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Lupin Root Diseases - Diagnosis And Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Root, hypocotyl and stem base diseases can be significant problems in lupin crops, reducing stand density, plant vigour and yield. Root disease is present in nearly all narrow leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) paddocks but in the majority of paddocks has only a small impact on crop development. However, in paddocks where high levels of root rot occurs, plant establishment, seedling vigour and crop yield can be significantly affected.

When a root disease is present in a crop very little can be done to manage it in that cropping season. It is therefore vital that the cause is correctly identified to …

Time Of Lambing, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Choosing the best time of lambing, and matching paddock feed availability to ewe and weaner needs is important for both productivity and profitability. The ewes' natural breeding season will also affect reproductive rates. The ewe flock is the key flock on the farm, so it is important to set up a system that matches their needs with the feedbase. A ewe’s condition will vary over the season depending on the feed available and her needs. A ewe’s energy needs will double in late pregnancy and triple in lactation. Having enough feed to meet her changing needs is important for production …

Sustaining The Legacies Of Black Farmers, John Myers, James Burch, Demetrius Hooks

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The experience of Black farmers in the Southern United States is shaped by a legacy of racial inequity and unfavorable public policies that have all but ensured unequal access to fundamental resources such as land, labor, and capital. Rural poverty and land loss through heir property have encumbered access to these resources. Within this context of disenfranchised generations of history, this article contributes to examining and understanding the experiences of Black farmers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to amplify the voices of Black farmers as a step toward providing context for a more inclusive and meaningful …

Preface

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Land-Grant Universities To Foster Public Trust, John D. Anderson, Trey Malone, Jay Akridge

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This review article explores the role of land-grant Extension amidst an escalating epistemic crisis, where misinformation and the contestation of knowledge severely impact public trust and policymaking. We delve into the historical mission of land-grant institutions to democratize education and extend knowledge through Cooperative Extension Services, highlighting their unique position to address contemporary challenges of information disorder and declining public confidence in higher education. Land-grant universities can reaffirm their relevance and leadership in disseminating reliable information by reasserting their foundational principles of unbiased, objective scholarship and deep engagement with diverse stakeholders. This reaffirmation comes at a critical time when societal …

Table Of Contents

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Guest Editors’ Comments

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Fringe Farming: A Family’S Transition Into Fiber Through Seasons Of Change, Keisha Cameron

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The intersection of fiber production and Black agrarian arts has deep historical roots. Small-scale and peri-urban farmers find themselves against the borders of urban and industrial agriculture. Also, the COVID-19 global pandemic was a tipping point for many small farmers. It brought the importance of sustainable agriculture into a clearer view. Today, a growing movement of small producers is working to bring local fiber and textile production back into the agricultural lexicon. This article tracks the evolution of High Hog Farm and returning-generation Black family farmers and their transition into natural fiber and dye production. This focus is associated with …

Black Women Farming Sustainably: Carrying Their Legacy In The Deep South Through Crisis And Beyond, Natilee M. Kyle, Yawah Awolowo, Felicia Bell, Sheila Martin, Ruth Bacayana

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

An African proverb underscores the role of women in communities: If you teach a man, you educate an individual, but if you teach a woman, you educate a nation. Women play a crucial role in maintaining family farms and community ecosystems in the Deep South. This case study explores the history and roles of two Southern Black women farmers. The study seeks to amplify women’s voices by examining the cultural context from which they operated, the families and generations they influenced, and the obstacles they navigated while operating in a male-dominated industry. Their collective experiences highlight the need for shared …

Meeting Farmer-Member Challenges During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through Direct-Resourcing And Agroecological Work Brigades, Noah R. Mcdonald

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Black farming and rural lifeways in the Southeast and U.S. Virgin Islands. The COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges for SAAFON’s members, exacerbating the existing structural conditions that make farming challenging for Black farmers. These conditions include climate-related disasters, economic disparities, lack of political investment, racism, and related discrimination. In this paper, the author presents the activities that SAAFON has undertaken to address the impact of the pandemic on its members. It provided funding for its members and launched a series of farmer brigades to build …

In Times Of Need The Land Always Provides, And Being Queer Don’T Hurt, Alsie Parks, Lindsey Lunsford

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

In uncertain times, Black and Brown folks look to each other for mutual aid because they cannot rely on societal structures and governments to support their communities. The necessity of self-reliance is especially true for those located in rural areas. This paper engages the theme of queerness as a lens to explore Black survival strategies used regarding the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper further explores the narrative of Alsie Parks, a Black Southern agrarian native, and her non-nuclear family as they embraced non-traditional ways of being, land-based practices, and the importance of crafting kinship to find both nourishment …

The Federation Of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund: An Advocate For Equity In Disaster Relief Programs, Chawnn Redden

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund has a history of assisting predominantly Black farmers and rural communities, especially the rural South. It also supports farmers during disasters and advocates for equitable distribution of resources, especially from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Black farmers. For instance, the Federation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic provides evidence of how the impact of disasters in the rural South can be mitigated if Black farmers are an integral part of the relief process. This paper provides a history of the role the Federation has played in several disasters, including hurricanes as well as …

Abridged Submission Guidelines

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

Gorse And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant with links to requirements that landowners/occupiers must adhere to, pest control methods and how to search, detect and report it.

