Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

The Value Of Break Crops In Weed Management, Wayne Parker, Ian Pritchard, Abul Hashem

Bulletins 4000 -

This publication discusses the effect on weed management of the inclusion of break crops (lupin, field pea, chickpea, faba bean, lentil and canola) in the cropping rotation compared to a rotation of continuous cereals.

Including break crops in the cropping rotation allows weed management options unavailable or not suited in wheat. For example, growing field peas allows crop-topping/ desiccation for weed seed set control, crop topping cannot be used in wheat without severe yield loss. Problem weeds can be targeted through break crops, for example, grass weeds are generally more easily controlled in break crops than in cereals. Most weed …

Wheat Variety Guide For Wa 2011, Brenda Shackley, Sarah Ellis, Christine Zaicou, Harmohinder Dhammu, Manisha Shankar

Bulletins 4000 -

The wheat variety guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats which have undergone testing in the National Variety Trials Project (NVT), breeding organisations crop variety testing and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) variety specific agronomy projects.

This information includes variety summaries, agronomic, disease and herbicide tolerance characteristics and medium to long-term yield performance. A review of regional performance in 2010 is followed by a comprehensive summary of 2010 variety time of sowing experiments and observed flowering dates.

By combining agronomy research outcomes with other related wheat research this document provides current information to assist with variety choice and …

Subsurface Compaction A Guide For Wa Farmers And Consultants, Stephen Davies, Alison Lacey

Bulletins 4000 -

For plants to grow in agricultural soils, roots and emerging shoots must be able to force their way through the soil. In soils of high strength, this growth is physically restricted. High strength soils may be due to natural soil characteristics and conditions or develop as a result of agricultural practices and may be in layers or throughout the soil profile.

In agriculture, high strength soils commonly occur as a result of compaction. Compaction of agricultural soils can be in the surface (often caused by stock trampling or rain drop splatter) or in the subsurface (usually in a layer at …

2010 Barley Variety Sowing Guide For Western Australia, Blakely Paynter, Andrea Hills, Peter Clarke, Jason Bradley, Vivien A. Vanstone, Harmohinder Dhammu, Sanjiv Gupta

Bulletins 4000 -

This variety guide is designed as a quick reference to help growers, consultants and advisers determine which barley variety to grow in their region. It provides grain yield comparisons, disease ratings, herbicide tolerance data and agronomic information for all malting barley varieties, as well as established and new feed varieties.

Adoption Of Sustainable Farm Management To Improve Tailwater Quality - A Plan For The Ord River Irrigation Area, Tara Slaven, Rebecca Heath, Jamie Bowyer

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The overall purpose of this plan is to provide a clear pathway to improve adoption of sustainable farming practices. The focus of the plan is to develop and encourage adoption of practices that minimise sediment, nutrient and chemical export from agricultural land within the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) (Figure 1). The plan aims to build on the significant work done by growers, government agencies and community groups over the years to manage the off-site impacts of irrigated agriculture.

A broad consultative approach was used to develop the plan. Workshops, meetings and oneon- one discussions were held with the local …

Wheat Variety Guide 2010 Western Australia, Christine Zaicou, Steve Penny, Brenda Shackley, Sarah Ellis, Shahajahan Miyan, Harmohinder Dhammu, Manisha Shankar, Darshan Sharma

Bulletins 4000 -

This guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats which have undergone testing in the National Variety Testing Project (NVT), breeding organisations crop variety testing and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) variety specific agronomy projects. This information includes variety summaries, agronomic, disease and herbicide tolerance characteristics and medium to long-term yield performance. A review of regional performance in 2009 is followed by a comprehensive summary of 2009 variety time of sowing experiments and observed flowering dates.

By combining agronomy research outcomes with other related wheat research this document provides current information to assist with variety choice and management for …

Phosphorus For High Rainfall Pastures, Mike Bolland, Bill Russell, David Weaver

Bulletins 4000 -

Soil testing for phosphorus provides a reliable indication of when the level of phosphorus in a soil is likely to be adequate for pasture production in the next growing season. It is a waste of money to apply phosphorus fertiliser when soil testing indicates none is required, or to acidified soils, or to undergrazed pastures, or to pastures dominated by poorly productive species.

