Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
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Native pasture restoration in the Kimberley rangelands, Western Australia – seed production areas
No full textThe pastoral industry in the Kimberley region is an important economic contributor to Western Australia. However, as a result of past land management practices, there has been a decline of the more desirable native pasture grasses resulting in a loss of feed-base productivity. To reverse this decline, research is being conducted to help restore important native pasture grasses in this region.
In the Kimberley region, access to native grass seed for restoration is limited as wild-harvest is opportunistic, typically un-mechanised and ripe seed collection sites can be difficult to access during the wet season. Establishing a Seed Production Area (SPA) close to existing all weather roads will allow access to seed at the optimum harvesting time, and planting of single species on flat terrain will allow rapid and efficient collection of seed especially if using mechanical harvesters. Also, the use of fertiliser and irrigation could improve seed quality and increase seed production. This should improve the availability and reduce the cost of native grass seed for use in restoration of native grasses to degraded rangelands and mine-sites.
Six native grass species have been planted out on a small scale to trial a SPA located in Perth, Western Australia. Plants were fertilised and irrigated during summer. Plant growth and phenology were monitored and seed quality compared to wild-harvested seed. Irrigation extended the flowering period and hence seed production. Seed fill (a measure of seed viability) from the SPA was equal to or significantly greater than for wild-harvested seed. There was a trend towards increased seed yield and seed fill in the SPA when grasses were cut before summer re-growth, and with increased irrigation
Western Australian and South Australian grain enterprise emission intensities and gross margins: a review
No full textDrawing on various datasets, crop enterprise emission intensities and gross margins are reported for the main broadacre crops grown in Western Australia and South Australia. Values are reported for various rainfall regions and across time, and for different farm performance groupings. As a generalisation, in each region, wheat and canola production display marked increases in emissions intensity across the study period whilst legume crops’ emission intensities increase far less. Wheat crops display upward emission intensity trajectories across time whilst displaying different rates of increase in emissions intensity according to regional rainfall. Canola demonstrates higher emissions intensities per tonne compared to cereal crops, with distinct emission intensity patterns across the different types of canola (e.g. Roundup Ready ® canola versus conventional canola). Canola emissions per tonne when compared to those of cereals show a stronger positive relationship with gross margins across all rainfall regions. Lupins generate substantially lower emissions per tonne compared to cereals and canola, whilst other pulses display a wide range of emission intensities. Regional differences in emission intensity trajectories are observed for several principal crop types, with farms in high rainfall regions often displaying the lowest emissions per tonne. Within the farm business population in each State some farms simultaneously achieve high economic returns at far lesser emissions intensity. These farms may exemplify feasible desirable pathways that other farms could follow. Improved gross margin and environmental objectives might be feasibly achieved for more farms via improved farm management, complemented with the development of cost-effective, emission-reducing technologies that deliver sustainable intensification without compromising economic returns
Fisheries Research Report No. 360: Best practice and policy in Australian abalone stock enhancement, FRDC Project No. 2019/110
No full textThis report provides the most comprehensive evaluation of abalone stock enhancement in Australia to date. The review demonstrates the significant advancements in abalone stock enhancement and concludes that the knowledge and expertise to undertake large-scale (commercial) abalone stock enhancement is present within Australia. The development of policy/guidelines on marine stock enhancement has occurred across all jurisdictions but is still limited in abalone specific policy that could facilitate commercial enhancement programs effectively. Unfortunately, there is a high degree of variability between jurisdictions in both capacity and policy, which was reflected in the jurisdictional scoring against current “best practice” on marine stock enhancement. The framework developed as a National Approach, deciphers the complexity around stock enhancement as a fisheries management tool and provides all jurisdictions with a foundation to investigate enhancement programs that satisfy the objectives of their abalone population/fishery/stakeholders. The versatility of the framework allows any jurisdiction to develop future programs that facilitate the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of Australia’s abalone fisheries
2026 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide
No full textThe 2026 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide has been compiled by officers in the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. It provides information to support variety decisions for each of the major crops for the upcoming season.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1368/thumbnail.jp
WAARC, a state government funding initiative to catalyse agricultural research in northern Western Australia
No full textThere is broad agreement that research and development is an investment in the future viability and success of an industry. This view has underpinned the establishment of the Western Australian Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC). This Western Australian (WA) state government initiative is designed to foster collaboration among WA’s participating research organisations (DPIRD, CSIRO, Grower Group Alliance and the universities of Curtin, Murdoch and WA to support WA-centric new projects and research capacity building. WAARC is seeking to support longer-horizon research developing and integrating new areas of science with potential for industry application and to enhance early-career development opportunities for researchers. Its creation is a response to the diminution of a consolidated research capacity in WA. The WAARC initiative currently comprises six program of work, all of which are potentially relevant to the sustainable intensification of agricultural production in northern Australia. Of these, the Northern Agriculture program focuses exclusively on developing research and research capacity in this region. The objective of the program is to increase the Gross Value of Production through intensification of agriculture by 2030 focusing on sustainable growth of irrigated agriculture and the northern beef industry. A key priority in the Northern Agriculture program is the integration of irrigated agriculture and beef production. Growth in agriculture in northern WA focuses on intensifying the cattle industry and optimising irrigated agriculture, ensuring that this is achieved in a way that is environmentally and socially responsible. A related key priority is capturing economic benefit of growth by First Nations’ pastoral and related enterprises
