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Carnarvon Artesian Desalination Feasibility Study, Ghd, Carnarvon Growers Association, Gascoyne Water Co-Operative

Research Reports

Study scope

The scope of the study is summarised below;

 Review existing data and previous work,

 Visit Carnarvon (1 day), inspect water system facilities and convene Stakeholder Workshop No 1 with representatives from Carnarvon Growers Association, Gascoyne Water Co-operative and DAFWA. Agree 3 – 4 possible system configuration options to be investigated.

 Obtain and examine existing water quality data for artesian bore(s) incorporated within the study. Assess probable long term water quality and pumping heads.

 Develop preliminary design details for the agreed options in terms of pre-treatment, desalination and other system modifications required (eg bores, pump …

Groundwater Chemistry Of The Weaber Plain (Goomig Farmlands): Baseline Results 2010–13, Adam Lillicrap, Richard J. George Dr, Arjen Ryder, D L. Bennett

Resource management technical reports

The Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) is located in the north-east of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, near the town of Kununurra. The irrigation area was established in 1963 and over time developed to the current extent of 14 000 hectares (ha). The Weaber Plain (Goomig Farmlands) area is located north-north-east of the existing irrigation area, 30km from Kununurra, and has been identified as being suitable for irrigated agriculture for many decades. However, it was not until 2009, with state government support, that the 7400ha project commenced, with construction starting in 2010. State and Australian government environmental approvals required …

Groundwater Chemistry Of The Weaber Plain: Preliminary Results, Adam Lillicrap, Paul Raper, Richard J. George Dr, D L. Bennett

Resource management technical reports

In 2008, the Ord Irrigation Expansion Project was approved by the Western Australian Government to develop irrigated agriculture on the Weaber Plain. Construction of the M2 supply channel connecting the ORIA and the Weaber Plain, and the final period of irrigation design, environmental management and related approval processes, commenced later in 2009. This process followed a protracted period of public and private industry planning and environmental assessment (Kinhill 2000). This report summarises an analysis of groundwater salinity trends on the Ivanhoe and Weaber plains and the preliminary results of an intensive water-quality sampling program carried out in 2010 as part …

Crop Updates 2008 - Farming Systems, John De Majnik, Paul Meibusch, Vince Logan, Louise Barton, Wahid Biswas, Daniel Carter, Nicolyn Short, Jodie Bowling, Glen Riethmuller, James Fisher, Moin Salam, Stephen Davies, Jim Dixon, Dennis Van Gool, Alison Slade, Bob Gilkes, Megan Abrahams, Caroline Peek, Daniel Gardiner, Kari-Lee Falconer, David Hall, Jeromy Lemon, Harvey Jones, Yvette Oliver, Tania Butler, Michael Robertson, Stephen Carr, Chris Gazey, David York, Joel Andrews, Michael Simeoni, G. Peter Mangano, Svetlana Micic, Dave Gartner, Adam Clune, Matthew Morell, Adam Umbers, Angelo Loi, Brad Nutt, Clinton Revell, Geoff Kew, Vivien Vanstone, Ali Bhatti, Ming Pei You, Imma Farre, Bill Bowden, Henry Smolinski, Jane Speijers, John Bruce, David Mccarthy, Gary Lang, David Rees, Rob Grima, John Young, Ross Kingwell, Chris Oldham, Derk Bakker, Ian Foster, David Beard, Wen Chen, Richard Bell, Ross Brennan, Art Diggle, Reg Lunt, Qifu Ma, Zed Rengel, Tim Hilder, Dusty Severtson, Shahajahan Miyan, Sam Clune, Barb Sage, Tenielle Martin, Chris Newman, Neal Dalgliesh, Caroline Peak, Andrew Blake, Megan Ryan, Richard Bennett, Tim Colmer, Daniel Real, Jiyan Pang, Lori Kroiss, Dion Nicol, Tammy Edmonds-Tibbett, Ron Mctaggart, Sean Kelly, Helen Hunter

Crop Updates

This session covers thirty nine papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. Developments in grain end use, Dr John de Majnik, New Grain Products, GRDC, Mr Paul Meibusch, New Farm Products and Services, GRDC, Mr Vince Logan, New Products Executive Manager, GRDC

PRESENTATIONS

2. Global warming potential of wheat production in Western Australia: A life cycle assessment, Louise Barton1, Wahid Biswas2 and Daniel Carter3, 1School of Earth & Geographical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 2Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production, Division of Science and Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, 3Department of Agriculture and …

Alstroemeria, Aileen Reid

Bulletins 4000 -

About 60 species of Alstroemeria grow wild in South America, in habitats ranging from the snowline of the Andes and high mountain plateaus down through the highland forests to the coastal deserts.

