Plant Sciences Commons^™

Propagating Jujubes, Rachelle Johnstone

Research Reports

Jujubes can be propagated by various methods such as wedge/cleft grafting, whip grafting and bark grafting as well as budding. Local propagators have better success with budding but find that wedge grafting leads to a stronger tree. Most of the latest research into propagation is in micropropagation and tissue culture however this technique is mainly used for research and breeding new cultivars and not in a commercial capacity. Grafting can be more of an art than a science. Much of the success of grafting depends on not only performing a technically correct graft but performing the graft at the proper …

Growing Jujubes In Western Australia, Rachelle Johnstone

Research Reports

The Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is one of the most important fruit crops in China and has been commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine and food for thousands of years. The jujube is widely grown in China with cultivation records going back more than 3000 years and can also be found in neighbouring countries. The jujube is a medium-sized tree, growing 7–10 metres high. The tree has shiny deciduous foliage and produces a fruit that is known as a drupe. The fruit varies in size depending on the cultivar, and it has a thin, dark red skin surrounding …

Selections Of The Houghton Clones Of Cabernet Sauvignon, Glynn Ward, Ian Cameron, Richard Fennessy

Bulletins 4000 -

Cabernet Sauvignon is the premium red wine grape variety grown in Western Australia. The high quality wines produced have won prestigious awards and accolades nationally and internationally. The first clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon in Western Australia was conducted by the Department of Agriculture at the Houghton Vineyard in the Swan Valley from 1968 to 1970. The objective was yield improvement, vine health and fruit flavour. Twenty-one high performing vines were identified from vines planted in Houghton Vineyard in the 1950s as cuttings sourced from vines planted in the 1930s. These high performing vines became known as the ‘Houghton clones’. …

Innovation, Research And Development, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

All other publications

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia proudly plays a vital role In lhe strategic planning, production and marketing of the State's food and fibre industries. via three main criteria.

Innovation

Research

Development

The following are some recent examples of the department's many innovative R&D programs that are showcasing our scientific and technological breakthroughs on the world stage.

Growing Olives In Western Australia, Richard Taylor, John Burt

Bulletins 4000 -

There are about 9 million hectares of olives in the world, with the largest areas in Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. Olives are grown between the latitudes of 30° and 45° from the equator. In Australia, the main producing areas are between latitudes 31° and 38°S. Production in Western Australia ranges from Chapman Valley, Northampton (29.5°S), to Albany (34.5°S). Olive production has increased markedly in Australia in the past ten years with a large increase in managed investment scheme olive groves. The Moore River region of the Shire of Gingin accounts for over 70 per cent of olive trees and …

Organic Apples A Production Guide, Steven Mccoy

Bulletins 4000 -

The belief among some conventional apple growers that it is not possible to reliably produce profitable yields of good quality apples under an organic system in Western Australia is being reconsidered. There are now very good examples of successful commercial organic apple orchards in many parts of the world, including WA. The organic production systems developed by these dedicated growers are showing that yields and quality are comparable to conventional systems.

The Fight Against Fruit Flies In Western Australia, Andy Sproule, Sonya Broughton, Francis De Lima, Darryl Hardie, Nic Monzu, Bill Woods

Bulletins 4000 -

Western Australia’s horticulture industry is one of the State’s growing success stories, from mangoes at Kununurra to cherries at Mt Barker. The prospects are bright, especially in export markets where ‘clean and green’ produce from Western Australia is truly valued.

One blight on this ‘clean and green’ image has been Mediterranean fruit fly or Medfly, the ‘world’s worst fruit pest’. First introduced over 100 years ago, the battle against this devastating pest has involved Government, growers and the general public.

This book is designed to provide an accurate but readable account of the fight against fruit fly, incorporating all the …

Avocado Culture In Western Australia, Alec Mccarthy

Bulletins 4000 -

The avocado is a large evergreen tree of sub-tropical origin. The fruit are high in protein, fats (mono and polyunsaturated), several minerals and vitamins. The Guinness Book of Records lists the avocado as the most nutritious fruit in the world. It is suitable for infants through to the elderly and does not contain any cholesterol.

