Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Continuous Cropping Trials, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

The aims of the trials at Binnu, Chapman, Wongan Hills, Avondale and Merredin were:

1. To determine whether the application of nitgrogen and fertilisers can maintain yields under a "continuous cropping" system
2. To compare the merits of three sources of nitrogen for this purpose.
3. To determine the maintenance dressing of superphosphate under this system and the need for supplementary fertilisers.

Trial 61A2
There have been no great problems with this trial. for a number of years the plots have required chemical spraying to control wild oats which had built up. In 1968 and 1969 some plots were soil sampled to determine …

Pasture Establishment In The Wheatbelt, M L. Poole

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

The value of legume based wheatbelt pastures is so great that considerable care is warranted during their establishment. Without such care patchy establishment or even complete failure is likely to occur.

IN THE WHEATBELT too many farmers still put less effort into their seeding of pasture species than their seeding of crops.

This may be because both compete for the farmer's time in the busy seeding period and it is the cereal crop which possesses the obvious cash value.

However, the total value of a good pasture has to be assessed over a period of several years because of its …

Pasture Improvement In South Western Australia, J W. Malcolm

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

"There is no doubt that Australia's enhanced prosperity in the last 30 years has been dependent in no small measure on the use of legume-based pastures." E. M. Hutron, June, 1968. *

THE LAST 30 years have seen an increased interest in pasture improvement which has transformed much of Western Australia. Large areas have been sown to new and improved pasture species—as a result productivity of both livestock and cereal enterprises has risen.

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.

The Control Of Weeds In Cereals, Geoffrey A. Pearce

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

PRACTICALLY all broadleaved weeds found in cereals can now be killed with herbicides and with most, the farmer has a choice of chemicals.

Two more new products are now available and these have several advantages over other herbicides.

Chemical Ploughing, 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. One field that is attracting interest is the idea of replacing cultivation with chemical sprays.

Linseed Production Survey : Esperance, 1968, R J. Guyton

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

A SURVEY conducted after the 1967 linseed season found that although most farmers understood the requirements of linseed growing there were several crop failures. These were associated with time of planting, soil type and insect control measures.

The Esperance district office of the Department of Agriculture conducted a second survey during December, 1968 and January, 1969

Overgrazing And Wind Erosion, J R H Riches

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

OVER the last few years wind erosion during the autumn in the wheatbelt districts has become increasingly evident.

This has occurred under normal seasonal conditions and observations in this article are not related to unusual conditions such as the extremely low rainfall during the current season.*

Lupins In Western Australia. 2. Cultivation Methods, John Sylvester Gladstones

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

While lupins are by and large plants of lighter and less fertile soils, important differences exist among them in their soil preferences.

There may also be some differences in climatic requirements. Present knowledge of these differences is summarized in the Table below.

Soil Conservation Land Use, J E. Watson

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

MANY things are blamed for soil erosion—including storms, fires, cost-price squeezes, ploughing downhill and rabbits. But the basic factor is the risk involved in the way the land is used.

It is therefore vital that everyone—not only farmers—should begin their thinking about soil conservation from the land use aspect (of which special practices such as contouring, are a small though spectacular part.)

Sheep Drenching Programms, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Drenching of sheep to prevent build-up of worm infestations is commonly practised on many properties in the agricultural districts of Western Australia. This is called strategic drenching.

The Long Term Effects Of Frequent Cropping, Stanley Thomas Smith

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

AGRICULTURALLY speaking, few Western Australian soils are more than 50 years old. We have the responsibility of preserving them for farming—not for one man's lifetime, but for centuries.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate that cropping and cultural practices do have some effects on the soil, and that these effects should be considered when choosing a farm rotation.

Soil And Plant Water Studies On Wheat Summary Of Results 1969/70, D Tennant

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Location

Trials were carried out within a radius of 5 miles of

Tammin on the properties of Messrs P. York and B. Nottage.

Sites represented deep sand, sandy loam, sand/clay and grey

clay soil types.

Saltland Pastures, C V. Malcolm

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

FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENT of Agriculture in Western Australia considerable areas of highly productive land have become salt affected to the degree that normal crops and pastures cannot be grown.*

However, species and establishment methods are available which can bring at least some of this land back into production.

Ammonium Nitrate Vs Urea, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Ammonium nitrate is a source of nitrogen containing half

its nitrogen in the ammonium form and half in the nitrate form.

Some properties are set out in comparison with urea in the

following table.

Ammonium nitrate has an advantage over urea in that it can

be topdressed onto the surface of the soil and left uncovered

without a danger of loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere. When urea

is left uncovered on the surface of the soil losses of nitrogen occur

through volatilisation of ammonia during the hydrolysis of the urea.

Such losses with ammonium nitrate are only likely to …

Phosphorus - Sulphur Trials. Higher Rainfall Areas, R N. Glencross

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Superphosphate, phosphate and sulphur maintenance, 68BR7.

Superphosphate rate, stocking rate, 62M69.

Progress report on maintenance P x S rate trials, 66NO7, 66NO11, 67BR8, 67BR9, 68B1, 69E9, 68AL3, 68AL4, 68BR5, 68BR6, 68BU1, 68BU2, 68HA1, 68NO37, 69NO5, 69AL2,69AL3,69AL14, 69BR9, 69HA8, 69NA6.

Clackline maintenance P x S trial, 66NO7, 67NO11.

Sources of sulphur, 67B6, 68B3, 68BU3, 68BU4.

