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Controlling Wind Erosion In Field Pea Stubbles, Jeff Russell

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

The area sown to field peas in Western Australia's eastern wheatbelt has increased from 4000 ha in 1985 to about 35, 000 ha in 1992.

While field peas can be grown on soil types not suited to lupins, their stubble is highly fragile and prone to wind erosion, even at low grazing pressure. This is one reason why some farmers are hesitant to grow field peas.

Haroest losses of field peas can also be high; levels of JOO to 200 kg/ha of seed on the ground are not uncommon. For this reason farmers believe the stubbles should be grazed.

Farmers …

Honey Production In Western Australia, Rob Manning

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

the first ever survey of the potential production and value of apiary products from the south-west of Western Australia has shown beekeepers are collecting only 10 per cent of the potential honey crop.

The biggeest losses in honey production are caused by the enviroment, such as protracted drought, and extreme temperatures, heavy rain and cyclones during flowering. Fire, apiary sites leased but not used, and logging of forests also reduce the availability of apiary sites for honey production.

Results Of Stubble Research In Western Australia, Michael Perry, Ron Jarvis, Mel Mason, David Tennant

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

Few farmers would question the desirability of retaining stubbles, both for control of erosion by wind and water, and to return organic matter to the soil. While the present debate is focused on the short term management of stubbles, longer term effects also need to be considered.

The Department of Agriculture has several long-running trials intended to measure long term effects.

Stubble : Friend And Foe, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

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

Several articles in this issue of the Journal of Agriculture discuss some of the important issues of stubble management. The articles are condensed from some of the papers presented at a stubble workshop at Geraldton in 1991.

Taking The Emu To Market, Paul Frapple, Ruth Hagan

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

Licensed, commercial emu farming in Western Australia is now five years old.

This year, 13,500 birds will be processed for their meat, skin and oil. Production has exceeded demand at prices which the industry considers fair because the industry is still developing marketd for these producys.

Without secure, long term markets, over-production will worsen as the turn-off in this State increases and emus become available from other Australian states and overseas.

The Department of Agriculture is assisting the industry to develop a viable industry.

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 …

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 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.

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.

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.

Fisheries Research Report No 91 - A Synopsis Of The Biology And The Exploitation Of The Australasian Pilchard, Sardinops Neopilchardus (Steindachner) Part Ii: History Of Stock Assessment And Exploitation, W. J. Fletcher

Fisheries Research Reports

This report summarises the studies which have provided information on the population characteristics and exploitation of the pilchard, Sardinops neopilchardus in Australia and New Zealand. This review was undertaken to determine whether existing data could be used to assess the status of Western Australian or other stocks or, alternatively, what additional information was required.

The mean size of pilchards caught varies among locations but, in general, fish are between 140 and 160 mm LCF, corresponding to ages 2 - 5 years. The length-weight relationship also varies between locations

Attempts to initiate pilchard fisheries have been hampered by the lack of …

Survey Of The Damage Caused To Trees By Goats, Steve Gherardi, Dick Mills, Tim Johnson

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

The damage that goats can cause to trees is one of the major problems associated with their farming in the agricultural areas of Australia. It is also considered one of the main hindrances to the development of the goat industry. The Department of Agriculture s Goat Industry Development Unit surveyed mohair and cashmere producers to determine the prevalence of tree damage and its extent and severity; why producers believed goats damaged trees; and how producers minimised or prevented this damage.

Fisheries Research Report No. 89 - Relationships Among Partial And Whole Lengths And Weights For Western Australian Pink Snapper Chrysophrys Auratus (Sparidae), M. J. Moran, C. Burton

Fisheries Research Reports

Pink snapper, Chrysophrysauratus (Sparidae) is one of the major commercial and recreational fish in Western Australian inshore waters. This report presents a number of equations and conversion factors for management and scientific study of the species. Equations to calculate total lengths from partial lengths will facilitate enforcement of minimum legal lengths when snapper are landed in a "head-off" condition. For fisheries science purposes, there are equations to convert among total length, standard length and length to caudal fork; and to convert lengths and weights of processed fish to whole lengths and weights. Length-weight relationships are presented and compared with those …

Fisheries Research Report No 99 - An Investigation Of Weight Loss Of Marron (Cherax Tenuimanus) In Air During Live Transport To Market, Noel Morrissy, Peter Walker, Cliff Fellows, Warren Moore

Fisheries Research Reports

It is generally acknowledged that more competitive marketing of Australian fisheries and aquaculture harvests requires closer attention to post-harvest technology. Historically, these products have been marketed in a variety of forms (e.g., for freshwater crayfish:- boiled fresh, boiled frozen, whole or tails, and live). Some of these forms present a product of actual, or perceived, poorer quality to the retailer and consumer and, thereby, obtain low prices.