A member of the lily family, Alstroemeria grows from a rhizome that also develops tuberous storage outgrowths and fleshy roots. The aerial shoots can be either vegetative or reproductive. Normally shoots that have unfolded more than 30 leaves will not flower and remain vegetative.

The leaves of Alstroemeria are unusual in that they rotate through 180 degrees as they unfold, so that the upper surface becomes the lower …

Wheatbelt Waterwise = Saltwise : Gardening Guide, John Colwill, Juana Roe

Bulletins 4000 -

As a result of agricultural clearing, many country towns are now feeling the effects of rising groundwater and the salt that it carries. Salinity has been identified as Australia’s number one environmental problem. While most people think that salinity means land lost to agriculture, it also poses a serious threat to many country towns. A report for the Department of Agriculture in 2001 highlighted the need for simple and cost-effective salinity management strategies to be adopted in wheatbelt towns. These included water recycling, revegetation and more efficient water use.

Crop Updates 2003 - Geraldton, David Stephens, James Fisher, Ian Edwards, Dennis Wise, Andrew Young, Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard, Greg Shea, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jettner, Kevin Young, Kevin Walden, Geoff Thomas, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn Mclean, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn, Peter Clarke, Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker, Murray Blyth, Peter Norris, Greg Lyle, Katheryn Steadman, Amanda Ellery, Sally C. Peltzer, Kari-Lee Falconer, Russell Speed, Terry Piper, Harmohinder Dhammu, Bindi Webb, Paul Blackwell, Phil Logue, Nigel Moffat, Rohan Ford, Miles Obst, Frances Hoyle, Leanne Schulz, Judith Devenish, Peter Newman, Grant Morrow, Ian Foster, Darshan Sharma, Marnie Thomas, Graham Walton, Hasan Zaheer, Paul Carmody, Mike Clarke, Paul Raper

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty eight papers from different authors

1. Seasonal Outlook: What is in store for 2003, David Stephens, Department of Agriculture

2. Examining The Management Options For Wheat Crops In The Coming Season, James Fisher, Department of Agriculture

3. GMO’s – what do they offer? Ian Edwards, Grain Bio Tech Australia Pty Ltd

4. The Big Gamble – Wheat prices for 2003, Dennis Wise, Profarmer

5. Market outlook for other grains, Andrew Young, General Manager Agricorp

6. Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard and Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture

7. Baudin …

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Fertigation Of Vegetables In Western Australia, J Burt

Bulletins 4000 -

Fertigation is the technique of using soluble fertilisers to supply essential nutrients to vegetables through sprinkler or trickle irrigation systems, or by means of a boom spray. It is ideally suited to most horticultural areas in Western Australia, especially the sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain that have a poor capacity to retain nutrients.

Before and after planting, nutrients are often applied to vegetables on soils of the Swan Coastal Plain by applications of poultry manure* or solid fertilisers. After planting, fertigation is a safe and effective method of applying top-dressings of nutrients to crops, especially after the rows …

South West Hydrological Information Package : Understanding And Managing Hydrological Issues On Agricultural Land In The South West Of Western Australia, Peter J. Tille, T W. Mathwin, Richard J. George Dr

Bulletins 4000 -

This manual reviews current knowledge of the hydrological issues that affect, or are affected by, agriculture in the catchments of the south west of Western Australia.

Land Use Planning For Agriculture And Sustainable Rural Development, Ian Kininmonth, Andrew Bathgate, Ross George, Dennis Van Gool

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

An important goel for agriculture will be to achieve sustainable land use patterns and management systems.

Land use planning has a role to play in helping agticulture achieve this goal. Ian Kininmouth, Andrew Bathgate, Ross George and Dennis Van Gool discuss the directions land use planning could follow.

Background Papers To Wawa's South-West Irrigation District Strategy Study, G J. Luke, I Af Laing, P R. George, G R. Olney, R L. Taylor, I F. Wilkinson, P T. Arkell

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Irrigation And Fertilizer Management For Horticultural Crops On The Swan Coastal Plain, I R. Mcpharlin, Greg Luke

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

The Swan Coastal Plain is an important area for the production of vegetables, flowers and fruits in Western Australia. The yellow Cottesloe, Karrakatta and the white-grey Bassendean Sands upon which most of this production is based are infertile in their natural state and require large inputs of fertilizer for succesful production of horticultural crops.

