Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Crop Updates 2007 - Farming Systems, David Jeffries, A. Loi, B. J. Nutt, Clinton K. Revell Dr, Yvette Oliver, Michael Robertson, Bill Bowden, Kit Leake, Ashley Bonser, Ian Maling, Bindi Isbister, Garren Knell, Alison Slade, David Stephens, Michael Meuleners, David Beard, Nicolyn Short, Rob Grima, Ingrid Richardson, Ruhi Ferdowsian, Geoff Bee, David Evans, Bob Gilkes, Senthold Asseng, Jim Dixon, Felicity Byrne, Mike Ewing, Dennis Van Gool, Louise Barton, Ralf Kiese, David Gatter, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Renee Buck, Christoph Hinz, Daniel Murphy, Cameron Weeks, Meredith Fairbanks, John Peirce, Brad Rayner, Sandy White, Paul Damon, Qifa Ma, Zed Rengel, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Meir Altman, Tracey M. Gianatti, Lindsay Bell, Ben Webb, Caroline Peek, Paul Sanford, Paul Blackwell, Glen Riethmuller, Darshan Sharma, Mike Collins, Frank D'Emden, David Hall, G. P. Manango, D. L. Steverson, Vanessa Stewart, Julie Roche, Peter Rutherford, Imma Farre, Ian Foster, Stephen Charles, Frances Hoyle, N. Milton, M. Osman, L. K. Abbott, W. R. Cookson, S. Darmawanto, Rob Sands, David Mccarthy, Paul Carmody, J. Russell, J. Eyres, G. Fosbery, A. Roe, Phil Nichols, Andrew Bathgate, Anne Wilkins

Crop Updates

This session covers forty papers from different authors:

1. Quality Assurance and industry stewardship, David Jeffries, Better Farm IQ Manager, Cooperative Bulk Handling

2. Sothis: Trifolium dasyurum (Eastern Star clover), A. Loi, B.J. Nutt and C.K. Revell, Department of Agriculture and Food

3. Poor performing patches of the paddock – to ameliorate or live with low yield? Yvette Oliver¹, Michael Robertson¹, Bill Bowden², Kit Leake³and Ashley Bonser³, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems¹, Department of Food and Agriculture², Kellerberrin Farmer³

4. What evidence is there that …

Growing Cucumbers In Protected Cultivation In Western Australia, John Burt

All other publications

There are over 20 growers who produce cucumbers under protected cultivation in Western Australia, ranging from Manjimup in the South-West to Geraldton and Carnarvon. They mainly grow these crops hydroponically in greenhouses. There is also some production under shadecloth and some crops are grown in soil. There are two types of cucumbers grown under protected cultivation. The Continental or burpless cucumber is the main type of cucumber and has long fruit, whereas the Lebanese (mini) cucumber has shorter fruit. Compared with field cucumbers, these two types are seedless and do not require pollination to produce fruits. To ensure they are …

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

Bulletins 4000 -

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.

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.

Current Property Size Distribution Of Landholders In The Northam Advisory District, Jeff Russell

Bulletins 4000 -

The reason for conducting this short study was to gain a better understanding of the property size distribution of landholdings that exists within the Northam Advisory District (NAD). There has been some deal of conjecture as to the extent of property size within the district upon which some basic assumptions are being made for the viability of farming / agricultural industries in the district.

This outline may help to give a greater accuracy of the nature of the clientele of the district in decision making processes for district extension management and on ground activities.

