Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

List Of Registered Fertilisers For 1962, H G. Cariss

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

IN accordance with the provisions of the Fertilisers Act, 1928-1955, it is required that—with the exception of bulk sales to a manufacturer and those made in accordance with a buyer's written prescription—all fertilisers sold must be registered annually.

The registration year is from November 1 to October 31 in the following year. The list of fertilisers registered for the year commencing November 1, 1961, is set out in the following tables.

Farming Without Fallow, H M. Fisher

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

UNDER the more intensive cropping rotations common in the early development of the cereal areas of Western Australia bare fallowing was a basic technique in cereal production.

By ploughing the land in July or August and keeping it bare of vegetation for nine or ten months, either by grazing or cultivation, a substantial beneficial effect on the subsequent crop could be expected.

Yield And Flour Quality Of Early Maturing Wheat Varieties, J A. Parish, J. T. Reeves

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

DESIRABLE milling characteristics have for many years ensured a ready market for Australian wheat. Present demand for Australian wheat is strong and the sale of the 1961 harvest is assured.

Cereal Products Adviser J. A. Parish, B.Sc. (Agric.) and Plant Breeder J. T. Reeves, M.Sc. (Agric.) describe and explain the tests on the results of which wheat variety recommendations are based.

Detailed results of yield and quality tests from early maturing wheat variety trials are included.

Barrel Medics For Eastern Wheatbelt Pastures, D B. Argyle

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

There is a big potential for the use of barrel medic in wheatbelt pastures, and prospects have been further improved by the advent of the early-maturing Cyprus strain.

In this article Merredin Agricultural Adviser D. B. Argyle gives some hints on establishment and management of barrel medic pastures in the eastern wheatbelt.

Much of what he says also applies to other areas; contact your local adviser for further information.

Growing Peas For Canning And Freezing In Western Australia, James P. Fallon

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

Canned and frozen peas to the total annual value of over a quarter of a million pounds are being imported into Western Australia from Eastern States.

Could our requirements be supplied from crops grown in this State?

The answer is "Yes" and this article gives a general background of information on pea growing and an indication of areas suitable for pea crops.

Cotton Growing On The Ord River, N J. Thomson

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

Cotton growing is nearing the commercial stages on the Ord River, with the first farm scale crops now ready to harvest on the Pilot farm, and the Kimberley Research Station.

It is already backed by some years of experimental work at K.R.S., which has provided the background for this article giving the first recommendations on cotton growing for future settlers in the Ord River Irrigation Area.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals. 3. Crusting Of The Soil Surface, S C. Chambers

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

In some seasons extensive bare patches occur in cereal crops sown on the heavier wheat belt soils.

Experimental results from Beverley indicate that the poor emergence in some of these plantings may be due to crusting of the soil surface.

Working the surface with light harrows may destroy the crust and improve emergence.

Root Diseases In Wheat On Clover Ley : Factors Under Investigation. 2. Relative Susceptibility Of Wheat And Barley, S C. Chambers

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

ROOT ROTS of wheat and barley are caused by several fungi, the most important in Western Australia being Fusarium spp., Helminthosporium sativum and Ophiobolus graminis.

Local surveys have shown that the incidence of each organism varies with district and also depends on other factors, such as seasonal conditions and cultural practices.

The relative susceptibility of wheat and barley to these fungi has never been studied in detail under local conditions, although many such investigations have been conducted overseas.

Hard Seeds In Lupins, B J. Quinlivan

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

A study of hard seeds in the W.A. blue lupin is yielding some interesting facts about this important survival mechanism of pasture plants.

The knowledge gained will be useful in future pasture plant breeding projects.

SOME interesting facts on hard seeds in lupins have come from experiments commenced several years ago.

This article outlines the reasons for the experiments and the results with lupins so far.

Subsequent articles will cover subterranean clover and techniques for softening hard seeds in both species before planting.

Root Diseases In Wheat On Clover Ley : Factors Under Investigation. 5. The Evaluation Of Fungicidal Treatments, S C. Chambers

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

The use of fungicides, either as seed or soil dressings, for the control of root rotting diseases of wheat, was examined in a series of field experiments.

Results suggest that seed dressings have no effect on the incidence of root rotting fungi in the mature crop.

When fungicides were applied to the soil, a reduction in the incidence of take-all was noted in one experiment, but the same treatments had toxic effects on plants in a second similar experiment.

Silage Competition : 1959-1960, H G. Elliott

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

THE Australian Dairy Produce Board Pasture Improvement Committee (W.A.) have sponsored a silage competition in the dairying areas over the past three years and this has been judged by officers of the Dairying Division of this Department.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals : Factors Under Investigation. 1. Seed Treatment And Moisture Content, S C. Chambers

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

UNDER the relatively dry climatic conditions of Western Australia, over-dosages of organic mercury dusts had no apparent ill-effects upon wheat emergence, irrespective of the initial moisture content of the seed.

However, seedling counts were significantly less, with seed of a high moisture content.

A Calendar Of Farming Operations For Cereal And Sheep Areas Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

THIS calendar of farm operations for the Cereal and Sheep areas replaces the calendar published in the December 1949 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and reprinted as a leaflet.

This leaflet was subsequently reprinted twice with some amendments.

Rice Growing In The Ord River Valley, C B. Langfield

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

THE first commercial rice crop in the Ord River Valley was planted late in I960 and plans are in hand for some 35,000 acres of land to be subdivided for irrigation settlement by 1964, with rice as a major crop.

Castor Beans : Ricinus Communis Linn, T Pavy

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

MANY people have seen the wild castor oil plants around the metropolitan area, growing in rubbish dumps, and waste lands.

But they have not realised that the demand for castor oil has been increasing over the last 15 years.

Although one of its main uses is in the lubrication of jet engines, it is also used in plastics, special low temperature lubricants, hydraulic fluids, paints, varnishes, textiles and pharmaceutics.

Potato Variety Trial, James P. Fallon, G. C. De Haan

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

DELAWARE has been the only variety of Potato grown commercially in Western Australia. This is due to the fact that in the past an early maturing variety with a short dormancy period has been required to suit both hill plantings and swamp crops.

However, with the advent of sprinkler irrigation and hence better control of moisture and growing conditions, the need for early maturing varieties has ceased to exist in some districts.

There has been consequently an increasing interest in testing varieties which have proved high yielding and of good quality in other parts of the world.

The Use Of Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Grain Production In Western Australia, William John Toms, G. H. Burvill

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

NITROGENOUS fertilisers have so far been little used in Western Australia for wheat, oats and barley grown for grain.

However, profitable results can follow their use under some conditions. Farmers who have seen field experiments are now interested in the use of nitrogenous fertilisers.Further interest will be stimulated by recent reductions in price.

This article answers common questions asked by farmers about nitrogenous fertilisers for cereals. It is based on over 100 experiments conducted by the Department of Agriculture during the past 30 years.

Weed Control In Cereals : Aerial Spraying Trials, G R W Meadly

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

SPRAYING cereal crops for weed control is now standard farming practice in Western Australia. Almost 500,000 acres of cereal crops, mainly wheat, are sprayed each year, and approximately three-quarters of this area is treated by aircraft.

Recent trials have shown that aerial application of 'extra low" volumes of hormone-like herbicides, with oil or water solvents, does not damage cereals if spraying is done at the right stage of growth.

Bare Patch And Poor Emergence Of Cereals : Factors Under Investigation. 2. Depth Of Planting, S C. Chambers

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

DEPTH of planting appears to have an important influence upon the emergence of a cereal crop. Increasing the depth by one inch within the range 1-5 inches, not only depressed the emergence counts of wheat seedlings, but also increased the number which emerged abnormally.

Net Blotch Of Barley, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

NET Blotch is the commonest disease of barley in Western Australia, attacking all commercial varieties and causing considerable damage to foliage of maturing crops.

Despite its prevalence, net blotch is rarely the cause of a serious crop loss.

Recommended Wheat Varieties : 1962, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

AS a guide to farmers planting recommended wheat varieties, the Wheat and Sheep Division of the Department of Agriculture has produced a new map of the West Australian wheatbelt, showing where these varieties should be planted.

Spread Super For Cereal Crops, T E. Mcdowell, J. A. C. Smith, W. J. Toms, M. D. Carroll

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

THE use of bulk superphosphate broadcast direct on to the paddocks is a new method of reducing fertiliser costs.

But it has long been known that broadcasting phosphate is less efficient than drilling it in with the seed.

The experiment reported here was designed to demonstrate this point.

Wheat Quality, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

IN August, 1956, the Australian Agricultural Council agreed that, as a first step in the further examination of all aspects of the subject of wheat quality in Australia, a conference of all interested parties should be convened by the Department of Primary Industry.

Wheat Variety Trials On Research Stations, J T. Reeves, J. L. Mcmullan

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

THE results of wheat variety trials at seven Research Stations in the medium and low rainfall areas for the years 1957, 1958 and 1959 are presented and discussed.

The trials are designed to give information on yield and flour quality of promising crossbreds originating from local breeding programmes and newly produced varieties from other parts of Australia.

Large scale variety trials are the final tests in the long process of selection and testing which is essential before a new crossbred can be released.

The new wheats are compared with standard ones under different conditions of soil and climate.

Some Results With Nitrogen Fertiliser On Cereals At Esperance Plain Research Station, William John Toms

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

ON newly-cleared land at Esperance Plain Research Station the use of sulphate of ammonia on cereals has proved profitable over a number of seasons.

The response to sulphate of ammonia varies markedly with the season.

Diseases Recorded On Cereals, Grasses And Pasture Legumes In Western Australia, S C. Chambers

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

This list constitutes a revision of portion of the census published by Came (1925) and supplemented by the same author in 1927.

It also contains records of diseases identified in the period between these earlier publications and December 31, 1959.

The list is divided into two sections, the first dealing with pasture legumes and the second with cereals and grasses.

The sections are arranged alphabetically according to the botanical names of the host plants. In general, the viral, bacterial, fungal and nematodal diseases and physiological disorders are listed in that order.

Safflower : An Oil Crop For The Kimberleys, D F. Beech

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

EXPERIMENTS with irrigated safflower carried out at the Kimberley Research Station have shown that the crop is well adapted to the local conditions.

In recent years yields of 2,000 to 3,000 lb. per acre have been generally obtained. Oil content of the main variety under trial varied between 33 and 35 per cent.

Locally produced safflower oil could help to make the Australian paint industry largely independent of imports.

Safflower meal is a protein-rich concentrate and could have considerable impact on the Kimberley cattle industry.

Safflower is likely to play an important part in the early development of irrigation agriculture …

Tobacco Production In Western Australia, A E. Baker

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

THE annual consumption of manufactured tobacco in Australia is in the vicinity of 55,000,000 pounds.

Although the public is well acquainted with the use of tobacco for smoking, many people are unaware of the care and attention required to grow such a crop.

The following article attempts to outline the conditions and methods as applied to tobacco production in Western Australia.

The Development Of Western Australian Sand Plain Soils For Agriculture, Richard Philip Roberts, F. L. Shier

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

IN a recently published economic survey of the Australian wheat growing industry, it was reported that nearly two-thirds of the farms surveyed in Western Australia were located on lateritic "sand plain."

As a random selection was made of the eighty farms that were visited it is reasonable to conclude that a similar proportion of all the State's wheat producing farms are on that type of country.

This constitutes a remarkable change from the earlier days of wheat belt settlement when the sand plain soils were regarded as virtually useless and by-passed for development.

It is the purpose of this article …

Tobacco Seed-Bed Management, A E. Baker

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

A SUCCESSFUL tobacco crop depends initially on an ample supply of well-grown, disease-free seedlings available early in the planting season.

If planting is held up due to a poor supply of seedlings, the resulting crop will not be grown in the most favourable part of the season. Late-grown crops nearly always give low returns.