Improved irrigation and fertilizer management will be needed to reduce nutrient leaching from horticultural crops on the coastal plain. This will probably involve applying fertilizer and water more frequently, but in smaller quantaties thaan currently practiced. The result should more closely match water and fertilizer supply …

Draining Irrigation Areas, K S. Cole, J P. Middlemas

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

Many irrigation schemes throughout the world have turned into unproductive saline flats and swamps. This dramatic change can occur within a few years of irrigation starting and has been part of irrigation schemes from earliest times up to the present day.

The main cause of this salinisation is normally excess irrigation water use combined with poor drainage. Any form of waterlogging will have an adverse effect on plant growth.

Dairying In W.A., Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Bulletins - 3000 - 3999

Western Australia has a small dairy industry compared with its other rural production. However, the industry has consolidated over recent years.Tree clearing and pasture development on existing holdings and the amalgamation of small dairy farms has led to a rapid increase in the area of pasture per farm. The trend in Western Australia is towards bigger herds, more efficient dairies, more fodder conservation and increasing production per cow and per hectare. Commercial dairy farming in Western Australia is confined to the south-western corner of the State, south of Perth, extending in a 50-kilometre-wide strip along the coast to 50 kilometres …

Irrigation In South-Western Australia, K S. Cole

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

THE pattern of irrigation in South-Western Australia is constantly changing, At present, the main increase is in the private sector.

In the past century, there has been a see-saw effect from private to Government to private schemes.

Irrigating With Underground Water, T C. Calder

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

MANY farmers in South-West areas are looking to irrigation to increase and diversify farm production, particularly on the sandy coastal plain where irrigation in summer is essential for vegetable, fruit and fodder production.

Private Irrigation Systems : Do They Pay?, G D. Oliver

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

WESTERN AUSTRALIA, with 71,000 acres under irrigation, can hardly claim to have an important irrigation farming industry.

However, irrigation is daily growing in importance, especially through private schemes. These account for almost half the present irrigated area.

Land Grading In South West Irrigation Areas, 1966-67, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

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

Land grading in the South West Irrigation Areas with modern earth moving equipment first commenced in 1949.

The advantages of land grading are well recognised by farmers and this season grading operations were carried out on 208 farms.

The Hamel Nursery, K S. Cole

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

A LITTLE known, but highly productive use of irrigation water occurs at the Forestry Department Nursery, Hamel.

Seedlings of trees and shrubs are raised during the summer for sale the following winter.

Sales are made to the farming community and many trees are used by the Forest Department in its reafforestation programmes.

Irrigation In The South-West : Report On Government-Controlled Areas, 1965-66, G Gauntlett

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

LARGE scale irrigation in the south-western part of Western Australia is confined to the coastal plain, west of the Darling Range where the three irrigation districts of Waroona, Harvey and Collie have been established.

Hints On Irrigating Citrus With Saline Water, Stanley Thomas Smith

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

IN the past few years a number of citrus orchards near Perth have shown signs of damage caused by excess "salt" (chloride) uptake. All have been irrigated either from the Canning River or from private bores or dams.

Senior Soil Research Officer S. T. Smith describes glasshouse experiments which have given some useful guides to minimising "salt" damage in citrus trees irrigated with low-quality water.

Irrigation In Western Australia : Report On Government-Controlled Areas : 1958-59, H K. Gibsone

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

IRRIGATION in the south-western portion of Western Australia is mainly confined to the coastal plain west of the Darling Range where the three main irrigation districts of Harvey, Collie and Waroona have been established by the State Government.

The Government-controlled irrigation areas extend southward from Waroona (70 miles from Perth) to Dardanup (120 miles from Perth) and have an average width of about five miles.

Water Usage Trials With Bananas On The Gascoyne, W M. Nunn

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

THE banana industry at Carnarvon is an unusual one by most agricultural standards.

Normally a tropical plant liking relatively humid conditions in a high rainfall, the banana is cultivated at Carnarvon in an area of extremely low rainfall and with relatively low humidity throughout the year.

Water is pumped to irrigate the crop from the sands of the Gascoyne River bed or from bores adjacent to the river course.