Facilitating The Development Of The Strawberry Industry In Western Australia, Dennis Phillips, Aileen Reid

Horticulture research reports

Horticulture Australia Project No. BS05001 Annual report 2005/06

This is the first of three annual reports for the Horticulture Australia project BS05001 — ‘Facilitating the development of the strawberry industry in Western Australia’. This project is managed by the Strawberry Growers Association of WA Inc. and the work is being done in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA). The project has been funded by voluntary contributions from the W.A. Strawberry Producers Committee, Toolangi Strawberry Runner Growers Co-operative and DAFWA with matching funding from Horticulture Australia Ltd (HAL). The project has been funded for three years, 2005, …

Producing Pulses In The Southern Agricultural Region, Peter White, Mark Seymour, Pam Burgess, Martin Harries

Bulletins 4000 -

The development of pulses in Western Australia has undergone tremendous advances over the past 12 years. From a tiny industry in the early 1990’s where the knowledge of both scientists and farmers was very limited, we now have a robust industry with production packages and improved varieties for all the grain legumes species that are well suited to our environment.

This book, which is both comprehensive and practical, collates much of the information gathered through pulse research and commercial experience over the past 10 years and will be valuable to all pulse growers, agronomists, students and industry advisors alike. The …

Feed Grain Report - Current And Future Demand In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Authors: Martin Barbetti, Pam Burgess, Dave Eksteen, Trevor Lacey, Reg Lance, Peter Metcalfe, Dane Robertson, Greg Shea, Sofia Sipsas, Mark Sweetingham, Graham Walton, Peter White, Anne Wilkins

Markets are rapidly changing and new industries are emerging at a faster rate than previously recorded in history. The livestock industry and related feed grain industry are part of this changing dimension. The Department of Agriculture Western Australia (DAWA) compiled this report to examine the supply and potential demand for feed grain and explore possible options to take advantage of opportunities that may be presented as a result of these changes.

This report …

2005 Crop Variety Sowing Guide For Western Australia, Jenny Garlinge

Bulletins 4000 -

The Crop Variety Sowing Guide attempts to present all the information that is necessary for you to make the best choice of variety for each of the major crops. As well as varietal characteristics and performance, it contains information on herbicide resistance, disease, agronomic factors, deliveries and marketing.

Much of the information presented this year is on the basis of the ‘Agzone’. This is an amalgamation of the traditional ‘region zone cells’which were coded H1 to L5 according to length-of-growing season zones from north to south (1 to 5) and rainfall regions, based on annual average rainfall, from west to …

Lucerne Is It For Me? Participants Notes, Richard O'Donnell

Agriculture reports

Participants will be able to recognise landscape components on their farm, which are at risk of salinity (current, imminent or future) and will be aware of a range of available options available to them to managing this risk. This workshop has been developed as part of the GRDC/NDSP funded ?A Million Hectares for the Future? Project.

Lucerne - Is It For Me? - Workshop Development Guide For Facilitators, Richard O'Donnell

Agriculture reports

This workshop has been developed as part of the GRDC/NDSP-funded ?A Million Hectares for the Future? Project with support and input from key personnel from the Department of Agriculture, Western Australian (DAWA). Thank you also, to the farmers who participated in the pilot workshops, providing valuable feedback on structure and content.

Groundwater Trends In The North Stirling Pallinup Sub-Region, Ruhi Ferdowsian, Lisa Crossing

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions. This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management in the agricultural district of the North Stirling Pallinup sub-region.

This sub-region encompasses the Stirling Range National Park, the North Stirling Basin to the north-east of the Park, and the middle and upper catchments of the Pallinup River. Almost 90% (500,000 ha) of the sub-region's alienated land has been cleared for agriculture, and salinity has been identified as an important issue.

Soil-landscape zones are …

Topcrop W.A. State Focus 2002-2003 Wheat Protein, Alison Slade, Jeremy Lemon

Bulletins 4000 -

The State Focus program is supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in conjunction with TOPCROP to provide grower groups with a new learning concept. The concept was developed in Victoria and has been adopted by South Australia and Western Australia.

