Other Plant Sciences Commons^™

Potato Storage Research In W.A, D C. Hosking

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

Preliminary results of research into refrigerated storage of potatoes indicate that the qyality and out-turn are influenced more by the variety of potato stored than by storage conditions.

Progress In The Nursery Industry, W J. Heggers

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

The demand for ornamental plants in Western Australia is sat an unprecedented level, making the nursery industry a relatively prosperous branch of horticulture.

One reason for the continued demand for nursery lines is probably that people are concerned about the environment - "green survival", as it is often refered to in promotional literature.

In rural areas, farmers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of planting windbreaks, shade and ornamental trees, while mining companies and the Forests Department are actively engaged in re-afforestation.

As a result the nursery industry is in a healthy situation and can continue to develop in …

Water Economy For Lawns And Gardens, K S. Cole

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

Much of the summer water consumption occurs because it is widely believed that heavy summer watering is necessary. Householders often mistakenly water heavily to keep their gardens green and growing. Many may not realise that gardens can be kept vigorous and healthy with much less water than is commonly applied.

Some Concepts In Rangeland Management, R B. Hacker

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

The arid and semi-arid zones of Australia occupy about 75 per cent of the land mass. The pastoral industries are located within these zones and, although productivity per unit area is low, the region nevertheless constitutes one of the nation's valuable renewable resources.

If properly managed, such a resource may be maintained as a productive asset indefinitely.

Samphire For Waterlogged Salt Land, C V. Malcolm, G. J. Cooper

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

For non-waterlogged and mildly waterlogged salt land a number of salt-tolerant shrubs may be used for forage production.

Areas which are highly saline and regularly waterlogged are not suited to these shrubs. However, during trials with shrub species, samphires (Arthrocnemum spp.) were found to volunteer and grow well on these sites.

Research into the use of samphires has shown that it is possible to harvest seed and obtain a seed sample suitable for sowing through a drill. Established samphire stands provide useful grazing in many parts of the Western Australian wheatbelt.

Forage Production From Shrubs On Saline Land, C V. Malcolm

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

In the first volume of the Journal of the Department of Agriculture in the year 1900, the results of experiments at Tulare Experiment Station in California on the growing of Australian saltbushes are reported.

Seed was first sent from Australia by Baron von Mueller in June, 1881. Three species of saltbush (A. semibaccata, A. numularia and A. vesicaria) are all reported to have grown well.

Although C. A. Gardner in 1929 suggested the growing of saltbushes for forage, the earliest and clearest recommendations are those of Teakle and Burvill in 1945.

Early research tended to concentrate mainly on the possibility …

Nitrogen For Pastures, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The use of nitrogen (N) fertilisers on cereals has long been recognised and accepted as an economic farm practice. It is only more recently that the use of fertiliser nitrogen has been considered for pasture and fodder production, mainly on wholemilk and butterfat farms in the South-West. The high quality feed produced may be substituted for concentrates or conserved fodder. Large increases in seasonal production have been reported.

Because nitrogen fertiliser is expensive, has a short-term effect, and can affect the clover content of pastures, a series of field experiments were conducted in 1973 to examine the role of nitrogen …

Potassium For Pastures, Walter Jacob Cox

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

IVIany pastures in the south-west of Western Australia are deficient in potassium or need regular dressings for maximum growth. This article indicates areas and situations in which potassium might be needed, shows how deficiency is diagnosed and gives recommended rates of application.

Farm Grazing Levels, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Stocking rates in many dairying areas are so low that the Division has established nine grazing level demonstrations in various areas.

Their aim is to demonstrate that higher stocking rates are practical on existing farms.

Reproductive Wastage In Sheep On Clover Areas, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Western Australia's 67 per cent lambing for 1970 compares poorly with that of other Australian States, and other countries. From the 12.3 million ewes mated in this State's agricultural areas in 1970, only 8.2 million lambs were marked.

This low 77.7 per cent conception rate sparked the present series of reproductive wastage investigations by the Department's Sheep and Wool Branch.

This report describes the first year's results of the project in W.A.'s "clover disease" areas.

Annual Pasture And Weed Plant Ecology, B J. Quinlivan

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

The purpose of this article is to outline a few basic principles of pasture and weed ecology with particular reference to seed dormancy mechanisms.

These principles apply to many pasture plants and weeds, although their relative importance varies with the particular plants under study.

Plant Cover For Bare And Salt Affected Land, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The contributions made by this State to land reclamation were recognised at an international level last year.

Mr. C. V. Malcolm, a research officer with the Soils Division, presented a paper entitled "Establishing Shrubs in Saline Environments" at a symposium on Useful Wildland Shrubs, Their Biology and Utilisation, at Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

The conclusion to Mr. Malcolm's review, set out below, summarises much of what is known about shrub establishment in saline areas.