Freshwater crayfish can survive out of water for extended periods and, so, can be economically transported alive to the (overseas) restaurant chef. This live product commands the very highest price for the grower. …

Fisheries Research Report No. 92 - Spread Of The Introduced Yabbie Cherax Albidus Clark, 1936 In Western Australia, N. M. Morrissy, G. Cassells

Fisheries Research Reports

This report presents information on the probable original introduction of the eastern Australian yabbie to farm dams in the Wheat-belt Region of the southwest of Western Australia (in 1932 at Narembeen); the probable type of yabbie (the "White Yabby", Cherax albidus Clark 1936 ) and source (Miram Swamp in the Victorian Wimmera); and, in 1985, the first voicing of concern over the spread of yabbies to natural habitats, particularly in the higher rainfall region of the southwest, together with current national and international concerns and advice on introduced aquatic species.

Commercial harvesting ("extensive" aquaculture) of existing yabbie stocks in wheat-belt …

Fisheries Research Report No. 83 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1985/86, R. S. Brown, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The 1985/86 annual catch of the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus, totalled 7,191,968kg (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ), a drop of 1,774,497kg (19.8 per cent) on the 1984/85 season. The value of the 1985/86 catch was approximately $94M based on ABS figures. This drop in catch was almost entirely the result of lower puerulus (first post larval stage, approximately 9 to 11 months old) settlement three to four years before (i.e. 1982/83 and 1981/82). The fall in catch was accompanied by a drop in fishing effort (total number of pot lifts) of 12.1 per cent on the previous season …

Integrated Control Of Soil Insect Pests Of Potatoes, Stewart Learmonth, John Matthiesson

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

One of the more difficult aspects of growing potatoes in Western Australia is controlling soil insect pests. These pests have become more troublesome because the highly effective and persistent organochlorine insecticides previously used to control the main soil pests, African black beetle and whitefringed weevil, were deregistered for agricultural use in 1987. Entomologists from the Department of Agriculture and CSIRO in Western Australia are collaborating to develop new management strategies for these pests that rely less on the use of chemical insecticides

Fisheries Research Report No 85 - A Description Of The British United Trawlers/Southern Ocean Trawlers Operation In The Great Australian Bight During The Period 19.11.77 To 28.5.79, M. H. Walker, S. J. Blight, D. P. Clarke

Fisheries Research Reports

This report documents the operations of three British United Trawlers/Southern Ocean Trawlers freezer stern trawlers in the Great Australian Bight for the period 19.11.77 to 28.5.79. During this period the trawlers conducted 20 fishing trips utilising demersal and pelagic trawling. A description and brief resume of these fishing operations is provided. The trawlers' vessel and gear specifications and fishing and processing operations are also described. The report provides background to Fisheries Research Report 86, which documents the demersal catches made during the trawler operations.

Fisheries Report No 82 - Effects Of Fish Trapping On The Shark Bay Snapper Fishery, M. J. Moran, J. Jenke

Fisheries Research Reports

Traps have been a controversial method of catching pink snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Sparidae) around Shark Bay, Western Australia, since 1959. The history of the issue and the relevant regulations are reviewed; and results of in­vestigations into specific concerns about trap fishing are reported. Concerns of ghost-fishing by lost traps have been largely allayed by underwater TV film of snapper escaping from a standard snapper trap.

A major concern was that traps might physically damage the benthic fauna, e.g. corals. A TV survey showed that while fragile hard corals are abundant in shallower water nearby, the deeper snapper grounds themselves are …

The Benefits Of Weaning Cattle In The Kimberley, David Pratchett, Stuart Young

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Kimberley region was populated with Shorthorn cattle from Queensland and New Sonth Wales in the 1880's. The descendants of these cattle known as Kimberley Shorthorn are still the predominant breed in the region. The relatively poor performance of these cattle under the harsh Kimberley conditions and the fact that changing the genotype can improve productivity was recently published (Pratchett D. WADA Journal No. 4 1988)

While the adoption of Bos indicus breeds is the correct move, improved husbandry can also increase the productivity of the Kimberley Shorthorn cow. The majority of cattle in the Kimberley are not weaned. Sometimes …

Water Erosion Of Farmland In 1988, K J. Bligh

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

Widespread heavy rains in WesternAustralian agricultural areas in 1988 caused severe water erosion, much of which could have been avoided by minimum cultivation and lower stocking rates.