Legumes have higher phosphorus requirement than grasses.

Critical soil test phosphorus values do not change when nitrogen fertiliser is applied.

Lucerne Guidelines For Western Australia Principles For Integrating A Perennial Pasture Into Broadacre Dryland Farming Systems, Diana Fedorenko, Perry Dolling, Christopher Loo, Tom Bailey, Roy Latta

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Lucerne, often regarded as the queen of forages, has been used in agriculture for centuries. In Western Australia, however, its potential has never been fully realised despite its well-documented ability to dewater soils and reduce groundwater recharge. Over the years adoption has been limited by a range of factors including pests and diseases, soil acidity, grazing management and economics. During the last decade research has addressed these issues, paving the way for much greater impact at the farm and catchment level.

Identifying Sub-Tropical Grass Seedlings, Brad Wintle, Geoff Moore, Phil Nichols

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There is considerable interest in growing sub-tropical (or warm season) perennial grasses for out-of-season green feed, especially on the south coast and in the northern agricultural region (NAR). They consist of two types: creeping grasses, which spread by either above ground runners (stolons) or below ground runners (rhizomes) and bunch grasses, which are tufted and do not spread by runners.

The main species sown include Panic grass, Rhodes grass, Kikuyu, Setaria, Signal grass, Digit grass, and Bambatsi panic and are often sown as a mixture, comprising 2 or more species. This bulletin describes how to identify these grasses at the …

Exporting Vegetables In Bulk : Reducing Supply Chain Costs Without Compromising Quality, Helen Ramsey, Dennis Phillips

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Increased competition, a strong Australian dollar and increased production costs have seen Australian grown vegetables steadily lose their share in traditional export markets.

As competition increases, we need to investigate production and handling techniques that improve our price and quality competitiveness.

Improving the effi ciency of the supply chain to export markets is one way Australian growers can reduce production and shipping costs and improve product quality.

Pasture Condition Guide For The Ord River Catchment, K Ryan, E Tierney, P Novelly

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This guide has been produced as a tool for assessing pasture condition over a range of pasture types in the Ord River catchment. A pasture type is a distinctive mix of plant species, soil type and landscape position. For example, the Mitchell Grass Alluvial Plain Pasture type is a mixture of Mitchell grasses and other species occurring on black soil alluvial plains.

Pasture condition is an important factor affecting the potential of the rangelands for animal production and is a useful indicator for the sustainability of production.

Bulletin 4765: Maintaining Variety Purity In The Western Australian Malting Barley Industry, Jeff Russell, Blakely Paynter

Bulletins 4000 -

A manual for agribusiness, industry and growers to use to help in the identification of barley varieties and the estimation of crop purity.

Wheat Variety Guide 2009 Western Australia, Ben Curtis, Steve Penny, Christine Zaicou, Harmohinder Dhammu, Sarah Ellis, Dorthe Jorgensen, Shahajahan Miyan, Brenda Shackley, Darshan Sharma

Bulletins 4000 -

This guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats which have undergone testing in the National Variety Testing Project (NVT), breeding organisations crop variety testing and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) variety specific agronomy projects. This information includes variety summaries, agronomic, disease and herbicide tolerance characteristics and medium to long-term yield performance. A review of regional performance in 2008 is followed by a comprehensive summary of 2008 variety time of sowing experiments and observed flowering dates.

By combining agronomy research outcomes with other related wheat research this document provides current information to assist with variety choice and management for …

Management Of Merino Weaners For Optimum Production, Patricia Harper, Keith Croker, Danny Roberts

Bulletins 4000 -

Sheep mortality during the first year of life is a large problem on many farms and poses a significant animal welfare issue for Australian agriculture. Post weaning mortality is estimated to cost the Australian sheep industry more than $89 million annually through reduced income, poor productivity and increased management expenses (Sackett et al. 2006).

A high mortality rate among weaners reduces the number of surplus animals available for sale and the number of potential breeding replacements. This, in turn, affects the selection intensity for desirable traits and the flock’s rate of genetic improvement.

Ill thrift and poor growth of weaner …

Soil Ph In Northern And Southern Areas Of The Wa Wheatbelt, Chris Gazey, Joel Andrew

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More than 80% of the topsoils sampled fall below the critical surface pHCaCl2 of 5.5 in the northern and southern wheatbelt study areas, with more in the south than the north. These results confirm soil acidity is a serious concern throughout the WA wheatbelt when considered in conjunction with the more intensive analysis of current soil pH throughout the Avon River Basin (2005–2008).

With low topsoil pH, it is likely that subsurface acidity is also a problem. For soil acidity to be managed, subsurface pH also needs to be known. In the Avon River Basin study, about half of the …

Survey Of Western Australian Agricultural Lime Sources, Chris Gazey, Dave Gartner

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As a service to WA wheatbelt farmers, to assist with cost effective management of soil acidity, a survey of agricultural lime availability and quality was conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.

The quality of agricultural lime surveyed varied widely between pits. High quality lime is available from limes and, limestone and dolomite sources. Twice as much of the lowest neutralising value lime surveyed would need to be applied compared to the highest to achieve the same increase in soil pH. Limes also varied in the distribution of particle sizes. Selecting limes with a high proportion of …

Diagnosing Crop And Pasture Problems With Detective Doug, Doug Sawkins

Bulletins 4000 -

There are numerous publications for diagnosing crop and pasture growth problems. Although they are excellent for experienced people, they can be time consuming and possibly misleading for the less experienced.

Many guidebooks assume that the user has already decided that their problem falls into the category covered by their particular guidebook, for example, a disease, pest or herbicide problem.

Guidebooks are often based on plant symptoms. However, in the field, symptoms vary and different problems can have similar symptoms.

This bulletin presents a problem diagnosis method that uses plant symptoms and paddock clues. It can be used to draw up …

Strawberry Root And Crown Rot Disease Survey 2005 And 2006 Seasons, Dennis Phillips, Hossein Golzar

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Reports of unusually high numbers of plant deaths in strawberry crops from growers in Western Australia prompted a survey to identify the cause. Plant and soil samples were taken from a range of growers and runner sources over a two-year period and tested for plant pathogens.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae was identified as the predominant pathogen, the first recording of this in Western Australia. Further work is planned to clarify the epidemiology of this pathogen and evaluate suitable methods of control. Patches

Root Disease Under Intensive Cereal Production Systems, Bill Macleod, Vivien Vanstone, Ravjit Khangura, Ciara Beard

Bulletins 4000 -

This Bulletin describes symptoms and control methods for the most commonly encountered cereal root diseases in Western Australia:

• rhizoctonia bare patch

• root lesion nematode

• take-all

• fusarium crown rot

• cereal cyst nematode

• common root rot

• pythium root rot

Diseases caused by pathogenic micro-organisms can significantly reduce the yield of cereals. Some of these diseases are uncommon while others occur over a large area of the Western Australian wheatbelt every year. The most prevalent root diseases of cereals in Western Australia are rhizoctonia bare patch, root lesion nematode and take-all. Less widespread are fusarium crown rot, cereal cyst nematode, common root rot …

Wheat Variety Guide 2008 Western Australia, Christine Zaicou, Ben Curtis, Harmohinder Dhammu, Sarah Ellis, Dorthe Jorgensen, Shahajahan Miyan, Steve Penny, Brenda Shackley, Darshan Sharma

Bulletins 4000 -

This guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats and some pre-commercial lines. These lines have undergone testing in the National Variety Testing Project (NVT), Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) wide-scale crop variety testing (CVT) and/or variety specific agronomy projects. This information includes variety summaries (Table 1), agronomic, disease and herbicide tolerance characteristics (Tables 2 to 4), medium- to long-term yield performance by wheat grade and Agzone (Tables 5 and 6). A review of regional performance in 2007 is followed by a comprehensive summary of 2007 variety time of sowing experiments (Tables 7 to 14) and flowering …

Producing Lupins, Peter White, Bob French, Amelia Mclarty, Grains Research And Development Corporation

