Agricultural Science Commons^™

Fine-Mapping And Characterisation Of Genes On Barley (Hordeum Vulgare) Chromosome 2h For Salinity Stress Tolerance During Germination, Edward Mwando, Yong Han, Tefera Angessa, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Chengdao Li

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Salinity causes a detrimental impact on plant growth, particularly when the stress occurs during germination and early development stages. Barley is one of the most salt-tolerant crops; previously we mapped two quantitative trait loci (QTL) for salinity tolerance during germination on the short arm of chromosome 2H using a CM72/Gairdner doubled haploid (DH) population. Here, we narrowed down the major QTL to a region of 0.341 or 0.439 Mb containing 9 or 24 candidate genes belonging to 6 or 20 functional gene families according to barley reference genomes v1 and v3 respectively, using two DH populations of CM72/Gairdner and Skiff/CM72, …

Links Between Soilborne Pathogens, Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Farm Management And Biophysical Constraints In A Southern Australian Rainfed Cropping System, Martin Harries, Ken C. Flower, Michael Renton, Sarah J. Collins, Daniel Huberli

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Context: Rotations in rainfed farming systems of southwest Australia have shifted towards intensified cropping and it is necessary to reassess soilborne pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes within this context. Aims: We tested the hypothesis that these recent changes in rotations and agronomy have altered the efficacy with which rotations reduce the incidence of common root pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes. Methods: We tracked changes in common pathogen DNA in soil and the incidence and severity of crop root damage in 184 paddocks, over 6 years from 2010 to 2015, and related this to farmer practices. Key results: Overall, severe root …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 07 - June 2022, Alan Lord, Dusty Severtson, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Kithsiri Jayasena, Geoff J. Thomas, Ciara Beard, Andrea Hills, Jean Galloway

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 07 - June 2022 contents:

• Native budworm moths and caterpillars are being found early
• 2022 winter spring insecticide spray guide is now available
• Monitor barley crops for net blotches
• Powdery mildew in barley and wheat
• Sclerotinia apothecia
• Spartacus leaf tipping

Pestfacts Wa Issue 06 - June 2022, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord, Benjamin S. Congdon, Steve Collins

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 06 - June 2022 contents:

• African black beetle
• Aphid and turnip yellows virus update
• Cutworm caterpillars
• European earwigs are damaging canola
• Other recent insect activity
• New PestFacts WA Reporter app available for apple devices

Grain-Filling Rate Improves Physical Grain Quality In Barley Under Heat Stress Conditions During The Grain-Filling Period, Hamid Shirdelmoghanloo, Kefei Chen, Blakely Paynter, Tefera Angessa, Sharon Westcott, Hammad Aziz Khan, Camilla Beate Hill, Chengdao Li

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Heat stress is a primary constraint to Australia's barley production. In addition to impacting grain yield, it adversely affects physical grain quality (weight and plumpness) and market value. The incidence of heat stress during grain filling is rising with global warming. However, breeding for new superior heat-tolerant genotypes has been challenging due to the narrow window of sensitivity, the unpredictable nature of heat stress, and its frequent co-occurrence with drought stress. Greater scientific knowledge regarding traits and mechanisms associated with heat tolerance would help develop more efficient selection methods. Our objective was to assess 157 barley varieties of contrasting genetic …

Water Use Efficiency In Western Australian Cropping Systems, Martin Harries, Ken C. Flower, Michael Renton, Geoffrey C. Anderson

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Rotations and associated management practices in rainfed farming systems of southwest Australia have shifted towards intensified cropping. Survey data from 184 fields spanning 14 Mha of southwest Australia were used to document water use efficiency (WUE) and water-limited yield potential (WLYP) of commercial crops and crop sequences and identify biophysical variables influencing WUE. WUE achieved in commercial wheat crops was 10.7 kg grain/ha.mm. Using a boundary function Ywl = 25 × (WU − 45), farmers achieved 54% of WLYP. Climate variables affected WUE more than management and biotic variates, the highest latitude region having WUE of 9.0 kg grain/ha.mm, compared …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 05 - May 2022, Jean Galloway, Cindy L. Webster, Steve Collins

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 05 - May 2022 contents:

• Blackleg and the risk of sowing canola on canola
• Meet PestFacts WA team member – Steve Collins

Pestfacts Wa Issue 04 - May 2022, Svetlana Micic, Benjamin S. Congdon, Cindy L. Webster, Andrea Hills, Ravjit Khangura

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 04 - May 2022 contents:

• Grasshoppers are hatching
• Aphid activity and turnip yellows virus detections
• Downy mildew and damping off in canola
• Nodorum blotch in wheat
• Plant disease webinar recording can now be viewed online