Super residual lupins, 68BR29,

Soil And Tissue Testing For Potassium., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

No meaningful conclusions can be drawn until the multiple regression analysis comparing soil and plant parameters with level of response has been completed. Similarly it is extremely dangerious to extrapolate results obtained from any one experiement in a particular district to the general farm situation. In addition these results represent only 1 rather atypical season and so need to be verified by additional calibration trials. in 1973 (40) and 1974 (20).

Fertility Build-Up In Wheatbelt Soils, M D. Carroll

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Areas of loamy sand from Wongan Hills Research Station, which had carried subterranean clover for varying numbers of years, were sampled at five depth intervals to 60 cm. Wheat yield and a range of soil properties were related to numbers of years under subterranean clover. (W56H)

Time Of Application Of Solid Nitrogen Fertilisers., M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

The current recommendations for time of application of soild nitrogen fertilisers such as urea, ammonium nitrate and sulphate of ammonia are:

Zone A: These fertilisers should be applied as close to seeding as possible.

Zone B: As for zone A except on very sandy soils which are very prone to leaching, where application can be delayed 2-3 weeks.

Zone C: Applications should be delayed about 3 weeks after seeding.

1969 Results Of Field Experiments, Tony Albertsen

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Determination of rates of P and S required for maintenance of optimum pasture growth on old land, using individually grazed plots.

The Fate Of Nitrogen In N-P Compound Fertiliser Urea And Ammonium Nitrate., M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Trial: 69WH4

Aim of Trial : to follow the movement of nitrogen in the soil and to follow the chemical changes of the nitrogen applied as N-P compound 24 :24, urea and ammonium nitrate. Also to follow the pattern of uptake of this nitrogen by the plants. To compare the effects of these fertilisers on the yields of wheat and to relate differences to changes in the nitrogen fractions in the soil and to nitrogen and phosphorus in the plants.

Pasture : Corner-Stone Of Soil Conservation, W J. Burdass

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

LEGUME PASTURE is the basis of prosperity in farming in the agricultural areas of Western Australia.

The livestock industry could not thrive without it and it also maintains fertility and soil structure for the cereal growing industry.

It is, in fact, the comer-stone on which the soil conservation conscious farmer rests his soil management.

Progress In Weed Control, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

In May, 1967, the "Journal of Agriculture" printed a special issue on weed control, with the emphasis on chemicals for weed control in cereal crops.

This month, just two years later, enough new information has accumulated to warrant publication of another "theme" issue, this time with important articles on weed control in pastures, chemical firebreaks and chemical ploughing, as well as weed control in linseed and cereal crops.

Superphosphate For Wheatbelt Pastures : Rates Of Application, Walter Jacob Cox

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

BECAUSE Western Australian soils are low in phosphorus, frequent applications of superphosphate are required for both crop and pasture production. The recommended rates are determined from the results of field experiments that test different quantities of super and measure the extra yield.

This article discusses the recommended rates of superphosphate in relation to soil type and superphosphate history. Methods of application and time of topdressing are also discussed.

Land Use In The Kulin-Kondinin-Hyden District : Notes On A Recent Survey, D J. Carder

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

A RECENT survey by the Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service has highlighted the nature of the problems facing farmers with flooded or salt-affected land near salt lake country in the wheatbelt.

History Of The State Vermin Barrier Fences, Formerly Known As Rabbit Proof Fences, J S. Crawford

Research Reports

There is evidence of rabbits arriving in Australia as far back as 1788, and it is well known that others were liberated on islands around the coast, including some off the coast of Western Australia. However, they remained localised and it is now generally accepted that the rabbits which did spread originated from a small shipment of the wild type brought on the Clipper “Lightning” in 1859. They were released on “Barwon Park”, the property of Thomas Austin, near Geelong in Victoria, and within three years, had reached pest proportions

Wheatbelt Trace Element Nutrition 1969, J W. Gartrell

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

1. Rates of Copper and Zinc on Wheat. 2. Rates and Sources of Zinc on Wheat: 3..Zinc Spray Treatments on Wheat.

Nitrogenous Fertilisers For Cereal Grain Crops Results From 1969 Trials With Wheat, Oats, Barley And Linseed, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

69ME3, 66ES8, 66ES8, 69GE1, 69GE4, 69GE2, 61M11, 69M1, 69M2, 69ME7, 69TS3,69TS4, 69M3, 68SG4, 69ME2,69ME4, 68JL1, 68JL7, 68JL4, 68JL10, 68JL6, 68JL12, 69GE3, 69BA1, 69BA2, 69BA3, 69TS2, 69NO3, 69ES3, 69NA3, 67LG18, 69LG2, 69C1, 69C2, 67N3, 69N2, 69NO4, 68TS7, 61WH2, 62WH1, 69WH2, 69WH3, 69MO4, 69WH4, 69N1, 69NO2, 61A2, 69A1, 67ES1, 69ES4, 69BR1, 67ES2, 67ES2, 69E1, 69E2, 69AL1, 69MO2, 69MT1, 69MO3, 69NA2, 69NA4,

Nitrogen Use On First Crops After Legume Pasture, M G. Mason

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

Apart from the normal factors affecting response of cereals to nitrogen fertilizers, i.e. length of growing season, rainfall, soil type etc, there are other factors which affect the response after a legume pasture. these factors include length of the previous legume phase and how good was the stand of legumes. Unfortunately for most of the trials in the past, involving the use of nitrogen on first crops after legumes, this information is not available.