Toward a global repository of insect traits (GRIT)
No full textThe pace of biodiversity loss outstrips our ability to conserve Earth\u27s most diverse group of named species—the insects (Arthropoda: Insecta). We increasingly rely on trait-based metrics to understand how insects respond to and affect their environment. Traits provide insights that aid conservation assessment and planning. Yet, we lack a centralised trait database for insects, hampering insights that could inform ecological research and conservation management planning. We propose the creation of the Global Repository of Insect Traits (GRIT). GRIT will cover all world regions, realms and insect taxa. It will provide open and FAIR access to comprehensive trait data compiled from both currently available and future datasets. This proposal is an open call for all to join a global network of collaborators in a collective effort to accelerate the compilation of insect trait data and increase the transparency of data sharing and accessibility in the field. We envision the use of state-of-the-art methods in trait acquisition and imputation to build computational tools that can extract and validate trait data from unstructured text, accelerating information availability by orders of magnitude. We anticipate the development of analytical tools that contribute to a governance structure, ensuring the long-term success of the database and extraction tools. Finally, we outline future opportunities and identify several research questions that could be readily answered once data are assembled. Recognising the numerous challenges inherent in this project, we invite a robust discussion on strategies to effectively address obstacles
Biosecurity Council of Western Australia annual report 2024-25
No full textEstablished in 2008, the Biosecurity Council of Western Australia (Council) is a specialist advisory group to the Minister for Agriculture and Food (Minister), the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC and Director General (DG) of Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
The Council operates at a strategic level, with a long-term vision for effective biosecurity in Western Australia (WA) for the protection of WA’s environment, agriculture and aquaculture industries, social amenity, and economic development.
Matters the Council may provide advice on include, but are not limited to:
• the requirements of a comprehensive and effective biosecurity system for WA
• significant gaps in, or necessary improvements to the biosecurity system
• opportunities to improve industry, public awareness, and support for biosecurity objectives
• opportunities to improve government, community, and industry cooperation and collaboration on biosecurity matters
• issues referred to the Council by the Minister or D
Sustainable fishmeal alternatives: Impact of partially defatted black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) meal on growth and health of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi)
No full textReducing fishmeal (FM) in aquaculture diets is essential for improving sustainability and reducing reliance on marine resources. Black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larvae meal is a promising alternative protein source. This study evaluated the effects of replacing FM with BSF meal on the growth and health of juvenile yellowtail kingfish (YTK) (Seriola lalandi, initial weight ~22 g). Fish were reared in 24 tanks (three replicates per treatment) and fed for 33 days under controlled conditions. Eight diets were tested: a control (40% FM) and seven diets with BSF meal replacing FM at 25%, 50%, or 75%, with or without garlic and tuna hydrolysate additives. Fish fed 25% and 50% BSF diets showed growth and feed conversion comparable to the control, while 75% BSF significantly reduced growth due to decreased feed intake. Additives did not improve feed intake. Histological analysis indicated good gut health and nutrient absorption. Serum cholesterol decreased with BSF inclusion, and urea levels varied. No significant changes in gene expression were observed in the gut, liver, or brain. Microbiome analysis showed increased diversity and compositional shifts at higher BSF levels. These results support the use of BSF meal as a sustainable FM replacement at moderate inclusion levels, with further research needed to address palatability at higher levels
Coverage matters: identifying and mitigating sampling frame issues in recreational fishing surveys
No full textSurveys play an integral part in monitoring and maintaining sustainable recreational fisheries. For any probabilistic survey, the selection of a sampling frame (e.g., list of individuals or fishers) is an important decision because it influences the ability to provide unbiased estimates of recreational catch and effort. Undercoverage occurs when units of the target population (i.e., the population of interest) are missing from the frame population. This error can undermine the reliability of research advice generated from survey estimates. In this review, we: (i) define six sampling frame configurations that are commonly applied in probabilistic recreational fishing surveys; (ii) synthesise how coverage errors associated with each configuration have been addressed for marine recreational fisheries globally; (iii) outline approaches to identify and correct for coverage errors; and (iv) recommend how to future-proof coverage issues. In our six case studies, multiple types of undercoverage were identified and addressed to varying extents, depending on the characteristics of each fishery and type of sampling frame used. Generalised list frames (particularly phone lists) are arguably the most prone to undercoverage error. To assist in future-proofing surveys, we recommend: (1) considering coverage error during survey planning; (2) designing pilot surveys or scheduling concurrent surveys to evaluate and/or correct for potential bias; (3) recognising that coverage error often changes through time; (4) using technological or multi-frame approaches to mitigate coverage error; (5) considering model-based survey tools to correct for undercoverage; and (6) documenting the sampling frame and potential sources of coverage error in publications. These recommendations extend to inland recreational fisheries, commercial fishing surveys and fisheries-independent surveys
Fisheries Occasional Publication No.148 - Aquaculture of Seaweed in Western Australia: Policy Principles Relating to Licences and Exemptions for the Aquaculture of Seaweed in Western Australia
No full textof aquaculture, and clarifies the process and information required to assess applications for aquaculture licences, leases and exemptions for seaweed aquaculture in WA.
Development of principles will support decision-making for the take of wild seaweed and for the grant or variation of aquaculture licences for seaweed aquaculture.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_fop/1082/thumbnail.jp