Animal Sciences Commons^™

Mosaic Agriculture: A Guide To Irrigated Crop And Forage Production In Northern Wa, Geoff A. Moore Mr, Clinton K. Revell Dr, Christopher Schelfhout Dr, Christopher Ham Mr, Samuel Crouch Mr

Bulletins 4000 -

The Bulletin is a comprehensive guide for pastoralists, agronomists, agribusiness and the broader community on the growing of irrigated crops and pastures within a rangeland pastoral setting.

Dispersed irrigation developments on stations throughout the northern rangelands (sometimes referred to as mosaic agriculture) has created opportunities for the introduction of more productive forage species and pastoralists can now grow high quality forage for 12 months of the year. This can help to overcome the key constraint of traditional pastoral systems, the low quality of the feed over the dry season that typically results in stock losing condition.

Changing Climate, Changing Business Practices : Lessons From Innovative Growers, David Gray, Nicole Baxter, Meredith Fairbanks, Geraldine Pasqual

Bulletins 4000 -

Climate change and increasing seasonal variability are challenging the production efforts of growers in lower rainfall environments of the Western Australian grain belt. Significantly less rainfall than the long-term average has fallen across southwest Western Australia during the past 30 years.

Seasonal rainfall has also become more variable with later starts to the growing season and a general shift to more summer and less winter rainfall. Day and night-time temperatures, particularly in winter and autumn, have gradually increased, while in some areas, the risk of frost in spring has increased.

Greener Pastures 1 - The Greener Pasture Project: Managing Nutrients In Dairy Pastures, John Lucey, Mike Bolland, Don Bennett, Richard Morris, Bill Russell, Martin Staines

Bulletins 4000 -

As dairy farmers have strived to maintain profitability, many have farmed more intensively. More cows are milked and increasing inputs of fertiliser and purchased feed are used per hectare. However, these increased nutrient inputs have far exceeded the increase in nutrient output in milk production. The increasing nutrient surplus (inputs minus outputs) from intensification on dairy farms has met with increasing community concern about the environmental footprint of the dairy industry. In some other countries, dairy farmers who have intensified by increasing nitrogen inputs are now faced with legislation controlling the amount of fertiliser nitrogen that they can use.

The …

Report On Phosphorus And Potassium Experiments Conducted On Partner Farms Of The Greener Pastures Project, Mike Bolland, Ian Guthridge, Graham Blincow, Peter Needs

Bulletins 4000 -

Dairy production in south-western Australia occurs predominantly on sandy soils in the greater than 800 mm annual average rainfall areas of the region. The climate is Mediterranean-type, typically with cool, wet May-October growing seasons and hot, dry November-April. Most dairy pastures are rain-fed and comprise the annual species Subterranean Clover (clover, Trifolium subterraneum L.), Annual Ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.) and Italian Ryegrass (L. multiflorum Lam.).

Paddock grown pasture is the cheapest source of feed for dairy production in the region (Dilley and Howes 1998). To remain profitable in the face of diminishing returns, dairy farmers have modified their grazing management …

Potassium For High Rainfall Pastures, Mike Bolland, Bill Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

Potassium plays a major role in plant growth. It maintains the solutions in plant cells at ionic strengths suitable for maintaining strong plant walls and for the proper functioning of leaf pores (stomata) and plant processes such as photosynthesis, transport of sugars and enzyme activation.

Potassium does not become a direct part of the plant structure but acts to regulate water balances, nutrient and sugar movement in plant tissue. Plants deficient in potassium cannot use other nutrients and water efficiently. They are less tolerant of stresses such as drought and waterlogging and are more susceptible to pests and diseases.

Lime For High Rainfall Pastures: Above 800mm Average Annual Rainfall, Mike Bolland, Bill Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

Conventional agriculture acidifies soil. As your soil becomes more acid, productive pasture species disappear and are replaced by species of low agricultural value. It is a waste of money to apply expensive fertiliser to pastures which are inherently poorly productive because they are growing in an acid soil.

The paper examines the types of lime available, how to select lime for quality and when and how much lime to apply. Maganese toxity and aluminum toxicity are examine, how to test your soil, and affect of soil acidity on bacteria and other microorgansims.

Climate Change, Vulnerability And Adaptation For South-West Western Australia: Phase One Of Action 5.5, Western Australian Greenhouse Strategy, Luke Morgan, Jo Anne Molin, Ross George, Richard Mckellar, Janet Conte

Bulletins 4000 -

This report outlines preliminary findings about the impacts of climate changes that occurred during 1975 to 2005 on the South West’s people, its economy and natural ecosystems. The report focuses on vulnerability and adaptation, identifying useful pointers for future work, particularly in relation to how well the community, stakeholders and decision-makers understand climate change as an issue and a threat.

Returns To R&D Investment Of Dafwa: Benefit Cost Analysis, 2005-2006, Nazrul Islam

Bulletins 4000 -

The primary outcome or objective of the projects that are assessed, is to increase the market competitiveness and profitability of agri-industry.

Returns To Research And Development Investment Of The Department Of Agriculture And Food Western Australia : Benefit Cost Analysis, 2006-2007, Peter Coyle, Editor, Roslyn Blanchard, Francis Bright, Paul Mattingley, Manju Radhakrishnan

Bulletins 4000 -

Strategic decision making is enhanced by the consideration of benefit cost analyses of many projects. Each year a selection of projects is evaluated to assist in the determination of the most appropriate allocation of funds. This is only one of the methods that are employed by the Department’s Executive to increase market competitiveness and profitability in agriculture and the pastoral industries. This report includes both ex post and ex ante analyses, as they are complementary processes.

On-Station Production Of Native Speargrass Hay In Western Australia, G L. Krebs, Robert R. Rouda, S P. Van Wyngaarden

Bulletins 4000 -

This report documents the practical and economic feasibility of on-station harvesting and production of speargrass hay and haylage and its subsequent feeding to cattle and sheep in the extensive regions of south-eastern Western Australia. Four hundred and ten bales weighing an average 275 kg were produced from a total harvested area of 40.6 ha in the vicinity of Duck Dam on Kanandah Station. In the lead up to harvesting, seasonal conditions were among the best on record. Half of the bales produced were further processed into haylage. Two feeding trials, involving wethers at Arubiddy and steers at Kanandah, were undertaken …

Dam Design For Pastoral Stock Water Supplies, J S. Addison, R J. Law, G B. Eliot

Bulletins 4000 -

These notes provide information on many components of water harvesting storage systems designed for use in semi-arid areas. The notion of a water harvesting and storage system is deliberately emphasised. No single design component can be considered in isolation if the goal of a drought-proof water supply is to be achieved.

A drought-proof surface water supply is achieved by integrating the many design components of a water harvesting/storage system into a practical plan.

Registered Cultivars Of Subterranean Clover : Their Characteristics, Origin And Identification, W. J. Collins, Phil G. Nichols, M J. Barbetti, Co-Operative Research Centre For Legumes In Mediterranean Agriculture (Australia)

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin updates Bulletin No. 4083, which was written in 1984. Since tat time 11 new subterranean clover cultivars have been released, making a total of 33. This Bulletin is largely applicable across all subterranean clover areas of Australia. However specific mention is made in the text to applications in Western Australia.

Productive Pastures Pay - A Manual On Pasture Establishment And Management For The Above 700 Mm Rainfall Zone, P T. Arkell

Bulletins 4000 -

This manual on pasture establishment andmanagement is designed to help farmers grow productive pastures. It deals with annual and perennial pastures on dryland and irrigated farms in the above 700 mm rainfall zone and may be used by individual farmers or discussion groups. Input from discussion groups will improve futureeditions of the manual.Farmers frequently need to reseed their pastures. Pastures deteriorate and new, more productive species and cultivars come on to the market. Also improved techniques are developed to tackle land management problems like salinity, waterlogging and acidity. All these situations lead to a reseeding operation.

Selecting And Developing Reliable Bore Sites In The Eastern Wheatbelt, Richard George

Bulletins 4000 -

In the Western Australian wheatbelt, groundwater supplies contribute about 40 per cent of the on-farm livestock requirements and occasionally domestic water supply systems. The first part of this Bulletin comments on sites suitable for both high yielding bores and also those which yield water suitable for livestock. The second part outlines techniques for constructing and developing a bore. Throughout this Bulletin livestock quality water, for adult sheep, is defined as groundwater of less than 12,000 mg/L (or 850 grains per gallon) which has not been subject to localized pollution. For other livestock, the maximum salinities range from 2,600 mg/L for …

Registered Cultivars Of Subterranean Clover : Their Origin, Identification And Potential Use In Western Australia., W. J. Collins, B J. Quinlivan, C M. Francis

Bulletins 4000 -

The annual species subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is the most important pasture legume in Western Australia. In addition to providing nutrious feed for livestock, it is an important source of nitrogen for non-leguminous species in pastures for the State's ceral crops.