Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Managing Brome Grass In The Wheat:Lupin Rotation, Aik Hock Cheam, Gurget Gil, Christine Zaicou

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

Some farmers and scientists are questioning the sustainability of the cereal:lupin rotation in the Western Australian wheatbelt.

Being a 'tight' rotation, its continuation is constantly under threat by disease, especially lupin root rots caused by Pleiochaeta (the brown spot organism) and Rhizoctonia fungi. To control disease, some farmers have lengthened the rotation to three years, such as wheat:wheat:lupins or wheat:barley:lupins. The longer cereal phase also helps to stabilise soil against wind erosion. However, such rotations can lead to a rapid buildup of brome grass during the two consecutive years of cereals. The implications of these rotations on the severity of …

Stubble Handling Begins At Harvest, Ed Blanchard

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

Long stubble left in the paddock after harvest causes major difficulties at seeding time. To demonstrate the benefits of having short stubble at seeding, the Trayning Land Conservation District Committee created four stubble treatments at harvest in 1988 and sowed into these stubble treatments in 1989.

How Arsenic Residues Get In Wool, Tony Martin, Robin Jacob, Marion Davies, Peter Rutherford

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

Wool can become contaminated with arsenic in various ways, and several different sources may each contribute to any individual arsenic residue problem.

• dipping sheep in an arsenical dip ( now illegal),

• dipping sheep in a non-arsenical dip in a contaminated dipping facility

• penning sheep on soil with high levels of arsenic before shearing.

Other possible sources include running sheep on land contaminated by gold mine tailings or exploration sites, and allowing sheep access to sites on the farm where arsenical compounds have been dumped, for example, rubbish dumps or sites where dip/sump sludge has been dumped.

Farmers …

Red Kangaroos Can Set Back Range Regeneration, Andrew Mclaughlin

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

After years of severe drought, stocking rates in Western Australia s arid rangelands have been kept low since the 1970s to allow native pastures to regenerate. As well, extensive re-seeding programs have started and sheep and cattle grazing on these areas has been restricted or eliminated. However, pasture regeneration in the rangelands can only succeed when grazing by all animals - sheep, cattle, kangaroos, goo.ts, camels, brumbies and donkeys - is controlled Many more red kangaroos roam throughout Western Australia's pastoral areas today than 20 years ago. The installation of windmills and troughs to water domestic livestock has allowed kangaroo …

Wider Spaced Rows For Lupins, Ron Jarvis

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

In this farm scale trial at Wongan Hills, a lined combine was used to seed lupins into rows spaced 380 mm apart in wheat stubble.

Cost Effective Stubble Retention Practices, Andrew Green, Ed Blanchard

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

To increase the rate of adoption of stubble retention farming systems the Grains Research and Development Corporation is funding a three-year project with the Farm Machinery Unit to develop low cost, stubble handling systems from harvest to seeding

An Introduction To The Soils Of The Merredin Advisory District, T C. Stoneman, National Soil Conservation Program (Australia)

Bulletins 4000 -

With descriptions, illustrations and notes on nine common soils.

What Brings The First Rains Of The Season?, Ian Foster

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

There are two major sources of rainfall over south-western Australia.

The Pros & Cons Of Retaining Stubble, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Few farmers in Western Australia today would question the desirability of retaining crop stubble. The problem usually is how to manage stubble so that it does not interfere with other parts of the farming system

Stubble Retention For Control Of Wind Erosion, Dan Carter, Paul Findlater, Steve Porritt

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

The surest way to control wind erosion in continuous cropping systems is to retain stubble. Over the past ten years, Western Australian research has focused on the amounts of stubble needed to prevent that erosion.

How Stubble Affects Organic Matter, Plants And Animals In The Soil, Judy Tisdall

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

Cereal yields have not increased greatly in Australia over the past 30 years and they are still only about half the potential determined by rainfall. One of the reasons for these low yields is our fragile soils, worsened by traditional systems of tillage and the burning of stubble. These systems reduce the levels of organic matter and biological activity in soil

How To Reduce Spending On Land Conservation, Tim Negus

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

Heavy spending on capital works for land conseroation is usually out of the question in the present financial climate, but the recession does not mean that landcare must be abandoned. There are many aspects of landcare that involve little or no extra cost. Soil conseroationist Tim Negus discusses them in this article.

Soils Of The Northam Advisory District. Volume 1. The Zone Of Ancient Drainage, Neil Clifton Lantzke

Bulletins 4000 -

This manual describes the soils of the Department of Agriculture's Northam advisory district. Information is provided on the characteristics of each soil, its capability is discussed and yield estimates for the major land uses are given.