Bulletins 4000 -

The book contains detailed information on lupin establishment, weed control, disease management and harvesting. It also provides an excellent background to the history of lupins in Western Australia, the development of the plant and its adaptation to the Western Australian environment

Tree Windbreaks In The Wheatbelt, Robert Sudmeyer, David Bicknell, Neil Coles

Bulletins 4000 -

Windbreaks comprising trees, or tree and shrub combinations, can offer many benefits on wheatbelt farms, particularly for protection of soil, stock, crops and pastures from damaging winds and erosion. Additional benefits include reduced evaporation from farm dams, reduced groundwater recharge, their use as nature conservation corridors and habitats, increased biodiversity including predators of crop and pasture pests, fire control, tree products and improved lifestyle and aesthetics.

In other areas and farming systems such as intensive horticulture, man-made windbreaks may be used, but their higher cost makes them unsuited for broadscale agriculture. Man-made windbreaks can be effective in reducing evaporative losses …

Organic Mangoes A Production Guide, Steven Mccoy

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Mangoes have been identified as a prospective crop for conversion to organic production, particularly at Kununurra in the Ord River Irrigation Area.

Mangoes can also perform well under organic systems in other regions of WA, however variations in pest and disease pressures may require additional attention to these problems.

Organic Apples A Production Guide, Steven Mccoy

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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.

Identification And Control Of Pest Slugs And Snails For Broadacre Crops In Western Australia, Svetlana Micic, Ken Henry, Paul Horne

Bulletins 4000 -

The numbers of slugs and snails have increased in broadacre cropping in Western Australia with the use of minimum tillage and stubble-retention practices. The organic content of paddocks increases under such systems, providing an increased food source especially to young slugs and snails. Soil moisture content is greater over summer leading to higher survival levels of slugs and snails.

Slug and snail pests in Australia have come from other countries, mainly the Mediterranean region. They damage plant seeds (mainly legumes), recently germinated seeds, seedlings and leaves and can be a contaminant of grain at harvest.

Returns To Research And Development Investment Of Department Of Agriculture And Food Western Australia : Benefit Cost Analysis 2005-2006, Nazrul Islam, Francis Bright, Peter Coyle, Peter Eckersley, Louise Evans, Joseph Gaffy, Allan Herbert, Ross Kingwell, Emma Kopke, Peter Tozer

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Programs of the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia apply benefit-cost analysis to assist in the allocation of funds to those areas likely to make the largest contribution to the rural economy and thus to achieve the Department outcome of increased market competitiveness and profitability. To learn lessons from the completed projects the Programs also use ex post analyses. Information collected in the course of the ex post analyses can usefully improve the assessment of proposed projects.

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

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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.

Perennial Pastures For Western Australia, Geoff Allan Moore, Paul Sanford, Tim Wiley

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The aim of this project was to identify potential new perennial legumes and grasses to complement lucerne in phase farming and to identify the role and potential for perennial grasses in Western Australia.

Alstroemeria, Aileen Reid

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About 60 species of Alstroemeria grow wild in South America, in habitats ranging from the snowline of the Andes and high mountain plateaus down through the highland forests to the coastal deserts.

A member of the lily family, Alstroemeria grows from a rhizome that also develops tuberous storage outgrowths and fleshy roots. The aerial shoots can be either vegetative or reproductive. Normally shoots that have unfolded more than 30 leaves will not flower and remain vegetative.

The leaves of Alstroemeria are unusual in that they rotate through 180 degrees as they unfold, so that the upper surface becomes the lower …

Growing Chinese Cabbage In Western Australia, John Burt, Dennis Phillips, David Gatter

Bulletins 4000 -

Chinese cabbage is a member of the Brassiceae family, which may be called brassicas, crucifers or cole crops. This includes various crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, turnips, swedes and weeds such as wild radish.

In general trade, the term Chinese cabbage can loosely be given to both the heading types (Brasssica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis) and to non heading types such as pak-choi (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis). This Bulletin deals with the heading type of Chinese cabbage. The Chinese name is Wong Bok, and this name is often used in Australia.