Finishing Kimberley Cattle In The South-West, Brian L. Mcintyre, Bill Ryan, Neville Macintyre

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

The idea of integrating the Kimberley cattle industry with that in the south-west of Western Australia is no new, but until recently it had not been critically evaluated.

Over the past eight years the Department of Agriculture's Beef Cattle Branch has been assessing the performance of Kimberley cattle transported south for finishing in the agricultural areas.

This research has show that Kimberley weaners can be finished in the south, and that under the present (December 1988) economic conditions it is more profitable than running breeding cattle in the south-west and comparable with fattening store steers.

Coastal Plains : Land Use And The Environment, P R. George

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

Five years ago, this Journal of Agriculture reported on ways to overcome severe algal pollution of the Peel-Harvey estuarine system, 70 km south of Perth.

Several articles in this Journal of Agriculture discuss improved agricultural practices on the Swan Coastal Plain in particular, although the principals will apply to similar eutrophication of the Slbany harbours, Wilson Inlet and the Vassee-Wonnerup Estuary. They also emphasixe the fine balance between man's demand for potable water and land for rural, industrial and urban use.

Breeding Field Peas : Screening Pea Lines, G H. Walton

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

The early use of field peas in Western Australia was as a green manure crop or to feed stock be grazing the mature crop. Varieties which produced a large bulk of green material were sown. There was no control over insects or diseases.

In 1985, the Feseral Government recognised that to realize the potential of grain legumes grown throughout Australia, more research was needed.

One of the Grain Legume Research Council's (GLRC) priorities is species evaluation and variety improvement.

Since 1983, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture has screened advanced crossbred lines from the South Australian breeding programme for its …

Rangeland Surveys : A Basis For Improved Land Use, P J. Curry, Alan Payne

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

In mis 1988, the Department of Agriculture started a three-year programme to assist pastoralists in the Murchison River catchment to update land management planning of their stations. This Project, which is funded by the National Soil Conservation Program, will use interim results from a recent rangeland survey which has investigated and mapped the grazing recources throughout the region.

Elsewhere in Western Australia's pastoral areas, information on the productive potential of each area - and the management problems inherent for each class of land - are being used to help pastoral managers of Soil Conservation Districts rehabilitate degraded areas. This information …

Intensive Animal Industries In The Peel-Harvey Catchment, R W. Payne

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

The Swan coastal plain to the north and south of Perth is attractive for the intensive production of pigs and poultry for several reasons. It is close to markets, feed manufacturers and labour; has a less extreme climate than inland areas; and is underlain by a large reserve of high quality groundwater.

Because these are all intensive operations, large quantaties of nutrient-rich waste are produced over a very small area. They can severely damage ground and surface waters unless steps are taken to control the wastes which they produce.

This article oulines both the nature of intensive aniamal industries in …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Ashburton River Catchment, Western Australia, A A. Mitchell, A L. Payne, W F. Holman

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Ashburton River catchment, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1976 and 1978, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed …

Fisheries Report No 76 - The Australian Herring Fishery In Western Australia, 1973 - 1985, Michael H. Walker, Diane P. Clarke

Fisheries Research Reports

The Australian herring (Arripis georgianus) ts a pelagic, largely marine, species which is relatively abundant in the south western waters of Western Australia. It is a close relative of the Australian salmon with a similar life history and habits which includes migrating for the purpose of spawning. The Australian herring is keenly sought both as a food fish and for bait. This report documents the fishery for this species as it has developed during the period 1973 to 1985.

Fisheries Report No 75 - The Commercial Shark Fishery In Temperate Waters Of Western Australia, D. I. Heald

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Australian-based mixed gear fishery for edible shark generally operates from Geraldton to Esperance in waters shallower than 10 fm to a maximum depth of 100 fm. In 1983/84, the total catch was 1262 tonnes live weight. The total shark catch was taken by 158 gillnet boats, 45 longline boats and 152 handline boats. However, nearly two thirds (62%) of these boats caught 1 tonne or less in 1983/84 and were assumed to rely more heavily on other target fisheries than shark.

Of the 20 or so species of shark caught in W.A., 3 species together comprise two thirds …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia, A L. Payne, G F. Spencer, P J. Curry

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Carnarvon Basin, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1980 and 1982, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers …