Agricultural Economics Commons^™

The Outlook For Barley, P J. Hackett, E. J. O'Loughlin

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

World production of barley in 1968 was 4,107 million bushels—an increase of 7 per cent, on the previous year.

Further increases are estimated for the 1969 season, especially in Canada and France. World production is expected to be 3 per cent, higher than in 1968.

Weed Control Research Pays Dividends, G R W Meadly

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

On my bookshelf is a handbook entitled "War on Weeds" or "How to Double our Food Supply."

In many of these countries experiments have been made to ascertain as far as possible the exact damage done by weeds to crops.

Result: In all the experiments, whether made in England or abroad, the mean loss was over 50 per cent.

The level of loss is equally true today, but the methods at our disposal for handling weeds have improved tremendously.

Recommended Crop Varieties-1971/Vol11/Iss12, H M. Fisher

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

Cereal and linseed varieties recommended for 1971 should give the best returns to growers and benefit the industry in general, The main varieties are Gamenya, Bokal and Darkan wheats, Dampier and Beecher barleys, Swan oats and Kameniza linseed.

Lupins In Western Australia. 6. Future Prospects, John Sylvester Gladstones

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

PREVIOUS articles in the series have discussed available lupin varieties, their cultivation, and the feed value of the seeds and crop residues.

This final article for the series deals with future prospects for lupin varieties and markets, and how lupins might fit into Western Australian farming systems.

Growing Barley For Grain In Western Australia : Barley Quality, J A. Parish

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

Plumpness and absence of pinched grain are desirable for both malting and feed barley.

This is a brief discussion of various Quality standards in barley and how they may not be met.

Urea Drilled With Seed Affects Germination And Yield, M G. Mason, A. Loutit, J. A. C. Smith, D. Highman, P. Stallwood

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

Trials in 1968 at Burracoppin and York again showed it is safer to topdress urea just before seeding than to drill a mixture of seed and urea.

At all but the lowest urea rates, urea drilled with the seed reduced the number of plants emerging and surviving, and reduced final wheat yields.

Linseed : An Alternative Crop For The South Coast. 2. What Is The Future For Linseed?, R J. Doyle, R. J. Guyton

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

In a preceding article* we stated that the expansion of linseed in Western Australia was due primarily to the ability to sell on the export market at current ruling prices.

This is necessary because Australia's domestic needs are likely to be supplied in most years by Eastern States producers.

Recommended Crop Varieties, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

RESULTS of variety trials carried out in 1968 by the Department of Agriculture were considered by the State Wheat Advisory Committee and the State Coarse Grains Advisory Committee in making recommendations on leading varieties of wheat, oats and barley.

Details of the recommendations are set out below.

Recommendations on linseed varieties have been included in view of the growing significance of the industry and representations from farmers for consideration of this crop along with the cereals.

Promising Results On West Kimberley Pindan Country, A L. Payne

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

IN the 22 to 28 inch rainfall belt of the West Kimberley area of Western Australia are extensive areas of what is locally known as "pindan" country.

The term "pindan" refers to a light red or yellow sandy soil type supporting scattered Eucalypts, sparse-dense wattle scrub and grasses such as curly spinifex, ribbon grass and native sorghum.

Nitrogen Fertiliser Survey, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THE DECEMBER, 1968 issue of the "Journal of Agriculture" included, as part of an article on the economics of nitrogen fertiliser use, a lift-out section for farmers to complete and return to the Journal.

In the lift-out, farmers were asked to calculate their fertiliser costs and answer a series of questions about the use of nitrogen on their farms.

Controll Of Eelworm Diseases Of Bananas In Western Australia : A Review, O M. Goss, M. G. Hawson

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

During the 1950's, a decline in bananas in plantations in Carnarvon, caused by heavy infestations of eelworms, prompted investigations into eelworm control.

The work was started in 1955. The results and recommendations based on experiments have been published in Department of Agriculture Bulletin 3532.

Weed Control In Pastures : A Practical Approach For Sheep Areas, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

IN the past, chemical treatments for the control of weeds in pastures have been costly and severe on pasture, and have had to be repeated over a number of years. The method outlined in this article overcomes nearly all these disadvantages.

Fertiliser Recommendations For Apple Trees, N H. Shorter, J. E. L. Cripps

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

THE increased use of irrigation and chemical thinning in apple orchards and the planting of trees in light soils have resulted in responses to regular fertiliser dressings.

Costs Of Grain Storage On Farms, P J. Hackett

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

GRAIN storage on farms has been commonly practised for intensive livestock production, for feed reserves, for seed purposes, and more recently to store excess grain.

For most of these purposes permanent storage facilities are required.

Linseed : An Alternative Crop For The South Coast, R J. Doyle, R. J. Guyton

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

IN the over-17 inch rainfall zone of the south coast region of Western Australia animal production is the main farm enterprise.

Although farmers in the main cereal growing regions of W.A. crop about one-third of their cleared land each year, farmers in the south have been reluctant to crop more than about 12 per cent, of their cleared area.

