Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Rapeseed. 4. Grain Quality, G B. Crosbie, M. L. Poole

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

RAPESEED is capturing an increasing share of the world edible oilseed market.

It competes with other oilseeds such as soyabeans, peanuts, sunflower and safflower seed.

If Western Australia is to share in these markets it is essential that only high quality seed is produced.

Alternative Crops To Wheat : An Assessment, H M. Fisher

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

INTRODUCTION of wheat production quotas in 1969 promoted widespread interest in suitable alternative crops.

The only other crops grown on a significant scale in W.A. were barley and oats and farmers were quick to substitute these cereals in their cropping programmes.

Rapeseed. 2. Insect Control, J A. Button, D. L. Hardy

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

RAPESEED crops are highly susceptible to attack from a number of insects and, in most cases, some crop protection measures will be necessary to achieve satisfactory yields.

This article discusses the insects that have been a problem in rapeseed crops in Western Australia to date.

Rapeseed. 5. Harvesting Methods, M L. Poole

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

IN Western Australia the warm dry spring and early summer allows rapeseed to be direct harvested when mature, whereas in most rapeseed-producing countries the crop must be swathed, allowed to mature in the windrow, and harvested with a pick-up combine.

Recommended Crop Varieties : 1972, H M. Fisher

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

RECOMMENDATIONS on crop varieties for 1972 continue to place emphasis on grain quality in relation to the requirements of overseas buyers. Gamenya, Falcon and Bokal wheats, Dampier and Beecher barleys, Swan oats and Kameniza linseed are the main varieties recommended.

How Profitable Are Herbicides For Weeds In Crops?, J W. Malcolm, G. A. Pearce

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

BEFORE spending money on chemical weed control in crops, a farmer needs to know how profitable the operation will be. He may also be influenced by other things such as the need for weed-free seed, but the most important consideration should be an increased cash return.

If a herbicide is used to control weeds in a crop, the extra yield achieved must be worth more than the cost of the herbicide and its application for the treatment to be profitable.

This article gives guidelines to help farmers estimate the likely profitability of herbicide treatments for quota and non-quota crops.

The Control Of Weeds In Linseed And Rape, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

Like all crops linseed and rapeseed can suffer from weed competition.

Linseed is highly susceptible to weed competition, while rape is susceptible to the chemicals used to kill broad-leaved weeds, so both crops pose special problems.

As in other broad-acre crops, cultural methods usually provide the best means of weed control.

A Cheaper Herbicide For Wild Oats, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

A NEW herbicide, *NEOBAN, will reduce the cost of chemical for the control of wild oats in wheat and barley to $2.50 per acre.

Because of the cost of herbicides for wild oats during the past two years, the acreage treated has been declining steadily.

Farmers who thought that spending about $4 per acre was worth while will be delighted with Neoban.

Chemical Cultivation : Its Place In Crop Planting, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

PROGRESS in the field of chemical weed control has been spectacular in recent years. Despite the cut-back in expenditure on herbicides, the idea of replacing cultivation with chemical sprays is attracting great interest.

Wheat Quality Surveys In Western Australia, J A. Parish, G. H. Jones

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

SINCE 1956 a number of collaborative wheat quality surveys have been carried out in Western Australia by Co-operative Bulk Handling Co. Ltd. and the Department of Agriculture.

The work was undertaken to provide facts which may be used to determine the possible advantages to this State's wheat industry of alterations in the receival and marketing arrangements.

The various surveys are described in this article.

Barley And Oat Yield Tests In W.A, H M. Fisher

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

BARLEY production has increased sharply over the past two seasons to compensate reduced wheat acreages.

The change over to barley has been supported by the availability of suitable varieties, notably Dampier, and a good demand for West Australian barley overseas.

The Economics Of Spray Seed, J W. Malcolm

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

THE "Spray Seed"* technique has many advantages over conventional cultivation methods of weed control. Some of these are matters of convenience, preference or opinion, and these cannot be measured in general economic terms.

However, most farmers are in the business to make money and as making money becomes harder they are more concerned with the extra money a new move is likely to earn for them.

Wheat Yield Tests In W.A, H M. Fisher

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

WHEAT production is the major crop industry in Western Australia so emphasis has been placed on this crop in variety tests.

Over the last 5 years 61 wheat varieties, including 30 named varieties from various sources, have been tested in variety trials.

