis cysts, the intermediate stage of the tapeworm Taenia ovis, of which the definitive host is the dog.

In 1969 the Western Australian Department of Agriculture decided to study the epidemiology of this disease.

This was the beginning of the work which would evolve into the 'Three Shire Control Programme'

The Banana Industry At Carnarvon, John Roger Burt

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

In viewing the semi-arid conditions of the West Gascoyne, visitors are surprised to see a thriving banana industry at the mouth of the Gascoyne River, 930 kilometres north of Perth. The natural vegetation in the plantation area consists mainly of stunted gums, low acacia scrub and salt bush.

Despite the adverse climatic conditions, the average yields of Carnarvon bananas are double those of banana areas in other states.

Promising Results With Pineapples At Carnarvon, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Pineapples were investigated commercially in Carnarvon in the early 1930's but drought, sunscorch, alkaline soils and problems with transport and marketing caused the infant industry to collapse in 1936.

Recently however, trials at Gascoyne Research Station have shown that pineapples can produce good yields of high quality fruit in the area.

The trials have been aimed at establishing the viability of pineapple production at Carnarvon and have been carried out by officers of the Horticulture Division.

Docks In Western Australia, J M. Allen

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

A survey carried out by the Department of Agriculture has shown that docks are the most serious weed of the higher rainfall areas of Western Australia. They are estimated to cost farmers $400 000 annually in lost production. One of the main reasons why they are important weeds is that they regenerate rapidly from tubers and compete with desirable annual pasture species. Also the upright dock flowering stems are woody and unpalatable. Individual plants become intertwined and deter stock from grazing summer pastures.

Results from the survey of the dock problem are given in this article. The findings show that …

Breeding Better Rape And Lineseed For Western Australia, N N. Roy, J. Reeves

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

Rapeseed and linseed—the main oil seed crops grown in the south-west of Western Australia—have both been beset by problems which have limited farmers' interest in them.

Rapeseed was first grown commercially in 1970, when wheat quotas and low prices for other cereals forced farmers to seek alternative cash crops. The area sown to rapeseed increased rapidly, but disastrous outbreaks of the disease blackleg caused rapid decline, and little rapeseed is now sown.

Linseed has been grown in W.A. for more than 30 years. Linseed rust proved disastrous but was overcome by the introduction and breedbreeding of rust-resistant varieties. In recent …

Biological Control Of Insects On The Ord. 1. Production Of Sitotroga Cerealella For Mass Rearing Of Trichogramma Wasps, M Grimm, P. J. T. Lawrence

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

Department of Agriculture entomologists have developed a technique for the production and collection of eggs of the Angoumois grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella) for mass-rearing the parasitic waspTrichogramma pretiosum Riley.

Trichogramma is giving promising results in trials aimed at developing biological control of insect pests in the Ord River Irrigation Area.

Lupinosis And Rates Of Stocking Of Lupin Stubbles, K P. Croker, J. G. Allen, C. R. Lester, R. B. Guthrie

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

Lupin stubbles provide valuable summer sheep feed but under some conditions the fungus Phomopsis rossiana (for which lupins are the host plant) produces a toxin that causes lupinosis. Results from research at Badaingarra Research Station over the 1973-74 and 1974- 75 summers have shown that sheep liver damage associated with lupin stubble grazing is likely to be more severe at high than low stocking rates.

Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Production, M G. Mason

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

Among the many factors influencing crop response to nitrogen applications, the most important are the season, soil type, paddock history, time of application and source of nitrogen. Before deciding whether to use nitrogen on a cereal crop, which source to use and at what rate, the farmer needs some understanding of how these factors work.

Lupin Breeding In Western Australia : The Narrow-Leaf Lupin (Lupinus Angustifolius), John Sylvester Gladstones

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

Over the past seven years the narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) has become a significant crop plant in Western Australia.

The present crop varieties are the result of a long-term breeding programme started in 1954 with the aim of producing a broad-acre crop from a plant well adapted to our light soils but with a number of characteristics which precluded its use for cropping.

To an original sweet narrowleafed lupin, soft-seededness, nonshattering pods, early flowering and a distinctive appearance to distinguish it from bitter types were progressively added.

The author of this article, Dr. J. S. Gladstones, began lupin breeding at …

Growing Sunflowers In South-Western Australia, M L. Poole

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

The oil produced from sunflowers falls into the "polyunsaturated" group and usually commands a premium price on world markets.

Some Western Australian farmers seeking to diversify their cropping programmes in the face of marketing difficulties for many agricultural products are trying sunflowers, although commercial production has not yet been achieved.

This article sets out some basic information for farmers wishing to try sunflowers.

Extracts From The Department Of Agriculture's Annual Report, 1974-75, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The Department of Agriculture's Annual Report for the year ended June 30, 1975, took the form of short reviews of selected activities of the Department during the year.

Some of these reviews are reprinted below to give an idea of the range of activities undertaken by the Department. A limited number of copies of the full report are available to interested organisations from the Department of Agriculture, Jarrah Road, South Perth, 6151.

In past years the Department's report has taken the form of a relatively detailed technical summary of the work of each Division. Because of the large volume of …

Wheat Rust Epidemics, A G P Brown, J. T. Reeves

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

Stem rust of wheat is probably the most damaging plant disease in the world. The rust fungus attacks stems, leaves and heads, producing characteristic red-brown pustules which affect the plant's ability to fill out the grain. Yield loss is directly related to the amount of rust in the crop and the length of time the crop is infected.

In Western Australia it is not uncommon to find rust on crops in mid-October, but usually there is negligible loss of yield. In fact this pattern is quite normal throughout the world: In general, rust arrives too late to cause an epidemic. …

Prospects For A Successful Rape Crop, M J. Barbetti, A. G. P. Brown, P. Mcr. Wood

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

Since the disastrous 1972 season, when blackleg disease reached epidemic proportions, rapeseed production has declined dramatically. With attractive prices for rapeseed in prospect many farmers may be trying this crop again.

If the risk of loss from blackleg could be assessed early in the season it would assist in deciding whether rape would be an economic proposition.