Higher Stocking Rates For Cattle On Irrigated Pasture : A Report From Wokalup Research Station, Maurice C. Cullity

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

The possibility that higher cattle stocking rates than those commonly used could be economical was suggested by the results of a stocking rate trial at Wokalup Research Station

Bulletin No 3609 - Land Development In The South Eastern Wheatbelt, G T. Halpin, P. Nelson

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

Interest in the development of light lands in the south-eastern wheatbelt was spurred by the many ex-servicemen seeking farms after the 1939-45 World War.

Previous attempts to develop this area had been frustrated by poor crop yields, and by the poor carrying capacity of those volunteer pastures which developed on cleared land.

Research into reasons for the poor crop results was begun in 1948-49 with trials sown by Messrs Smith and Halpin between Borden and Lake Grace. The results clearly showed the important role played by copper and zinc in successful crop growth. Since then, field trials have been conducted …

Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Production, M G. Mason

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

THE greatest responses to nitrogenous fertilisers can be expected in areas with a relatively long growing season.

In such areas light soils with a low nitrogen status provide the best prospects for addition of nitrogen—provided adequate moisture is available.

Wheat In Development Programmes For New Esperance Farmers, R J. Doyle, G. D. Oliver

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

IN the December, 1967, issue of the Journal of Agriculture, we reported on five development budgets for the Esperance region.

The aim of the exercise was to find out if a new settler concentrating on sheep, with $20,000 available for development after acquisition of land, could make a reasonable living for himself and his family while developing his farm.

The Pear Leaf Blister Mite, G D. Rimes

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

THE pear leaf blister mite* may be causing widespread but undetected damage in Western Australian pear crops.

A bud-dwalling form exists which shows none of the leaf blisters normally associated with this species.

New Strains Of Subterranean Clover : Prospects And Problems For The Seed Producer, B J. Quinlivan

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

THREE new strains of Subterranean clover—Daliak, Seaton Park and Uniwager—have been released.

In Western Australia, in other States and perhaps some overseas countries, the next few years will see many farmers or graziers summing up the merits and demerits of these strains and subsequently making a decision to change or not to change their present strains.

Trials With Urea And Anhydrous Ammonia For Wheat Growing, M G. Mason

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

THE recent subsidy on nitrogenous fertilisers has greatly reduced their price to farmers. This, and farmers' increasing awareness of the benefits of application of nitrogen to cereals, has led to a substantial increase in the use of these fertilisers.

Wheat Weevil And The Farmer, Clee Francis Howard Jenkins, G. D. Rimes

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

INSECT pests have been taking toll of mans' crops and herds since very early times and despite modern control techniques the annual loss is still very high.

It has been estimated that damage to stored grain alone may average 10 per cent, per year, or, in terms of the West Australian harvest, a loss by weevils of about twice the capacity of the large Midland Junction bin.

The Changing Fertiliser Industry, Edgar Noel Fitzpatrick

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

Background to current developments in the Australian fertiliser industry.

FOR many years superphosphate was the basic fertiliser used by most farmers in Western Australia.

During the 1950's some farmers began to use sulphate of ammonia, and recently urea and anhydrous ammonia have become important.

Sources Of Nitrogen For Cereals : Their Characteristics And Costs, M G. Mason

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

Generally similar results may be expected from all the sources of nitrogen available for cereal growing.

The unit nitrogen price and the convenience of use of each fertiliser in the particular situation should be taken into account in deciding which fertiliser to use.

THE first point to consider when deciding which nitrogen fertiliser to use for wheat growing is the effectiveness of the nitrogen source in increasing crop yield. Second, the cost per unit of nitrogen must be considered.

The convenience of using a particular source in a particular situation is also important and greater convenience may offset some cost …

Rates Of Superphosphate For Cereal Grain Production In The Under 20 Inch Rainfall Areas, Walter Jacob Cox

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

EVERY year farmers use large quantities of superphosphate with cereal crops to overcome the inherent phosphate deficiency of West Australian soils.

The increase in the average rate used by farmers reflects the increasing amount of new land being cropped.

Good seasons and favourable economic conditions may also have influenced super rates.

Drilled Versus Topdressed Superphosphate For Cereal Production, A Loutit, P. Stallwood, W. J. Cox

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

CEREAL growers in Australia usually use a drill or combine to apply their seed and superphosphate in one operation.

However, during the last few years, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of super broadcast bafore seeding.

Production Costs In The Apple Industry : Comments On A Survey, A W. Hogstrom, I. J. Moncrieff

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

IN 1964 and 1965, light and heavy bearing years respectively, apples cost $2.40 per bushel to produce in Western Australia. This figure, to be considered with many other factors, was reached in a cost-of-production survey of 45 selected growers.

Packing and labour costs, in that order, were the two biggest cost-of-production items.

Oat Variety Trials, 1965, J L. Mcmullan, J. A. Parish

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

M l 2 8 , an early midseason fixed crossbred bred at the Merredin Research Station, Avon and P8304, a late midseason fixed crossbred from N.S.W, were the highest yielding oats in last year's trials.

Irwin was the highest yielding oat of early maturity.

Barley Variety Trials, 1965, J L. Mcmullan, J. A. Parish

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

The highest yielding varieties in the 1965 barley variety trials were the two-row crossbred A l l , the white grained six-row varieties Arivat, Gem and Glacier and the recently-named two-row variety Dampier (previously known as W45).