Pestfacts Wa Issue 03 - May 2022, Svetlana Micic, Dustin Severtson, Jean Galloway, Cindy L. Webster

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 03 - May 2022 contents:

• Seeing chewing damage in sprayed canola crops but can’t find the culprit?
• Mites and lucerne flea are active
• Slaters
• Meet PestFacts WA team member – Svetlana Micic
• Field pea blackspot forecasts for WA are available online
• PestFacts WA podcast

Oestrogenic Subterranean Clover Guide. Identification And Remediation, Kevin J. Foster, Megan H. Ryan, Daniel R. Kidd

Bulletins 4000 -

Subterranean clover (subclover, Trifolium subterraneum L.) is an annual pasture legume that provides high quality feed for livestock. It is estimated to be sown over 30 million hectares across southern Australia, with cultivars developed for the low, medium and high rainfall zones. Unfortunately, some older cultivars contain high levels of phytoestrogen which can affect the reproductive system of sheep and cause other health issues. This became a significant issue for sheep producers from the 1940s as new land was cleared and sheep grazed subclover-dominant pastures. There was a collection of livestock issues observed and these were grouped together under the …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 01 - April 2022, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Saleh Adnan, Janette Pratt, Jean Galloway, Adam H. Sparks, Jeff Russell

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 01 - April 2022 contents:

• What to expect from mollusc pests after a hot dry summer
• Meet our new team member – Dr Saleh Adnan
• Canola blackleg risk forecasts
• Have you checked out the new Grains Farm Biosecurity website?

Insecticide Resistance In Australian Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) And Development Of Testing Procedures For Resistance Surveillance, Lisa Bird, Melina M. Miles, Adam Quade, Helen Spafford

Biosecurity Research Articles

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a highly invasive noctuid pest first reported in northern Australia during early 2020. To document current status of resistance in S. frugiperda in Australia, insecticide toxicity was tested in field populations collected during the first year of establishment, between March 2020 and March 2021. Dose-response was measured by larval bioassay in 11 populations of S. frugiperda and a susceptible laboratory strain of Helicoverpa armigera. Emamectin benzoate was the most efficacious insecticide (LC50 0.023μg/ml) followed by chlorantraniliprole (LC50 0.055μg/ml), spinetoram (LC50 0.098μg/ml), spinosad (LC50 0.526μg/ml), and methoxyfenozide (1.413μg/ml). Indoxacarb was the least toxic …

Non-Escaping Frost Tolerant Qtl Linked Genetic Loci At Reproductive Stage In Six Wheat Dh Populations, Jingjuan Zhang, Md Shahidul Islam, Yun Zhao, Masood Anwar, Zaid Alhabbar, Maoyun She, Rongchang Yang, Angela Juhasz, Guixiang Tang, Jiansheng Cheng, Darshan L. Sharma, Nathan Height, Ben Biddulph, Hang Liu, Yanjie Jiang, Shengnan Zhai, Xin Hu, Junkang Rong, Yingquan Zhang, Yebo Qin, Qier Liu, Zitong Yu, Yujuan Zhang, Sadegh Balotf, Mirza Dowla, Sonia Afrin, Nandita Roy, Md Resad Mallik, Md Atik Us Saieed, Shanjida Rahman, Nigarin Sultana, Sarah Al-Sheikh Ahmed, Chris Florides, Kefei Chen, Meigin Lu, Jorge E. Mayer, Wujun Ma

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Reproductive stage frost poses a major constraint for wheat production in countries such as Australia. However, little progress has been made in identifying key genes to overcome the constraint. In the present study, a severe frost event hit two large-scale field trials consisting of six doubled haploid (DH) wheat populations at reproductive stage (young microspore stage) in Western Australia, leading to the identification of 30 robust frost QTL on 17 chromosomes. The major 18 QTL with the phenotype variation over 9.5% were located on 13 chromosomes including 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5D, 6D, 7A, 7B and …

Adaptalight: An Inexpensive Par Sensor System For Daylight Harvesting In A Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponic System, Joseph D. Stevens, David Murray, Dean A. Diepeveen, Danny Toohey

Horticulture Research Articles

Environmental changes and the reduction in arable land have led to food security concerns around the world, particularly in urban settings. Hydroponic soilless growing methods deliver plant nutrients using water, conserving resources and can be constructed nearly anywhere. Hydroponic systems have several complex attributes that need to be managed, and this can be daunting for the layperson. Micro Indoor Smart Hydroponics (MISH) leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technology to manage the complexities of hydroponic techniques, for growing food at home for everyday citizens. Two prohibitive costs in the advancement of MISH systems are power consumption and equipment expense. Reducing cost …

Bedstraw Eradication Program 2021/22: Annual Report To Grain Growers, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

Three-horned bedstraw is a competitive weed that can cause considerable yield loss in crops, and its seeds contaminate fodder and grain. To stop the weed becoming established in Western Australia and impacting production, WA grain/seed/hay growers (via the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme) fund the Bedstraw Eradication Program.