Gorse is a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) present in Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory; it is not present in the Northern Territory. Gorse is a declared pest plant in WA.

Confined Paddock Feeding And Feedlotting Of Sheep, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Confinement feeding (also referred to as lot feeding or feedlotting) is an intensive feeding system in a confined area where all, or the majority of, feed and water is supplied to the contained animals. The department recommends using confinement feeding as part of a whole farm livestock, pasture and erosion management program.

We recommend having a confinement feeding system as an integral part of a whole farm livestock, pasture and erosion management program. Guides and resources that provide more detailed information are listed at the bottom of this fact sheet.

Sheep Feed Value Guide, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Sheep are supplementary fed for either survival or production purposes. Efficient supplementary feeding should aim to supply sheep with a diet that is sufficient in digestible energy and protein. We recommend testing feedstuffs, although the feed tables supplied here can be used to help roughly estimate the amount of grain and fodder required.

Knowing the value of different feedstuffs is critical when making decisions about livestock nutrition, for survival, maintenance and growth.

Supplementary feeding is a key part of a Western Australian (WA) sheep enterprise because most sheep systems are on annual pasture which is dry over the Mediterranean summer. …

Evaluation Of Dual Purpose Canola And Cereals Grazed With Cattle, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the importance of dual-purpose crops (canola, wheat and barley) to improve the feed availability for cattle (in late autumn to early winter) in mixed farming systems of the high rainfall environment of Western Australia (WA).

The grain yield of a wide range of canola and cereal varieties sown in mid-April were unaffected by the grazing of cattle at a stocking rate of 20 to 22 dry sheep equivalent (DSE) per hectare (ha) for up to 4 weeks at Esperance in 2011.

The grazed crops yielded the …

Roaded Catchments In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Roaded catchments are earthwork structures designed to increase the amount of run-off from the catchment above a receiving farm dam.

Roaded catchments are lined with clay and compacted to make a smooth surface that reduces infiltration and increases run-off. Roaded catchments should discharge into a silt trap and then into a dam (excavated earth tank). This combined structure should be fenced to exclude livestock.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that roaded catchments are part of an integrated water and salinity management program.

The information in this page is only a guide – seek expert advice before …

Excavated Tanks (Farm Dams), Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Guidelines and information for planning, legal requirements, design, construction and management of excavated tanks for water storage on farm.

Excavated tanks (farm dams) provide effective water storage wherever surface water run-off can be harvested for livestock, crop spraying, irrigation and domestic use on rural properties.

Excavated tanks for rainfall storage are common in the southern agricultural areas of WA.

Well-designed and constructed dams are farm assets, safe and require little maintenance.

Poor design and construction can lead to poor water harvesting and storage, excessive costs, downstream erosion and risks to property and people.

DPIRD recommends that excavated tanks should be …

Economic Considerations Of In-Season Potassium Applications To Soybean Using Payoff Matrices, Carrie Ortel, T. L. Roberts, M. Popp, W. J. Ross, N. A. Slaton, M. R. Parvej

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

Potassium (K) deficiency is a common yield-limiting factor in Arkansas soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) production that can be addressed with innovative supplemental fertilizer application. An established leaf sampling protocol and dynamic critical concentration allow accurate diagnosis of K deficiency with corresponding recommendations for corrective, in-season K fertilizer applications at site-specific rates and times to reach anticipated yield goals. However, the profitability of in-season K fertilizer applications to irrigated soybean remains unclear. Research was conducted in Arkansas from 2021 to 2023 to evaluate multiple rates of in-season applications of muriate of potash to soybean at 15 and 30 days …

Trucks, Trains, And Barges: For Brazilian Soybeans, It’S Not Your Grandpa’S Infrastructure Anymore, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In the popular movie “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”, the tagline said, “Steve Martin had no reason to panic… until John Candy came along”. In the soybean market, we could say, “We had no reason to panic… until Brazil came along”. Brazil has been rapidly growing its soybean production for the last 30 years and has recently become the largest exporter in the world. In 2024/25, USDA estimates that Brazil will account for 58% of soybean exports worldwide, followed by the United States with 28%. These are roughly the numbers for 2023/24 and 2022/23 as well.