Wheat protein was selected as the Western Australian State Focus in response to a wide-ranging consultation of grower groups, researchers and the TOPCROP West management group. As crop yield potential increases through matching varieties to growing season length, weed and disease control, and timely sowing systems, the crop’s demand for nitrogen increases. Unless the demand is matched …

Groundwater Trends In The Albany Hinterland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions The Albany Hinterland is in the western portion (see Figure 1). It is bounded by the Pallinup River in the east. Stirling Ranges to the north and the Kent River catchment boundary in the west. Two-thirds (580.000 ha) of the sub-region has been cleared for agriculture This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management within the agricultural land

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes …

Groundwater Trends In The Kent-Frankland Sub-Region, Arjen Ryder

Natural resources published reports

The South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) has divided the South Coast region of Western Australia into six sub-regions. Kent-Frankland covers the catchments of the Frankland, Gordon and Kent' Rivers. Approximately two-thirds (450,000 ha) has been cleared for agriculture. This publication describes the groundwater trends, risk of shallow watertables, and technical feasibility of salinity management on agricultural land.

Soil-landscape zones are spatial units based on geology and geomorphology. Since most groundwater processes in WA are controlled by the geologic and regolith properties, these zones can be used for allocating hydrological attributes, such as groundwater characteristics and trends. The hydrological …

Miscellaneous Publication 26/2003 - Benefit -Cost Analysis Of Soil Acidity Research Development And Extension In Western Australia, 1992-93 To 2001-02, Michael O'Connell, Chris Gazey

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The program of publicly funded soil acidity RD&E' conducted in Western Australia from 1992-93 to 2001-02 is expected to deliver benefits to the farm sector over future years. Benefit-cost analysis indicates that these industry benefits should outweigh the public cost of the RD&E several times over.

Using a 20-year analysis period, the RD&E is estimated to have a net present value (NPV) of $84 million, and a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 5.8. Extending the analysis to 30 years results in an NPV of $135 million and a BCR of 8.7. These large returns are due to a combination of factors: …

Successful Field Pea Harvesting, Glen Riethmuller, Ian Pritchard

Bulletins 4000 -

Many thousands of hectares of field peas are harvested trouble free each year. Growers experience together with recent machinery innovations and modifications have solved the majority of harvesting difficulties. Optimum harvesting conditions are in a crop of uniform density on a level soil surface with the machine either working into or across the direction that the crop has been laid by the wind.

To make harvest easier the receival standard for moisture in pulses has been lifted to 14 per cent, which allows harvest to begin sooner when the crop is the range of 14 to 15 per cent moisture. …

Zone Management In Precision Agriculture By Matching Fertiliser Input To Crop Demand, Daya Patabendige, Mike Wong, Bill Bowden

Bulletins 4000 -

Growers in Western Australia who have been yield mapping since the mid 1990s have come to realise that grain yield varies across different zones of their paddocks in any given year, as well as between years depending on the seasonal conditions and crop type. This within paddock variation can be as much as tenfold. Higher yielding areas can be due to better growing conditions (which increases the demand for nutrients) and/or better nutrient supply (which reduces the need for some fertiliser inputs). Hence, it is essential to determine the cause of the variation before optimum fertilising strategies can be developed.

Farming Systems To Manage Salinity, Research Results 2003, Richard O'Donnell

Agriculture reports

Covering: Low charge cropping systems project Productive use of saline land project Warm season crops project Farm and forestry revegetation project

Managing Blackleg : A Grower's Guide To Minimising Risk From Blackleg Disease Of Canola In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

Blackleg is spread primarily by wind, with the heaviest spore fall out normally occurring within 500 metres of any canola residue. Each year canola residue continues to produce blackleg spores at a diminishing rate until the stubble has completely broken down (see Diagram 2). In WA this breakdown could take up to 4 years, and so the recommendations are for long rotations.

The blackleg fungus can attack all the aerial parts of the plant. While leaf infection is the most obvious symptom, high levels of leaf infections do not necessarily indicate that major losses will occur from blackleg. It is …

National And Regional Assessments Of Crop Yield Trends And Relative Production Efficiency : Theme 5.1. Land Use Change, Productivity And Diversification, David Stephens

Agriculture reports

National and regional assessment in Australia of relative production (yield) efficiency for wheat and other cereals providing estimates of biological production potential based on seasonal climatic conditions, compared with actual production values for selected historical dates between 1982 and 2000.