Designed for use by farmers and Department of Agriculture staff, the manual’s primary aims are to:

- Assist with the identification of the advisory district’s soils types

- Match land use with soil quality

- Improve farm productivity and efficiency

- Reduce the incidence of land degradation

Groundwater Investigations In The Jerramungup Shire, S B. Martin

Resource management technical reports

Drilling was carried out with a dry rotary auger rig, with a depth limit of 31 m for the first 28 piezometers and 40 m thereafter. Farmers assisted in the site selection and construction of the piezometers in most cases and will in the future be responsible for monitoring their piezometer(s) regularly. The average depth to bedrock was 18 m and the average dept to groundwater was 9 m, with an average salinity level of 3600 mS/m. The average total salt storage was approximately 2800 tonnes per hectare.

Land Resources Of The Kellerberrin Region, William Morrison Mcarthur

Resource management technical reports

The landforms and associated soils in the Kellerberrin area (Figure 1) were mapped using a combination of air photo interpretation (1:50,000 black and white, 1984 photography) and ground traverses along roads and tracks. Mapping units used are similar to those described by Bettenay and Hingston (1961; 1964) and Hingston and Bettenay (1961) for the Merredin district. The present survey may be seen as a western extension of the Merredin survey; it adjoins the work of Lantzke (in prep) on the west

The Role Of Earthworms In Western Australian Agriculture, Tom Mccredie, Lex Parker

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

Earthworms have a reputation as soil builders and renovators, particularly among 'organic' farmers and gardeners. They improve soil fertility through increased aeration, aggregation, water infiltration and release of nutrients from organic matter. However, the benefits of earthworms in the wheatbelt have been doubted for many years because of their poor survival in cultivated soils.

Since cropping began in the Western Auslmlian whealbelt over 1OO years ago, the physical condition of many soils has deteriorated. The primary causes of soil degradation were the European cultivation practices used by farmers and the trampling effect of introduced animals. in particular, sheep.

Soil Surveys And Related Investigations In The Ord River Area, East Kimberley, 1944, George Henry Burvill

Technical Bulletins

No abstract provided.

State Of The Fisheries Report 1991, Fisheries Department Of Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The State of the Fisheries is published annually by the Fisheries Department as part of the statutory reporting process required under the Fisheries Act. This report covers developments and production in the State's fisheries up to the end of December 1991. Full details of the department's operations for this period are published separately in the department's annual reports for the financial years ending June 1991 and 1992. Figures provided in the tables are derived from catch returns completed by fishermen which are processed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics up to June 1991. Other information provided in the text comes …

Bulletin No 4222 - Management Of Properties With Pesticide Residues - Information For Farmers With Properties Affected By Organochlorine Pesticide Residues, Farran Dixon

Bulletins 4000 -

This publication is produced by the Department of Agriculture to help farmers who have been affected by the pesticide residue problem. Some material from previous issues has been included, so that as much information as possible is contained in a single publication. We suggest you keep it as a convenient reference on any aspect of the residue problem.

All owners of affected land are urged to read this publication carefully. This applies to the owners of any land which has a soil organochlorine residue level greater than 0.1 parts per million (ppm).

A management notice will be issued for each …

A Review Of Plant Introductions To The Kimberley 1955 To 1987, R Mccartney

Grain and other field crops published reports

This report summarizes the work done by the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, in the west and north Kimberley in introducing plant species during 1955-1987.

For the purposes of this repor1the following areas are defined thus:

• West Kimberley- lies between latitude 17°5 and 19°5 and longitude 121°E and 127°E, with an extension to the north of 1° between 121°E and I 24°20'E. The area is 118,000 km".

• North Kimberley - lies north of latitude 17°5 and between longitude 124°20'E and 127°30'E. The area is 85,000 km'.

• East Kimberley-lies north of latitude 19°5 and between longitude 127°30'E and …

Climate, Physiography, Geology, Hydrology And Land Use In The North Stirlings Area : A Precursory Report, R Lennard, R A. Nulsen, C E. Southwell

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

1991 Catalogue Of The Australian Lupin Collection Including Field Evaluation Data For Wild, Semi-Domesticated And Fully Domesticated Accessions, J. C. Clements, W. A. Cowling

Grain and other field crops research reports

This report lists all wild, semi-domesticated and fully domesticated accessions in the Australian Lupin Collection to 1991. The Collection is composed of 2,264 accessions (Perth Numbers between 20629 and 27067) introduced to Australia or from naturalized populations and breeding programmes within Australia. Several accessions are selections from variable populations which were identified during field trials in South Perth, Western Australia. This catalogue lists the characteristics and field evaluation data for every accession where available. Plant breeders and crop scientists will find this information useful for the selection of lupin genotypes with desired characteristics.