Avocado trees are quite adaptable, being grown from Kununurra in the north down to Albany in the south. They are being grown commercially in the south-west from Perth down to Pemberton and in Carnarvon. Avocado trees are frost susceptible, particularly when young, so they are …

Bugs By The Million For Medfly Eradication, Bill Woods

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

As a first step towards nation-wide eradication of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), a pilot project was undertaken in Broome using Sterile Insect Technique in an attempt to eradication the Medfly population. The results have been promising, and further investigation of eradication for Western Australia is underway.

Fertilisers For Wine Grapes : An Information Package To Promote Efficient Fertiliser Practices, B. H. Goldspink, Neil Lantzke, Bob Paulin, Diana Louise Fisher, Colin Gordon, N. Cross, J M. Campbell-Clause

Bulletins 4000 -

No abstract provided.

Mango Growing In Western Australia, P R. Johnson, D C. Parr

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin covers mango growing in Western Australia in Kununurra, Carnarvon, Kimberly, Gingin, Perth regions. Details include climate requirements, soils, propagation, planting, spacing, weed control, nutrition, pests, diseases and disorders, pruning, harvesting and packing, ripening and storage, and processing.

Apple Harvest Maturity Indices Of Retail Quality, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

No abstract provided.

War Against Codling Moth, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Residents of the tiny town of Bridgetown, in Western Australia's south-west, are at the front line in the campaign to eradicate an outbreak of codling moth from the State.

The Agriculture Protection Board, Department of Agriculture, Western Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and other agencies are involved in the eradication program.

Production And Marketing Of Vegetables And Fruit, John Burt

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

Vegetable and fruit production in Western Australia is a diverse, high value industry. Up to 75 different crops are grown from Kununurra in the north to Albany on the south coast.

Our horticultural industries were worth $238,127,000 in 1990-.91, which represented 18 per cent of all crops produced in Western Australia.

Markets for horticultural produce are volatile. For most lines, produce has been well supplied for the past four years, owing to an increasing area of production, higher yields, improved postharvest technology and reduced consumer demand in the recent recession.

Mango Exports From Western Australia, Peter Johnson, John Gallagher, Terry Hill

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

The Department of Agriculture has been at the forefront in developing a mango industry in Western Australia.

In Camarvon, the Department is concentrating on developing an export industry, while in the Ord River Irrigation Area trials have identified suitable domestic and export varieties for that environment.

The effect of planting density, hedging and pruning techniques on yield is being examined. Research has also started on identifying superior selections of the Kensington Pride variety, the most commercially important variety in Australia. The aim is to improve fruit quality, bearing reliability, and to extend the production season..

A Bright Future For Export Plums, Ric Engel, Glynn Ward

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

Western Australia's stone fruit industry is relatively small by Australian and world standards owing to its small domestic market and past uncertainties with export. However, the industry is expanding to take advantage of growing markets in south-east Asia. It has adopted new production and marketing technology and is developing new varieties to meet the demand.

The future for our export plums has never been as promising as it is today. This is linked to fruit quality because markets are fickle and highly sensitive to poor quality fruit.

The introduction of a Quality Management Program in 199~91 helped the State develop …

Development Of Redglobe Table Grapes For Export, Ian Cameron

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

Exports wereonce a major outlet for the Western Australian table grape industry.

Over the last 20 years however, exports have fallen from 500 to 00 tonnes per year, despite an increase in the area planted to table grapes and an increase on overseas demand for our produce.

By 1993 less than 3 per cent of the table grapes produced in the State were exported.

The introduction of Redglobe, a new table grape varietyy from California, is expected to increase the export of table grapes from Western Australia to 1000t by 1997, when the variety will represent 90 per cent of …

Transpiration And Water Relations Of Irrigated Peach Trees At Manjimup, Western Australia, P R. Green

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

The Queensland Fruit Fly Eradication Campaign, G P. Ayling

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

Western Australia has started an extensive eradication campaign against the Queensland fruit fly, one of the worst horticultural pests in the world.

The programme, the largest of its kind in Australia, and one of the biggest in the world, involves the integration of three tequniques for fruit fly control: lure trapping, protien baiting and the release of sterile male flies.

Land Capability And Land Use In The Leeuwin-Naturaliste Region, Peter John Tille, Neil Lantzke

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

The Leeuwin-Naturaliste region is one of Western Australia's most beautiful areas. Located in the far south-west corner of the State, it is a popular scenis and tourist spot, as well as supporting grazing, horticultureal and viticultural enterprises.

Outside of perth the region is the most popular tourist destination in the state. It is also responsible for about a quarter of the State's milk production, and 15 percent of the state's potato production and a quarter of the State's wine grapes.