Western Australian Avocado Industry Survey - 2000, Alec Mccarthy

Horticulture research reports

Key components of the project: The avocado industry in Western Australia has been steadily growing over the past 15 years. During this time there has been no comprehensive survey of the industry to determine its size and production base. This survey aimed to collect information from as many commercial avocado growers as possible about tree numbers, age, yield, markets, growing methods and general industry knowledge.

Industry significance: This survey will provide comprehensive data on the avocado industry that will enable producers, packers, marketeers, investors, etc to have greater confidence in their various decision makings.

Key outcomes: Significant increases in annual …

Management Of Soil Organic Matter And Gypsum For Sustainable Production In The Carnarvon Horticultural District Of Western Australia, R.S.B. Greene, A.J. Lin, D. C. Parr

Agriculture reports

Soil quality is critically important for the long-term production of high quality and high yielding fruit and vegetable crops in the Carnarvon horticultural district of Western Australia. A stable soil structure is essential for good soil quality.

Profitable Canola Production In The Northern Grainbelt Of Western Australia 2001, Paul Carmody, Adrian Cox

Bulletins 4000 -

Canola is a member of the Brassicaceae family that also includes mustard, turnip, wild radish, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli.

It is a winter growing oilseed that can be produced in most arable areas of Australia where winter crops are currently grown. Originally known as rapeseed using the varieties B. campestris, the varieties of B. napus have almost completely replaced this earlier variety in all the areas where the crop is grown.

The swing to B. napus varieties was due to their superior yields, resistance to blackleg and better quality oil and meal. Canola can be grown on a wide variety …

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 …

Farming Systems To Manage Salinity. Farmer Directed Research, Development And Extension. Research Results 2001, Richard Olive

Natural resources published reports

More and more of Western Australia's agnicultural lands are becoming saline. Currently it is estimated that about 18 milliion ha of land are affected to a greater or lesser degree by salinity causing production losses estimated at about $70 million a year.

Unless ways are found to halt and reverse the salinisation of land it is estimated that another 4.4 million ha could become saline over the next 50 years.

Grain growers and the Federal Government, through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). are investing $12 4 million in R&D across Australia to develop productive solutions to the salinity …

Ecological Sustainability For Pastoral Management, Hugh Pringle, Ken Tinley

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

Pastoralists and rangeland bureaucracies are now required to operate within the limits of ecological sustainability. However, while the concept of ecological sustainability has been enshrined in law and policy at State and Commonwealth levels in Australia, there has been little translation into pastoral management objectives. The introduction of the 'EMU (Ecosystem Management Unit) process', as an equal partnership between ecologists and pastoralists, promises to bring pastoralists into close dialogue with the landscapes they manage on their stations, and to acknowledge and manage for values other than pasture production. In doing so, pastoralists are likely to increase production, reduce costs, and …

Burakin Focus Catchment Report, Mike Clarke

Natural resources published reports

The Burakin Focus Catchment Project was developed between farmers and Agriculture _ Western Australia. The project was designed to give farmers an understanding of the salinity processes occurring within the Catchment and suggestions on appropriate management.

Work began in the Catchment early in 1999 and was complete at the end of 2000. Intensive hydrological investigations formed the basis of the study, which was complemented by surface water control and revegetation strategies. Agronomic issues associated with sandplain soils were raised by the farmers at the initial meeting and this led to a soil survey to determine the pH status of the …

Testing The Efficiency Of Broadacre Farms, Ben Henderson, Ross Kingwell

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

A study of 93 broadacre farms has revealed that most farms display high levels of technical efficiency. On average, technical efficiency is improving, although a small proportion of farms remain relatively inefficient due to a number of factors.

Legume Logic Number 124

Legume Logic

Contents

EU gives lupins green light

Lupin prices move again

Forum examines future of lupin industry

Anthracnose still a threat

Pulse points

Which pea variety?

Legume Logic in 2001 - a new era