Section A of this catalogue should be …

Revegetation Guide To The Central Wheatbelt, E C. Lefroy, R J. Hobbs, L J. Atkins, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Csiro, Division Of Wildlife And Ecology

Bulletins 4000 -

The rapid development of the central wheatbelt for agriculture over the past century has produced a productive farming landscape, but one which is increasingly subject to degradation. Erosion, salinization, declining soil structure, waterlogging and acidification are all symptoms of this degradation and causes of lost agricultural production. In addition, most of the native vegetation and many of the native animals have disappeared, and the natural heritage of the area resides in small scattered patches that together make up only seven per cent of the wheatbelt region.

Many farmers now recognize that replanting trees and shrubs is an effective means of …

Miscellaneous Publication 28/91 - Midas (Model Of An Integrated Dryland Agricultural System), David J. Pannell, Andrew Bathgate

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

MIDAS is a bioeconomic model of mixed crop/livestock farms in Western Australia. It selects farm management strategies which maximise profit subject to resource, technical and environmental constraints using the linear programming technique. This document provides a thorough documentation of the version of MIDAS developed for the "eastern wheatbelt" region. If you are learning to use MIDAS with the MARG menu driven system, you need to read the MARG manual as well as this documentation.

From early in the life of MIDAS, we gave a high priority to making the data and assumptions readily accessible in documentation and in microcomputer spreadsheet …

Rangeland Survey In Western Australia - History, Methodology And Applications, H. J. R. Pringle

Natural resources published reports

The rangelands of Western Australia lie to the north-west of the agricultural areas, extending east to the Nullarbor and north to the Kimberley (Fig. 1). The major areas that are used for pastoralism are most of the Kimberley and the Pilbara, nearly all of the mulga shrublands, plus some of the Goldfields gum belt and part of the Nullarbor Plain.

Selecting And Developing Reliable Bore Sites In The Eastern Wheatbelt, Richard George

Bulletins 4000 -

In the Western Australian wheatbelt, groundwater supplies contribute about 40 per cent of the on-farm livestock requirements and occasionally domestic water supply systems. The first part of this Bulletin comments on sites suitable for both high yielding bores and also those which yield water suitable for livestock. The second part outlines techniques for constructing and developing a bore. Throughout this Bulletin livestock quality water, for adult sheep, is defined as groundwater of less than 12,000 mg/L (or 850 grains per gallon) which has not been subject to localized pollution. For other livestock, the maximum salinities range from 2,600 mg/L for …

Miscellaneous Publication 17/91 - Mudas - Model Of An Uncertain Dryland Agricultural System: A Description, R. S. Kingwell, A. D. Bathgate

Farm Systems and Economics research reports

In the early 1980s, the Department of Agriculture developed a mixed integer whole-farm mathematical programming model of the dryland farming system in the eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia (Morrison et al. 1986). The model named MIDAS (Model of an Integrated Dryland Agricultural System) was constructed, tested and scrutinised by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, advisers, farm management consultants and farmers (Kingwell 1987a). The model described in some detail the biology and finances of the dryland farming system in an average season and calculated profit-maximising farm plans.

MIDAS remains an often used tool in research and extension, being applied to many …

Appendix To The Final Report Of The Rfac. Statistical Summary Of Public Responses To Key Issues., Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee Western Australia.

Fisheries Management Papers

This paper has been published as a separate appendix to the final report of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee, and should be read in conjunction with it, and the Committee's discussion paper ("Final report of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee - Fisheries Management Paper No. 41 1991). The key issues that were identified in the discussion paper came up under the following headings: 5.1 Environment 5.2 Resource Sharing 5.3 Access for Fishing 5.4 Research 5.5 Management rules 5.6 Enforcement 5.7 Charter fishing 5.8 Funding and licensing 5.9 Community consultation 5.10 Public awareness and community education.

Tackling Salinity On The Esperance Sandplain, S J. Hearn, National Soil Conservation Program (Australia)

Resource management technical reports

The Esperance sandplain has serious secondary salinity. Waterlogging and poor surface drainage compound the problems. The original aim of the project was to promote high water use pastures for areas of deep sands as a way of limiting rechrge to the saline groundwater. This aim was later broadened to include the promotion of deep-rooted perennial pastures on all suitable soils.

Bulletin No 4219 - Chemical Control Of Insect Pests In Field Crops And Pastures, T. P. Quinn, G. P. Mangano, P. J. Michael

Bulletins 4000 -

Chemicals currently registered in Western Australia for use against pests of field crops and pasture are given in the following tables. Trade names are listed alongside each chemical formulation.

Department of Agriculture Bulletin 4185 "Insect and allied pests of extensive farming" will help you identify the pest(s) through coloured photographs, descriptions and keys. Information on the type of damage, life cycle and control is also provided. Further information is available in Farmnotes on specific pests and on pests of a particular crop.

The Poison Schedule for each product is indicated in the table. Extremely toxic chemicals are labelled as "dangerous …