Sturt Pea Hosts Collar Rot Fungus, M D. Marcley

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

Evidence that Western Australia's Sturt Pea can be attacked by collar rot fungus suggests a reason for the occurrence of collar rot in places where the fungus should not survive.

At Carnarvon for instance, in spite of the hot, dry conditions, the collar rot fungus has been found on eggplants and Tuart trees.

The Control Of Weeds In Lawns, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

MOST lawns have weeds growing in them at some time during the year and in some lawns weed control becomes a major problem.

Trickle Irrigation, B Swan

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

THE introduction of trickle irrigation has caused tremendous interest among commercial irrigators. While not a new concept, its application was formerly restricted to glasshouse and nursery use.

Poison Plants Of Western Australia : The Toxic Species Of The Genera Gastrolobium And Oxylobium : Wodjil Poison (Gastrolobium Floribundum S. Moore) Breelya Or Kite-Leaf Poison (Gastrolobium Laytonii J. White) Roe's Poison (Oxylobium Spectabile Endl.) Granite Poison (Oxylobium Graniticum S. Moore), T E H Aplin

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

THIS article deals with four species which are found in the pastoral area although three of them are also present in the agricultural area.

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.

The Western Australian Herbarium, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

The new Western Australian Herbarium building opened on March 5, 1970, provides for the first time, ideal storage conditions for the State's priceless collection of plants, and adequate facilities for botanists to study them.

The unique character of Western Australia's flora has attracted world-wide interest and the State needed a single herbarium recognised by the herbaria of the world.

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.

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.

Establishing Pastures Under Wheat Crops, M L. Poole, J. W. Gartrell, D. A. N. Nicholas

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

RECENT surveys indicate that in the medium and high rainfall cereal and sheep areas as much as half the new pasture sown is sown with a crop.

In the drier wheatbelt areas the figure is 20 to 30 per cent.

Linseed : An Alternative Crop For The South Coast. 2. What Is The Future For Linseed?, R J. Doyle, R. J. Guyton

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

In a preceding article* we stated that the expansion of linseed in Western Australia was due primarily to the ability to sell on the export market at current ruling prices.

This is necessary because Australia's domestic needs are likely to be supplied in most years by Eastern States producers.

Paspalum Vaginatum : For Salty Seepages And Lawns, C V. Malcolm, I. A. F. Laing

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

PASPALUM VAGINATUM, aptly termed "sea shore paspalum" has an amazing ability to thrive in wet salty situations. It is also a good lawn grass.

Seed of the grass is not available but it may easily be established by planting pieces.

This article reviews where and how the grass may be used.

Wildflowers Of The Stirling Range, Alexander S. George

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

TWO hundred miles south-east of Perth, the Stirling Range rises abruptly from the surrounding plain. About forty miles long, it is a line of semi-isolated hills, rather than a continuous block.

There are many intriguing plants of diverse colour and form. Well over 400 species are known from the Range. A number of these are found no-where else, and some are restricted to one mountain.

Pastures For The Pastoral Areas, D G. Wilcox, K. Fitzgerald

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

The pastoral areas lie generally outside the zone where cultivated crops are grown.

The rainfall is erratic and the basic pastures for sheep and cattle consist of native plants.

In some favoured areas however, and in particular situations, sown pasture species are becoming increasingly important.

Know Your Poison Plants : Characteristics Of Poison Plants Of The Genera Oxylobium And Gastrolobium, T E H Aplin

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

Characteristics of poison plants of the genera Oxylobium and Gastrolobium

Dehulling And Scarifying Serradella Seed, J R. Weeldenburg, R. W. Smith

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

YELLOW FLOWERED SERRADELLA is growing in popularity as a pasture legume on coastal sandy soils in Western Australia, and its use may increase further when new selections become available.

However, its rate of entry into commerce has been limited by the poor germination of the seed available.

High Stocking Rate On Kikuyu Dairy Pasture : Progress Report On Grazing Trials On Kikuyu-Sub. Clover Pasture At Denmark Research Station, F E. Ryan

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

KIKUYU is one of the most valuable pasture plants on dairy farms in the South-West of Western Australia.

It combines well with subterranean clover and ryegrass if heavily stocked, and pastures managed in this way can be cut for legume-grass hay in the spring. However, relatively little is known of its carrying capacity or potential for production under grazing.

Wildflowers Of The Geraldton District, E M. Bennett

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

THE wildflowers of Western Australia which have aroused such interest throughout the world are found largely in the south western corner of the State.

Within this area, and indeed in the drier areas also, certain districts are richer than others.

One example of this concentration of wildflowers occurs to the north and east of Geraldton.

Fertility Build Up Under Northern Wheatbelt Pastures, M L. Poole

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

Experiments on two farmers' properties demonstrated that legume pastures increase the fertility of northern wheatbelt soils.

Crops on legume pastures had higher yields than crops on volunteer pasture.

The experiments also indicated the most productive legume species for each situation and demonstrated that nitrogen added by legumes has a residual effect in the soil.