Making Agriculture Carbon Neutral Amid A Changing Climate: The Case Of South-Western Australia, Ross Kingwell

Climate Science Research Articles

Making Australian agriculture carbon neutral by 2050 is a goal espoused by several agricultural organisations in Australia. How costly might it be to attain that goal, especially when adverse climate change projections apply to agriculture in southern Australia? This study uses scenario analysis to examine agricultural emissions and their abatement via reforestation in south-western Australia under projected climate change. Most scenarios include the likelihood of agricultural emissions being reduced in the coming decades. However, the impact of projected adverse climate change on tree growth and tree survival means that the cost of achieving agricultural carbon neutrality via reforestation is forecast …

Growing Faba Beans On The South Coast Of Western Australia, Sarah Belli, Carla Milazzo, Emma Pearse, King Yin Lui, Grace Williams, Jeremy Lemon

Grain and other field crops published reports

Editors: Megan Abrahams, Andrew Blake and Vanessa Stewart (DPIRD)

Foreword

Thirty-three years ago I started work in Esperance on broadleaf crops. One of the best things my boss set up for me was arranging visits with several lupin farmers so I could follow their crops from seeding, through the growing season, to harvest. It was a great way to quickly get an idea of the choices farmers make and the reasons why.

With today’s busy lives, most farmers would be hard pressed to have the luxury of visiting many other farmers multiple times to learn how to grow a crop. …

2022 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide, B. Shackley, B. Paynter, J. Bucat, M. Seymour, S. Power

Bulletins 4000 -

Welcome to the 2022 edition of the Crop Sowing Guide for WA, which introduces 27 new variety releases: three wheat, nine barley (three recently accredited for malt and six currently under malt evaluation), twelve canola, two field pea and a lentil.

The Crop Sowing Guide for WA has been compiled by officers in the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. It provides information to support variety decisions for each of the major crops for the upcoming season.

In this edition, lupin agzones have been reduced from 8 agzones to 6 so that all varieties for each of the major …

Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Tim Scanlon

Books & book chapters

The Primary Industries Development Research Highlights 2021 showcases the breadth and depth of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s research and development activities over the past several years.

Stories featured in Research Highlights 2021 stem from about 60 (of 140) current and recently-completed projects undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) 1100 scientists, technical experts and economists throughout the State.

Explore our Research Highlights 2021.

The publication demonstrates the innovative and applicable research that DPIRD and its collaborators and investment partners deliver to Western Australia.

Download the Research Highlights 2021 here. Alternatively, …

Impact And Mechanism Of Sulphur-Deficiency On Modern Wheat Farming Nitrogen-Related Sustainability And Gliadin Content, Zitong Yu, Maoyun She, Ting Zheng, Dean A. Diepeveen, Shahidul Islam, Yun Zhao, Yingquan Zhang, Guixiang Tang, Yujuan Zhang, Jingjuan Zhang, Christopher L. Blanchard, Wujun Ma

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Two challenges that the global wheat industry is facing are a lowering nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and an increase in the reporting of wheat-protein related health issues. Sulphur deficiencies in soil has also been reported as a global issue. The current study used large-scale field and glasshouse experiments to investigate the sulphur fertilization impacts on sulphur deficient soil. Here we show that sulphur addition increased NUE by more than 20% through regulating glutamine synthetase. Alleviating the soil sulphur deficiency highly significantly reduced the amount of gliadin proteins indicating that soil sulphur levels may be related to the biosynthesis of proteins involved …

The Applicability, Efficacy And Risks Of Natural Sequence Farming In The Dryland Agricultural Zone Of South West Western Australia, Nik Callow, Rose Anne Bell

Natural resources commissioned reports

Natural sequence farming (NSF) is an approach to restoring degraded agricultural land, developed by Peter Andrews on his property Tarwyn Park in New South Wales. The approach aims to rehydrate the landscape by slowing the movement of water with a series of structures and then using this water to drive plant growth and improve soil function.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development engaged the University of Western Australia to review the applicability, efficacy and risks associated with using NSF principles and practices in the south-west dryland agricultural zone in Western Australia. The review has combined information from the …

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, Meredith M. Guthrie

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.

Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping For Vigour And Survival Traits Of Barley Seedlings After Germinating Under Salinity Stress, Edward Mwando, Tefera Angessa, Yong Han, Gaofeng Zhou, Chengdao Li

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Seed germination and seedling establishment are the most critical stages in the barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare L.) life cycle that contribute substantially to grain yield. These two phases are exposed to several forms of environmental stresses such as salinity due to high level of salt accumulation in the soil rhizosphere where seed germination takes place and seedlings emerge from. Previously, we have reported genotypic variability and independent QTLs associated with salinity tolerance at seedling and germination stages. However, genotypic studies on revival of a seedling germinating under salinity stress are yet to close the lack of information between germination …

Bedstraw Eradication Program 2020/21: Annual Report To Grain Growers, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Skeleton Weed Program 2020/21: Annual Report To Grain Growers, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Agriculture reports

No abstract provided.

Soil Management Systems To Overcome Multiple Constraints For Dryland Crops On Deep Sands In A Water Limited Environment On The South Coast Of Western Australia, David J. Hall, Stephen L. Davies, Richard W. Bell, Tom Edwards

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Deep sands on the south coast sandplain of Western Australia (WA) have multiple soil constraints including water repellence, high soil strength, low nutrient levels and subsoil acidity. The aim of the study was to test contrasting methods of managing water repellence and to assess their impacts on one or more soil constraints to crop production. These methods included seeding tyne design (knife point, winged points, paired row), soil wetting agent addition, strategic inversion tillage (rotary spading, mouldboard ploughing to 0.35 m) and clay-rich subsoil addition (170 t ha−1 with incorporation by spading to 0.20 or 0.35 m). Limesand (2 t …

Plant Diseases Impacting Oaten Hay Production In Australia - A Review, Kylie Chambers, Geoff J. Thomas

Bulletins 4000 -

In Australia, there are a range of fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens that infect oats, impacting on yield and quality of grain and hay crops. The overall impact of these diseases on oaten hay production is not well researched or understood, especially compared to that of other cereal crops. Export hay is evaluated on physical qualities such as stem thickness and greenness and nutritional qualities including water-soluble carbohydrates, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and dry matter digestibility. The colour/ greenness of oaten hay can be reduced by disease lesions, chlorosis and saphrophytic fungi growing on dead tissue all of …

Sulfate Sorption Measured By A Buffering Index Over A Range Of Properties Of Soils From South Western Australia, Geoff Anderson

Natural Resources Research Articles

Sulfate sorption by the soil affects the rate of sulfate leaching, which impacts on the availability of soil sulfate for plant uptake. In Australia, plant-available sulfur is measured using 0.25 M KCl heated for 3 h at 40°C to extract soil sulfur (SKCl40). This paper describes a technique referred to as a sulfate buffering index (SBI), which provides a measurement of sulfate sorption. SBI when combined with the estimates of the q and b parameters of the Freundlich equation, can be used to define a sorption curve. The equation is S = acb – q; where S is the …

Noodles Made From High Amylose Wheat Flour Attenuate Postprandial Glycaemia In Healthy Adults, Kim Ang, Carla Bourgy, Haelee Fenton, Ahmed Regina, Marcus Newberry, Dean A. Diepeveen, Domenico Lafiandra, Sara Grafenauer, Wendy Hunt, Vicky Solah

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Previous research has not considered the effect of high amylose wheat noodles on postprandial glycaemia. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of consumption of high amylose noodles on postprandial glycaemia over 2-h periods by monitoring changes in blood glucose concentration and calculating the total area under the blood glucose concentration curve. Twelve healthy young adults were recruited to a repeated measure randomised, single-blinded crossover trial to compare the effect of consuming noodles (180 g) containing 15%, 20% and 45% amylose on postprandial glycaemia. Fasting blood glucose concentrations were taken via finger-prick blood samples. Postprandial blood glucose …

Tactical Crop Management For Improved Productivity In Winter-Dominant Rainfall Regions: A Review, W K. Anderson, Ross Brennan, Kithsiri W. Jayasena, Svetlana Micic, John H. Moore, T Nordblom

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

This study reviews published information on the tactical management decisions needed to maximise economic grain yield in winter-dominant rainfall regions of the Mediterranean type. Tactical decisions are defined as those relating to the period from immediately before sowing to harvest. Tactical management is the principal means by which farmers respond to changing environmental and short-term economic conditions as the season progresses. The review considers published evidence that underpins these decisions and relates to cereal crops (wheat, barley and oats), pulse crops (field pea, faba bean, chickpea and narrow-leaved lupin) and canola.

The criteria used to guide management decisions during the …