Irrigation In South-Western Australia, K S. Cole

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

THE pattern of irrigation in South-Western Australia is constantly changing, At present, the main increase is in the private sector.

In the past century, there has been a see-saw effect from private to Government to private schemes.

Linseed Within The Clover Ley Farming System, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

LINSEED was one of the first crops to be widely used as an alternative to cereals in the over-17 inch rainfall areas. It is now an established crop with a total 1969 production worth just under half a million dollars.

Linseed is currently worth nearly twice as much as wheat per bushel, wih its short term prospects still attractive.

Grain Aeration On The Farm, G D. Rimes

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

ALTHOUGH grain aeration is a well known and widespread technique employed to prevent insect development in stored grain, the installations are invariably designed for large scale grain handling authorities.

Experimental work carried out in Western Australia over the last four storage seasons has shown that simple unsophisticated equipment can be of direct use in farm storage.

Rapeseed Production In Western Australia, M L. Poole

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

RAPESEED production began in Western Australia in 1968 when a few acres were grown. In 1969, about 20 growers ptanted small acreages for about 80 tons of seed. In 1970, up to 20,000 acres will be grown, and a total of 40,000 acres seems possible within the next few years.

Copper Requirements For The South-Eastern Wheatbelt, D J. Gilbey, K. D. Greathead, J. W. Gartrell

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

FARM experience and the results of five years intensive research have shown copper deficiency to be widespread in the south-eastern wheatbelt.

On many areas of the south-eastern wheatbelt, copper deficiency is likely to restrict wheat yields.

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.

Lucerne Establishment In High Rainfall Dairying Districts, R Sprivulis

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

LUCERNE is one of the oldest of perennial forage plants. It originated in the Middle East and because it flourishes under a wide range of climatic and soil conditions it is being grown in many parts of the world.

Lucerne was introduced to Australia in the early years of British settlement. The original introductions proved suitable for the alluvial flats of the Hunter and Peel River valleys of N.S.W.

Lucerne is basically a summer growing legume with or without winter dormancy.

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.

New Early Maturing Serradella Available To Seed Producers, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Seed of a newly-developed yellow serradella cultivar, "Uniserra," will be released to seed producers for sowing this autumn.

Release of the seed was announced this month by the Chairman of the Western Australian Herbage Plant Liaison Committee, Mr. E. N. Fitzpatrick.

The Outlook For Barley, P J. Hackett, E. J. O'Loughlin

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

World production of barley in 1968 was 4,107 million bushels—an increase of 7 per cent, on the previous year.

Further increases are estimated for the 1969 season, especially in Canada and France. World production is expected to be 3 per cent, higher than in 1968.

Weed Control Research Pays Dividends, G R W Meadly

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

On my bookshelf is a handbook entitled "War on Weeds" or "How to Double our Food Supply."

In many of these countries experiments have been made to ascertain as far as possible the exact damage done by weeds to crops.

Result: In all the experiments, whether made in England or abroad, the mean loss was over 50 per cent.

The level of loss is equally true today, but the methods at our disposal for handling weeds have improved tremendously.

Recommended Crop Varieties-1971/Vol11/Iss12, H M. Fisher

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

Cereal and linseed varieties recommended for 1971 should give the best returns to growers and benefit the industry in general, The main varieties are Gamenya, Bokal and Darkan wheats, Dampier and Beecher barleys, Swan oats and Kameniza linseed.

Lupins In Western Australia. 6. Future Prospects, John Sylvester Gladstones

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

PREVIOUS articles in the series have discussed available lupin varieties, their cultivation, and the feed value of the seeds and crop residues.

This final article for the series deals with future prospects for lupin varieties and markets, and how lupins might fit into Western Australian farming systems.

Lupins In Western Australia. 5. The Grazing Value Of Green And Mature Lupins, John Sylvester Gladstones

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

WHETHER or not lupins are grown primarily as a grain crop, grazing of standing crops and harvested stubbles will continue to be an important use. This article examines the uses of sweet lupins for forage, and the main problem of lupin grazing, lupinosis.

Lupin Diseases, H L. Harvey

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

The two major diseases of lupins in Western Australia, brown spot and bean yellow mosaic, can be reduced by careful management of lupin crops.

Growing Barley For Grain In Western Australia : Barley Quality, J A. Parish

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

Plumpness and absence of pinched grain are desirable for both malting and feed barley.

This is a brief discussion of various Quality standards in barley and how they may not be met.