Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
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Smut and bunt diseases of cereals and their management
No full textCereal smut and bunt diseases are caused by fungi that parasitise the host plant and produce masses of soot-like spores in the leaves, grains, or ears. The diseases can reduce yield and quality of harvested grain
Reduce crop weed seed numbers in the soil
No full textThere are various methods of weed control in the pre-sowing phase, including removing weed seed numbers in the soil, fallow, stubble, and by various methods. This factsheet covers some of the methods, including:
• Burning crop residues to reduce the surface seed bank of many weeds
• Encouraging insect predation of seed
• Inversion ploughing to bury weed seeds at a depth they can’t germinate
• Autumn tickle to encourage earlier germination of weed seeds for destruction using a knockdown herbicide
• Delaying sowing to allow greater germination of weed seeds for destruction using a knockdown herbicide or cultivation, prior to crop sowing
Wheat response to foliar-applied phosphorus is determined by soil phosphorus buffering
No full textIn no-till cropping systems, banding of phosphorus (P) fertiliser at seeding results in low use efficiency due to chemical reactions in soil. Foliar P has the potential to allow grain producers to respond tactically with P application after sowing when P supply from soil and fertiliser is not meeting crop demand. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of foliar P on wheat grain yield, grain quality, biomass yield, P uptake and P use efficiency indices. Nine field experiments were conducted to investigate the response of wheat to foliar P. Three rates of P, 0, 2.5 and 5.0 kg/ha, as phosphoric acid (H3PO4 85%) were applied to wheat at three different growth stages: first tiller emergence (Z21), first node detection (Z31) and flag leaf emergence (Z39). Grain yield responses ranging from 176 kg/ha to 505 kg/ha to foliar-applied P were observed in six out of nine experiments. The percent grain yield response to foliar P was negatively related to the P buffering index (PBI, 0–10 cm soil depth), which is attributed to greater sorption by soil of the foliar P at the higher PBI levels. Mean agronomic efficiency (AE) across the experiments was 111 kg/kg P but reached up to 232 kg/kg P. It was also evident that foliar P has the potential to improve P concentration in shoots and grains and increase P uptake but with no or minimal effect on grain quality. Our results suggest that a combination of tissue testing at the seedling stage and soil P buffering can be used to guide when foliar P application is likely to increase grain yield in wheat
WA Insecticide Guide 2024 - Winter Spring
No full textThe insecticides listed in the tables within this guide can be used on any crop appearing on the chemical label, if the rate used does not exceed the highest rate that is registered for use on that crop.
There are many products with different trade names that contain the same active ingredient. This list is not exhaustive and does not imply any specific recommendations of brand names.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fc_pestfactswa/1022/thumbnail.jp
East Pilbara, Shire of - BEN sign map – 1 of 1
No full textBeach Emergency Number (BEN) Signage Installation Map – Shire of East Pilbarahttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_bens/1054/thumbnail.jp
Integrated surveillance and monitoring program for endemic insects in canola and a native budworm moth trapping program in WA.
No full textThe collection contains the datasets on a surveillance and monitoring program for incidence and severity of endemic insects of canola (native budworm, diamondback moth, aphids and beneficial insects), and native budworm moth numbers recorded in a trapping program in the GRDC Western Region
Experiment-modelling-integration of fundamental physiological processes towards digital twin: light-response of photosynthesis as an example
No full textHorticulture industries worldwide face multi-dimensional challenges (e.g., climate change, soil degradation, increasing production costs and global population, etc.). Industry-oriented research and development innovations in the past decades have significantly helped fruit crop industries overcome these challenges, towards modern orchard production systems with enhanced resilience, productivity, profitability and sustainability. Key examples of these innovation efforts include new planting systems optimizing tree crop light relation, sensor technologies auto-monitoring real-time plant functions, data integration and model stimulation towards digital decision tools to support growers identify yield-related issues at early stages, digital twin of perennial orchard production systems (e.g., apple, mango, grapevine) via integrating biological, physical and digital properties and processes – across leaf, canopy, whole-tree and stand levels – to simulate the consequences of changed environment and/or management practices on production systems. However, partly due to the complexity of bridging cross-disciplinary knowledge advancement, there could be fundamental physiological processes which have been experimentally observed for decades but still not been well reproduced by models. Using the light-response of photosynthesis as an example, this paper reviewed recent experiment-modelling-integration efforts towards the accurate model representation. This paper reviewed the performances of two models – the most widely used non-rectangular hyperbolic model (NH model) and a more recently developed mechanistic and nonasymptotic model (Ye model) which has been gaining increasing attention NDASH in fitting light response of 1) photosynthesis, 2) electron transport rate (and its allocation for ribulose bisphosphate carboxylation and oxygenation), and 3) stomatal conductance and water use efficiency, across light-limited (particularly 0-50 μmol m‑2 s‑1), light-saturated and photoinhibitory light intensity levels. The accuracy of Ye model and its consistency of model framework in reproducing these concurrent photosynthetic functions under the changing light environment, make it ready to be adopted by the current and future digital twin efforts on two-dimensional multileader narrow orchard systems
Claying to ameliorate soil water repellence
No full textClaying involves adding and incorporating clay-rich subsoil into water repellent topsoil to overcome the repellence. Adding clay-rich soil provides a long-term solution to soil water repellence, and increases soil water holding capacity, reduces wind erosion risk, and may reduce frost risk.
Claying is best suited to medium to high rainfall environments in Western Australia, with higher crop and pasture yield potential
Soil inversion to ameliorate soil water repellence
No full textOne-off soil inversion results in the burial of the water repellent topsoil in a layer that is typically a depth of 15 to 35 cm and brings to the surface a layer of wettable subsoil.
Other benefits include burial of herbicide resistant weed seeds, removal of compaction, improved access to nutrients, reduced disease risk, and incorporation of soil amendments such as lime.
Soil inversion should always be done when the soil is wet to more than the depth of inversion, and a crop or cover can be sown to reduce the risk of wind erosion.
Caution - Deep cultivation can increase the risk of wind and water erosion. Inversion tillage can also increase the efficacy and residual damage of some herbicides, resulting in crop damage.
Deep soil mixing and soil inversion using rotary spaders, large offset discs, mouldboards, and one-way ploughs typically removes all soil cover and completely loosens the soil to the depth of operation. This results in a high risk of wind and water erosion, especially when the soil is dry
Rabbit control in urban and semi-urban areas
No full textThis factsheet provides information on control options for rabbits in urban and semi-urban areas in Western Australia (WA).
Rabbits cause considerable losses to agricultural and horticultural industries. They can cause serious environmental problems, such as soil erosion and degradation of native vegetation. Rabbits also compete with native fauna for food and habitat.
Rabbits may be a problem or a nuisance in urban environments where they can damage lawns and gardens, buildings, garages, and sheds. Rabbits can also damage golf courses, sports grounds, and parkland reserves.
The options for control of rabbits in urban areas are more limited than in rural areas. Complicating factors in urban areas include public health concerns and the presence and proximity of neighbours, domestic pets, or livestock