Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
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Cattle performance grazing canola and cereal crops
No full textThe Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development conducted research to investigate and demonstrate the performance of cattle grazing canola and cereal compared to animals left on pasture and investigate the value of spelling the pasture during the time the cattle are grazing crops.
Cattle grazing cereal crops had a higher liveweight gain compared to the cattle that remained on the pasture. However to see a significant benefit from grazing dual purpose crops, the grazing period may need to be longer than 4 weeks particularly when grazing canola.
The highest growth rates for cattle grazing the cereal crops were achieved when the stocking density was 12 DSE/ha. The growth rate reduced as the stocking density was increased
Red fox
No full textThis factsheet provides information on the red fox in Western Australia (WA).
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a native of the northern hemisphere where it occurs throughout most of Europe, Asia, North America, and the northern coast of Africa. The red fox was first introduced to Australia (Victoria) from Britain as early as 1845 for hunting with foxhounds. Having become successfully established in Victoria by about 1870, it colonised most of mainland Australia over the next 70 years. Foxes are not found in the most northern regions of Australia, including northwest Kimberley.
In WA, the fox is a declared pest under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, which is administered by the department. It is declared for the whole of the State in the management control category C3, and the prohibited keeping category.
The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL) contains information on the area(s) in which this pest is declared and the control and keeping categories. For more information, see the WAOL list on website at dpird.wa.gov.au
Bathurst burr and its control
No full textBathurst burr (Xanthium spinosum) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant, requirements land owners/occupiers must adhere to, control methods, and how to search, detect, and report it.
Bathurst burr is a summer growing annual shrubby plant originating in South America. In south west Australia, some mature plants survive well into winter, with the result that burrs may be found for most of the year. The weed spreads entirely by burrs, which are usually carried by people or animals, attached to clothes, fur, or other fibre by their hooked spines. They may also be dispersed by water or as a contaminant in seeds and hay
European wasp information for local government
No full textThe department’s European wasp surveillance and eradication program is a yearly campaign, aimed at detecting the presence of this destructive pest as early as possible so that nests can be found and eradicated.
The continued success of European wasp surveillance and eradication program relies on surveillance in metropolitan Perth and regional areas, strong community awareness, and participation between residents, business owners, community groups, industry, and government
Evaporation basins for salinity management
No full textAn evaporation basin is an engineered earth structure designed to safely store and evaporate saline water discharged from drainage or pumping, while protecting high-value agricultural land, natural assets or built infrastructure.
DPIRD recommends that evaporation basins should form part of an integrated water and salinity management program. Information on this page is a guide only.
It is recommended that landholders seek expert advice plus engineering design and related support from qualified contractors
Chickpeas in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA)
No full textKabuli chickpeas are a high value industry in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA). Largeseeded, high-quality grain is grown for domestic and export markets.
The Ord River District Co-operative Ltd markets locally grown Kabuli chickpeas. It mainly supplies domestic markets in Australian capital cities where chickpeas are sold as whole seed in specialty shops.
Information on the areas grown, yields and other details could not be obtained from the cooperative as they are regarded as commercial in-confidence. Chickpeas are also sold in larger volumes to Australian manufacturers to make falafel, hummus and other dips. The processing market requires varieties with specific aftercooking flavour.
The major competitors for supplying premium size markets are Mexico, Portugal and Turkey
West Coast Rock Lobster Resource Harvest Strategy
No full textHarvest strategies for Western Australia’s (WA) aquatic resources are formal documents developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) to support decision-making processes that ensure the outcomes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002a) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). Harvest strategies are a key component of all contemporary fishery management systems and a requirement for certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and the Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 (ARMA), which is anticipated to replace the FRMA once fully implemented.
This West Coast Rock Lobster Resource (WCRLR) Harvest Strategy (Harvest Strategy) has been developed and revised in line with the Department’s Harvest Strategy Policy for Aquatic Resources (Department of Fisheries 2015; Fletcher et al., 2016) and is consistent with relevant national harvest strategy policies and guidelines (e.g. Sloan et al. 2014; Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 2018a, b). It establishes the specific set of decision rules that determine the appropriate harvest levels for all sectors to meet the ecological, economic and social objectives established for the resource.
The publication of this Harvest Strategy is intended to make the decision-making considerations and processes for the management of the WCRLR transparent and provide a basis for informed dialogue on management actions with resource users and other stakeholders (Department of Fisheries 2015).
The Harvest Strategy provides guidance for decision-makers but does not derogate from or limit the exercise of discretion required for independent decision-making by the Minister for Fisheries, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DPIRD, or other delegated decision-makers in order to meet the objects of the FRMA
Bedstraw Eradication Program 2023-24: Annual report
No full textThe Bedstraw Eradication Program operates under the Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Industry Funding Scheme (Grains) Regulations 2010.
Approved Plans developed annually for each infested property in consultation with the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Management Committee (GSHIMC), the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and the landholders detail management actions, estimated costs and timeframes of agreed actions. DPIRD implements the Program which includes 6 consecutive years of winter spray treatments, followed by a 3-year release protocol and post-eradication monitoring phase. Machinery inspections, quarantining, landholder compliance winter spraying and end of season double-knock herbicide treatments form the key components of the Approved Program
Managing barley powdery mildew in the face of fungicide resistance
No full textBarley powdery mildew populations resistant to some fungicide active ingredients are present in the WA grainbelt. Integrated disease management strategies to manage the disease include growing varieties with improved resistance and strategic use of fungicides
Capeweed and its management
No full textCapeweed (Arctotheca calendula) is a prostrate, stemless, sprawling annual herb that germinates during autumn and winter. In Western Australia (WA), competition from 7 to 90 capeweed plants per square metre in a wheat crop can reduce crop yield by 28 to 44% and net return by 25 to 76%