Sheep and Goat Science Commons^™

The Effect Of Nitrogen On Pastures And Subsequent Sheep Production., L. Cransberg

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial 89MT1

Location: Mt Barker Research Station

To measure the effect of autumn/winter application on:

1. Pasture growth rates and composition

2. Sheep production using pregnant/lacting ewes.

Trial 89KA6

Management systems for sheep.

Location: Kojonup

To measure the effects of set stocking and strip (rotation) grazing on:

1. Pasture production, composition and quality.

2. Sheep production (liveweight, condition score, wool growth rate, fibre diameter strength and vegetable matter contamination).

Management Systems For Sheep., Peter Doyle, L. Cransberg, P. Evans

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial 89KA6

Location: Kojonup

To measure the effects of set stocking and strip (ration) grazing on:

i) Pasture production, composition and quantity

ii) Sheep production (liveweight, condition score, wool growth rate, fibre diameter, strength and vegetable matter contamination).

The Productivity Of Western Australia's Wheat And Sheep Industry, Tim Coelli, Ross Kingwell

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

A popular economic lament is that Australian industries and workers are not as productive as they should be. Politicians and economic commentators preach the need for productivity improvement and workplace reform, and criticise inefficiency and lack of endeavour. Can such criticism be fairly levelled at farmers and agricultural scientists? What is productivity and how is it measured? What is the productivity of Western Australia's main agricultural industry — wheat and sheep farming? This article addresses these questions and shows that our wheat-sheep industry can be moderately proud of its productivity record

The Role Of Perennial Pasture Species For Increasing Sheep Production In The Medium Rainfall Zone Of W.A., C. M. Saunders

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trials: 90AL33, 90AL34, 90ES56, 90ES57 and 90KA100

91KA117, 91KA116,

Locations: Green Range, Esperance, Pingrup, Katanning, Broomhill.

To examine the productivity and persistence of perennial grasses in the 350-800 mm rainfall zone of W.A.

Economic Impact Of Growing Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, J M. Warren, Jeremy Allen, Wallace Cowling

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

The planting of Phomopsis-resistant lupins will increase net farm income. They will also alter the traditional blend of pastures and cropping, depending on grain and wool prices. In mixed farming areas of Western Australia's southern wheatbelt, they will allow more land to be sown to lupins rather than cereals on farms in which the lack of sheep feed over summer severely restricts wool production.

The benefits of Phompsis-resistant lupins arise from a reduction in sheep deaths due to lupinosis, a longer safe grazing period (free from lupinosis) on lupin stubbles, a decrease in the need for supplementary sheep feed over …

Erosion Potential Of Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, D J. Carter, Paul Findlater

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

During lupin harvesting, up to 20 per cent of the grain remains on the ground. This non-harvested or pilt grain is a valuable feed for sheep during early summer because the pods, leaf and stem generally provide little nutrient in the stubnbles. In addition, the more efficient the weed control, the less valuable are the stubbles.

The disease lupinosis caused by Phomopsis leptostromiformis restricts the amount of grazing from the lupin stubbles, and hence the risk of wind-erosion of stubble paddocks.

However, the introduction of lupin varieties moderately resistant to Phomopsis and with reduced potential to cause lupinosis means that …

The Grazing Value Of Medicago Murex., C. M. Saunders

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial 88KA92

Location: Potts Road, East Kojonup.

At present, limited information is available on the grazing value of Medicago murex cv. Zodiac on sheep live weights and wool growth. This trial was designed to provide data on the relative performance of sheep grazing Zodiac compared with the recommended subterranean clovers (Junee/Seaton Park) in the > 450mm rainfall zone in WA.

Miscellaneous Production 23/87 - Animal Production In The Spinifex And Shrubland Regions Of Western Australia, D. Burnside

Animal production and livestock published reports

The role of the Rangeland Management Branch is to promote the sustained economic use of the rangeland resource. It provides research and extension services to the pastoral industry, provides advice on the condition of the range resource to Government and provides technical information on rangelands to other rangeland managers. A principal objective to be met in fulfilling that role is the development and promotion of economically efficient place systems that conserve the rangeland resource. At the inaugural Pastoral Soil Conservation Districts Conference in Meekatharra in May 1987, pastoralist delegates emphasized the importance of achieving that objective within the various soil …

Murex Medic Trials And Redlegged Earthmite Impacts, D. Gillespie

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

1. Selection and development of early maturing varieties of murex medic.

Small plot trials were established at six medium and low rainfall sites in autumn 1988. All were hand sown 2Mx3Mplots sown at 50 kg/ha except for the Merredin site which was drill sown at 10 kg/ha.

Locations: Badgebup, Gabalong, Kellerberrin, Merredin, North Quairading, Pingrup.

2. Mid season murex medic evaluation.

Locations: Avondale, Cranbrook, Darkan and New Norcia

This programme aims to identify superior varieties to Zodiac which was released in 1988.

3. Management of murex medic.

Locations: Arthur River

After three years of drought the large grazing trial at …

Looking At Lupins - Lupin Management In The South Eastern Wheatbelt, W. L. Smart, M. M. Ralph, J. M. Liddle, R.. D. Ramm, C. J. Robinson, E. W. Armstrong

Grain and other field crops research reports

In the past couple of years research into lupins has increased substantially particularly in the fields of weed control, seeding rates, and control of diseases such as brown leaf spot and pleiochaeta root rot. This report is a summary of the lupin trials in the Lake Grace advisory area as well as a guide to better lupin farming.

Sheep Production Systems On Mediterranean Annual Pastures., Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia.

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial 84V2.

Location: Vasse Research Station

Aims: To define seasonal pasture production curves for three rainfall zones in Western Australia. To determine animal productivity under different production systems in response to seasonal pasture production. To provide Western Australian data useful for validation of sheep simulation models. To provide data for different production systems to increase the scope of the simulation models.

Phomopsis-Resistanct Lupins : Breakthrough Towards The Control Of Lupinosis, W A. Cowling, J. G. Allen, P Mcr. Wood, J. Hamblin

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

Attemots to control lupinosis in sheep have been thwarted by the unpredictable occurence of the disease in the field. The complex interaction of the toxin-producing fungus (Phomopsis leptostromiformis) with its host (the lupin plant), together with variable weather and paddock grazing conditions, have made it difficult to predict when stock are in danger of contracting the disease. The risk of lupinosis discourages many farmers from growing lupins, despite the many potential benefits of including them in crop rotations.

A team of Department of Agriculture plant breeders, plant pathologists, and animal scientists set out in the mid 1970s to find resistance …

Preventing Lupinosis With Phomopsis-Resistant Lupins, Jeremy G. Allen, W. A. Cowling

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

Lupinosis is one of the major livestock siseases in Western Australia. It is caused by stock eating toxins produced by the fungus Phomopsis leptostromiformis which colonises the stems of dead lupin plants.

In 975, the Department of Agriculture started a breeding programme to develop Phompsis-resistant lupins to overcome or control lupinosis. In the previous issue of this Journal the results of small plot evaluations of new lines of Phompsis-resistant lupins developed in this programme were reported. This article describes the first trial involving grazing of Phompsis-resistant lupins.

Phomopsis Infection Of Lupin Seed, D S. Petterson, P. Mcr. Wood

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

Early reports of lupinosis in Western Australia implicated infected stems and leaves of the sandplain or W,A. blue lupin (Lupinus cosentinii) as the main source of toxicity.

After the introduction of low alkaloid varieties of L. augustifolius, lupinosis continued to oddur on stubbles but random testing of seeds showed only low levels of Phomopsis leptostromiformis infection.

However in 1976, scientists at the University of Western Australia who were evaluating the use of an all lupin seed ration for drought feeding sheep encounted lupinosis in one of their trials.Seven per cent of the seed used was found to be infected …

Control Strategies For Annual Ryegrass Toxicity, W J. Burdass

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

In 982-83, annual ryegrass tocicity (ARGT) was estimated to have cost Western Australian sheep farmers between $7 and $8 million in total economic losses.

The disease can severely disrupt farming operations. Sheep must be checked daily and if affected moved to a 'safe' paddock. The availability of paddock feed is reduced, as is stock carrying capacity. Worry about the possibility of dramatic stock losses, and uncertainty about what decisions to make, are all stressful.

Stock losses from ARGT can be minimised by the use of selective herbicides to control ryegrass in pastures and crops. This breaks the disease cycle - …

Protein Enrichment Of Cereal Grains For Livestock, Andrew C. Dunlop, C. L. Mcdonald

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

Every year Western Australian farmers feed about 759,000 tonnes of cereal grain to livestock, mostly to sheep but also to dairy and beef cattle. These grains are fed as drought feeds, as supplements to augment poor quality or scarce paddock feed or in growth rations to attain higher levels of production. Many grains fed, however, have a low protien content and are therefore used inefficiently by animals.

Several methods of improving the low protien content of feed grains have been tested. They include the addition of lupin seed, spraying oats with urea and gassing oats with ammonia.

Super And Stocking Rates At Kojonup After 10 Years, J W. Bowden, B. Scurr, R. Glencross, K. Longbottom

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

A Department of Agriculture trial on old land at Kojonup has been comparing rates of superphosphate and stocking of sheep for 10 years.

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 …

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.

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 …

Farm Operations Management, H E. Fels, A. W. Hogstrom

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

The main defence of Australian farmers against the cost-price squeeze has been to increase productivity. The tendency is to run more and more stock per man and to grow more crop per man.

Some farmers run unusually large numbers of animal units per man-year.

The operations of 16 such farmers over one year were examined to find out whether it had been profitable for them to reduce labour inputs to such an extent.

Rationing Standing Crops To Sheep, H E. Fels

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

This experiment was done at Merredin Research Station to develop and test a method of rationing standing crops to sheep, and also to find whether rationing would reduce the sheep's water consumption.

The experiment involved 60 sheep on 12 one-acre plots of drought affected Gamenya wheat.

Surplus Cereal Crops For Sheep Feed, H E. Fels

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

SINCE the introduction of wheat quotas many farmers have considered feeding unsaleable grain to sheep.

The three alternative methods of feeding this grain to sheep are

• as standing crops

• as grain supplements, fed in the paddock

• as grain plus hay, in a feedlot.

Crop Rationing : A Useful Drought Feeding Technique, H E. Fels

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

A TRIAL carried out during the 1969 drought demonstrated that rationing standing crop is a practical method of feeding it to sheep when feed is scarce.

Rationing will be mainly a drought feeding technique for that part of the crop which will definitely be used as sheep feed. Crop that may or may not be needed for sheep would normally be harvested and the grain kept as a contingency allowance.

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.

Deferred Grazing Improves Soft Spinifex Association, H Suijdendorp

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

THE Pastoral region in Western Australia where Triodia pungens (soft spinifex) makes up most of the vegetation, covers an area of about 17,000 square miles in the Forrest and De Grey pastoral areas.

On the deeper granitic sands in much of the region, plant associations revert to a pure stand of soft spinifex after about five or six years' grazing. It is common practice to burn at this stage, to encourage the re-establishment of other species and the production of palatable spinifex regrowth.

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 …

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.

Land Resource Evaluation - Ninety Mile Tank Report On Trials Conducted 1968, 1969 And 1970 By Plant Research Division And Wheat And Sheep Division, J W. Gartrell

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

In the late 1920's the seven million acres of virgin land between Hyden and Salmon Gums were considered for settlement under the "3,500 farms scheme" because it constituted "practically the only large area of wheat lands in a suitable climatic zone not then settled in Australia" (Teakle 1939). At that time the sandy scrubplain soils were more a liability than an asset because methods of profitably farming the light soils had not then been evolved. These useless scrubplains merely increased the distances between patches of' more f'ertile soils. The scheme for settlement was based mainly on the potential of' the …

Report On Trials Conducted In 1978 And 1969 By Plants Research Division And Wheat And Sheep Division, J W. Gartrell

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

In the late 1920's the seven million acres of virgin land

between Hyden and Salmon Gums were considered for settlement under

the "3,500 farms scheme" because it constituted "practically the

only large area of wheat lands in a suitable climatic zone not then

settled in Australia" (Teakle 1939).