Many new agricultural enterprises have opened up in the past 15 years, and the population has increased by almost 40 …

Eradicating Fruit Fly From Carnarvon, Kingsley Thomas Fisher

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

Late last year the Mediteranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata Weidemann) was eradicated from Canarvon, Western Australia by using an intergrated programme of sterile insect releases and bait spraying.

The eradication marked the end of a four-year study on the use and effectiveness of the Sterile Insect Technique, a biological control technique which uses an insect pest against itself. such a study can be used as a basis for treating other threatening insect pests, such as the serious cattle pest screw-worm fly, should they be found in Asustralia.

Being a biological control method, the Sterile Insect Technique is an exellent …

Herbicides On Tomato, Capsicum And Eggplant, D J. Gilbey

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

SUMMARY Stomp controlled the widest range of weeds with a wide margin of crop tolerance. Recommend. 3 l/ha or lower before transplanting. Bensulide controlled grasses well, but did not control nightshade. Recommend 12 l/ha after transplanting. Lasso controlled a wide range of weeds, but the margin of selectivity is narrow. Recommended maximum 4 l/ha. Surflan controlled all weeds well, except nightshade, when applied after transplanting. The margin of selectivity is narrow on tomato and zero for nightshade. Recommend 1.5 1 after transplanting. Trifluralin controlled 3 weeds, and the margin of selectivity is narrow. Recommend rate of 4 l/ha. Trials - …

The Potential For Avocados In Western Australia, Michael Gregory Hawson

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

"The flesh of the ripe fruit is ivory yellow, framed in a surround of exquisite green"

There is only one fruit to which this comment can apply and that is the avocado.

While now regarded as a luxury, avocados have met ready demand on major markets indicating that limited expansion of avocado growing in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australiacouldmprovide quite profitable returns.

Stonefruits Have A Future, Geoffrey L. Godley

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

Over the 10 year period from 1966/67 to 1975/76, stonefruit production has not greatly expanded. The area planted has declined and the number of young, non-bearing trees also has declined.

Trends in the price ofsdtonefriut for the past decsde have revealed no real improvement on local or export markets but it is unlikely that these trends will continue. While costs will continue to rise, profitability of stonefruit is likely to be helped by cost saving techniques. Mechanical equipment changes and changes to management techniques will mean reduced management costs.

Apple Orchards To Take A New Look, J E L Cripps

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

Results of experiments by the Department of agriculture could completely change the appearance of the apple orchard in the next decade.

The normal orchard scene will become hedgerows of chemically-thinned, irrigated, red varieties on dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstocks receiving just the right amount of fertiliser, and areas between rows will be mown, or sprayed with herbicide. The clean cultivated, square-planted, vase-shaped tree will slowly disappear.

The Avocado And Its Potential In Western Australia, M G. Hawson

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin summarises the background of the avocado and its requirements for growth and production of fruit in Western Australia, and considers its economic potential.

The Banana Industry At Carnarvon, John Roger Burt

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

In viewing the semi-arid conditions of the West Gascoyne, visitors are surprised to see a thriving banana industry at the mouth of the Gascoyne River, 930 kilometres north of Perth. The natural vegetation in the plantation area consists mainly of stunted gums, low acacia scrub and salt bush.

Despite the adverse climatic conditions, the average yields of Carnarvon bananas are double those of banana areas in other states.

Fruit In W.A., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

The main fruit growing districts of Western Australia are in the Mediterranean climate areas of the south-west. Apples, pears, stonefruit, citrus and vines are grown on a commercial basis. Figs, mulberries and olives are also grown, but not in big commercial quantities.

Commercial Production Of Tomatoes In Western Australia, J P. Fallon, W H. Kooyman

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

The tomato crop is subject to many hazards. Pests, diseases and adverse environmental conditions are frequently encountered and must be overcome. This bulletin has been prepared to give growers, whether they be experienced or new to tomato culture, an outline of the more important cultural practices involved in producing satisfactory crops. Common diseases and pests are described and where possible recommendations for their control are given.

Stone Fruit Regulations, W J. Hart

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

Stone fruit grading regulations were introduced for the first time recently to keep small, green or badly blemished fruit off the market. This type of fruit is always in poor demand and can spoil the prices obtained for better lines of fruit by creating the impression of heavy supplies.