Agriculture Commons^™

A Review Of The Economics Of Regenerative Agriculture In Western Australia, Anne Bennett

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• There is no published work detailing the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia.
• Of the work completed in other jurisdictions and nations captured in this review, the profitability of regenerative agriculture compared with conventional agriculture was variable, although generally lower.
• The loss of income associated with the transition from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture is a significant barrier to adoption, although it is enterprise-sensitive.
• Farmers who are operating regenerative agriculture systems self-report higher levels of wellbeing.
• Conventional agriculture and regenerative agriculture are overlapping approaches.
• The literature presented in this review is mostly based on small samples, case studies or …

Geology, Soils And Climate Of The Margaret River Wine Region, Peter J. Tille, Angela Stuart-Street, Peter S. Gardiner

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This report is an extract from the broader description and analysis of the Geology, soils and climate of Western Australia's wine regions. It expands on the brief descriptions in the second edition of 'Viticulture' (Coombe & Dry 2004) concerning the soils and landscapes of Western Australia’s main wine growing regions. We have tailored this report extract to the specific needs of the Margaret River wine region. It contains local soil names and soil-landscape zones and systems maps.

The wine industry recognises the importance of giving customers an understanding of the vines’ environment and how that may influence wine character …

Planning For The Peel Food Zone, Heather M. Percy

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The Planning for the Peel Food Zone project is part of Phase 1 of the Transform Peel initiative.Transform Peel is intended to be a ‘disruptive’ long-term program that supports economic growth, diversification and creates jobs in the Peel region. Transform Peel recognises the importance of protecting the internationally recognised waterways and wetlands of the Peel–Harvey Estuary and aims to halve the nutrient loads entering its waterways from the surrounding catchment.

The $49.3 million Phase 1 program for Transform Peel comprises three main components: Peel Food Zone; Peel Integrated Water Initiative; Peel Business Park.

This report summarises the findings from the …

Report Card On Sustainable Natural Resource Use In Agriculture, Robert Summers, David Weaver

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Condition and trend Nutrients, such as phosphorus (P), are essential for profitable agriculture in the south-west of WA; however, excess P – more than is required for optimal production – is stored in many agricultural soils. On average, pasture soils and arable soils contain 1.3 times and 1.6 times respectively, as much P as is required for optimal production. Production in P-enriched soils is more likely to be constrained by soil acidity (50–60% of pasture and arable soils), potassium (K) (50% of pasture soils and less than 10% of arable soils), and sulphur (S) (30% of pasture soils). Management implications …

Current Status And 25 Year Trends For Soil Acidity, Fertility And Salinity In The Coastal Catchments Of The Peel-Harvey, Robert Summers, David Weaver

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The current status and trends of soil analyses in the coastal catchment of the Peel Harvey estuary were developed from historical soil data (1982 to 1991) combined with a renewed sampling to greater depth (1 m). This report encompasses the data collected from the first year of the project. Soil phosphorus content was found to be high but has dropped slightly since 1991. Soil pH is very low and is likely to be limiting production but have risen slightly since 1991. Soil potassium content is generally so low that it may be limiting production especially to the west of the …

Sustainability Issues For Agriculture In Western Australia, Anne Bennett, Ross Kingwell, Ross George

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Agriculture has been and will continue to be a major component of economic activity in several regions in Western Australia, and agricultural communities will remain an important part of the social fabric and landscape of the State. Promoting the sustainability of agriculture is likely to produce three main outcomes: vibrant rural communities; profitable agricultural systems; and conservation of the natural environment. This paper describes briefly the main challenges to the sustainability of agriculture and outlines some means of responding to the challenges: market-based approaches; agricultural and environmental research and development; accelerated adjustment; and global and national policy initiatives.

Social And Economic Data For Regional And Natural Resource Management In Western Australia's South West Catchment : Results Of The 2006 Landholder Survey, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, South West Catchments Council (W.A.), Michael Hanslip, Australia. Bureau Of Rural Sciences.

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This report presents a summary of the key findings from a mailed survey to 2,000 landholders in the South West Region of Western Australia in 2006. The survey gathered information on the key social and economic factors affecting landholder decision-making about the adoption of practices expected to improve the management of natural resources in the region. The response rate for the survey was 69.4%.

The South West Catchment Council, Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food and the Bureau of Rural Sciences were key project partners. Funding was from a mix of national, state and regional programmes, including the Natural …

Phosphorus In The Landscape: Diffuse Sources To Surface Waters. Land And Water Resources Research And Development Corporation. Occasional Paper 16/98, Richard Davis, Anne Hamblin, E O'Loughlin, Nic Austin, R Banens, P Cornish, P Hairsin, M Mcculloch, Phil Moody, J Olley, B Prove, I Smalls, David Weaver

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The National Eutrophication Management Program (NEMP) and Environment Australia convened a workshop to develop a coherent overview of the sources and transport of diffuse phosphorus in Australian catchments based on the latest knowledge. The Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRDC) and the Murray–Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) jointly fund NEMP. A select group of scientists attended the workshop and developed a coherent statement about phosphorus sources and transport in Australian catchments. The group did not extend this statement to include recommended management practices. This paper reports the findings from the workshop. State governments have developed algal and nutrient …

The Oombulgurri Project Clancy Committee Report, D J. Clancy, P Mccosker, C Mayberry, A J. Millington, P Ryan

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In early August the Oombulgurri community requested assistance in the following terms.

"On behalf of the Oombulgurri Community, we invite assistance in developing the grain and pasture cropping at Oombulgurri. We have experimented with peanuts, sorghum, and many varieties of vegetables. This has tested the reality of hopes to expand acreage and varieties to become self-sufficient in stock feed. The Farm and Garden Guild now needs the expertise of your services to plan a four-year programme. vie need assistance in choosing from the many options, opinions and advices available from Australia and elsewhere, for grain production, pastures, methods appropriate to …