Still, despite the massive growth …

Your Sco/Eco Policy Under The Hood: What County Yield Is The Rma Using?, Cory Walters, Ken Harrison, Connor Whalen

Cornhusker Economics

Over the past decade, crop insurance has continued to expand contract offerings through new area-based policies. Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) was introduced in the mid-2010s. Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) was introduced in the early 2020s, and Margin Protection (MP) was introduced in the mid-to-late 2010s. The ECO premium subsidy was recently increased for the 2025 crop year to further encourage producer participation. Both the SCO and ECO programs have experienced increased participation for a variety of reasons.

How To Communicate Your Estate Plan To Family When Dividing Assets Unequally, Anastasia Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

Provides a guide on how to effectively approach estate planning conversations with family members.

Effectively communicating an estate plan with unequal division of assets can be challenging, but approaching it with honesty, clarity, and empathy can help prevent misunderstandings and family disputes. Open, respectful dialogue—paired with thoughtful explanations and transparent documentation—ensures that your family understands your intentions and feels valued, even when tough decisions are involved.

Ultimately, your goal isn’t just to pass down financial assets, but also to preserve family harmony and, where applicable, secure the future of a viable business. By fostering open communication, you can create a …

The Economics Of The ‘Buy Local’ Trend, Susweta Ray, Konstantinos Giannakas

Cornhusker Economics

The results of our study underline the significance of the explicit consideration of consumer and producer heterogeneity and the size and type of the locality when analyzing the market and welfare impacts of the ‘Buy Local’ trend. In addition to providing important new insights on the market and welfare impacts of the ‘Buy Local’ trend, our analysis can also provide a valuable theoretical grounding for empirical studies aimed at quantifying the economic impacts of the trend in different food product markets as well as the impact of current and emerging policies affecting the markets for local foods.

Why Tariffs Are A Tax On American Consumers, Timothy Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

Summary

The takeaway from this article should be that tariffs are a political tool, not an economic one. They do raise prices and revenue, but not as much as advertised (by either side).

At its core, Economics is the study of how scarcity is solved. That is, how limited resources are best utilized. Time and time again, Adam Smith’s idea that the invisible hand of markets would guide us to welfare-maximizing solutions, largely through specialization and trade. It’s why most of us specialize in one career and trade our hard-earned money for goods and services instead of producing them at …

Spot Form Net Blotch And Its Management In Barley, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Spot form net blotch (SFNB) has become increasingly more common in Western Australia (WA) due to the widespread cultivation of susceptible varieties, such as Spartacus CL and RGT Planet.

These crops generate large amounts of inoculum, which is carried between seasons on infected stubble. Crops grown onto or located close to infected stubble are at greatest risk of infection. The disease can be effectively managed using a combination of varietal selection, crop rotation, and fungicides.

Managing Frost Risk, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Frost occurs on clear nights in early spring when the air temperature drops to 2°C or less. Crop damage from frost may occur at any stage of development but is most damaging at or around flowering.

Frost is difficult to manage, and damage will be unavoidable in some seasons. Risk management options proven to reduce frost risk include paddock zoning, crop and variety selection, time of sowing, stubble management and managing inputs. The greatest gains result from in paddock choice/zoning, crop and variety choice, and manipulating the canopy.

Three-Horned Bedstraw, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Three-horned bedstraw (Galium tricornutum), otherwise known as bedstraw, rough bedstraw, rough fruit corn bedstraw, and corn cleavers, is an annual weed that poses a significant threat to Western Australia’s grains industry. It is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). A weedy member of the Rubiaceae (madder family), it is closely related to cleavers (Galium aparine)

Bedstraw is a high priority eradication target for Western Australia.

Insect Pests And Their Management In Oats, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Field pests

Damage from invertebrate pests is generally not a major factor for oat crops, however there is a zero tolerance to live pests in export hay.

Significant damage can occur if pest populations build up. Planning rotations to minimise pest carryover, timely sowing, adequate crop nutrition, and good control of weed and root diseases will assist in reducing the likelihood of crop damage by insect pests. Check crops regularly throughout their growth for field insects.

• Control redlegged earth mite and lucerne flea during the seedling stage if necessary.

• Aphids should be checked for and controlled from flag …

Climate Smart Agriculture, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

There are several programs encouraging producers to reduce their carbon intensity, including United States Department of Agriculture climate-smart agriculture programs, the 2024 Nebraska Climate Action Plan, and the 2024 Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Act. The hope is that producers with lower carbon intensity (CI) scores will receive a premium for their products. Producers would be well advised to learn more about these programs, as reducing carbon intensity in agriculture seems to be an emerging agricultural policy trend that will be with us for some time to come.