Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
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Fire and ant interactions mediated by honeydew and extrafloral nectar in an australian tropical savanna
No full textFire is a major disturbance affecting ecosystems globally, but its impact on mutualisms has received minimal attention. Here, we use a long-term field experiment to investigate the impact of different fire regimes on globally important ant–honeydew and ant–extrafloral nectar (EFN) mutualistic interactions in an Australian tropical savanna. These interactions provide ants with a key energy source, while their plant and hemipteran hosts receive protection services. We examined ant interactions on species of Eucalyptus (lacking EFNs) and Acacia (with EFNs) in three replicate plots each of burning every 2 and 3 years early in the dry season, burning late in the dry season every 2 years, and unburnt for \u3e 25 years. The proportions of plants with ant–honeydew interactions in Acacia (44.6%) and Eucalyptus (36.3%) were double those of Acacia plants with ant–EFN interactions (18.9%). The most common ants, representing 85% of all interactions, were behaviourally dominant species of Oecophylla, Iridomyrmex and Papyrius. Fire promoted the incidence of ant interactions, especially those involving EFNs on Acacia, which occurred on only 3% of plants in unburnt plots compared with 24% in frequently burnt plots. Fire also promoted the relative incidence of behaviourally dominant ants, which are considered the highest quality mutualists. Contrary to expectations, frequent fire did not result in a switching of behaviourally dominant ant partners from forest-adapted Oecophylla to arid-adapted Iridomyrmex. Our findings that frequent fire increases ant interactions mediated by honeydew and extrafloral nectar, and promotes the quality of ant mutualists, have important implications for protective services provided by ants in highly fire-prone ecosystems
Weed Seed Wizard case study - don\u27t stop harvest weed management because it’s a dry year
No full textThe Weed Seed Wizard is a national collaborative project that uses paddock management information to predict weed emergence and crop losses now and in the future.
The Weed Seed Wizard is a computer simulation tool that: applies to all Australian grain growing areas helps growers understand and manage weed seedbanks on their farms uses farm management records to simulate how different crop rotations, weed control techniques, irrigation, grazing and harvest management tactics can affect weed numbers, the weed seedbank and yields uses farm-specific management and site-specific weather is multi-species
See www.dpird.wa.gov.au for further information on Weed Seed Wizard.
This case study considers weed seed numbers in poor seasons
Desi chickpea – essentials for growing a successful crop
No full textChickpeas are a suitable break crop for heavier soils with pH above 5.5 in calcium chloride. For trouble free chickpea growing, select a current variety with tolerance to Ascochyta, have a disease management plan, use an inoculant at sowing, and sow into a clean paddock, as post emergent broadleaf herbicide application can be ineffective
Management options for a frosted crop
No full textThere are numerous options for managing crops that have been frosted. The following table highlights these options and the pros and cons of each. The suitability of each option depends on the severity of the frost, what can be done at the cheapest cost and give best return on investment, and maximising weed control
Breakout - ESG: co-designing sustainability solutions for the WA F&B manufacturing sector
No full textThis workshop is tailored for participants interested in exploring global best practice sustainability in food and beverage manufacturing, and connecting with likeminded stakeholders to co-design their own solutions for greener value chains.
Professor Min Teah will present leading examples from around the world and offer opportunity to hear perspectives from local businesses on their different approaches to tackling common challenges, improving sustainability outcomes, and moving from sustainability as a niche concept and additional expense to a requirement for market access and basis for improved business and commercial outcomes.
Participants will be able ask questions; identify, brainstorm and problem-solve shared challenges; identify potential partners and opportunities for collaboration and investment; and discuss and co-design solutions and progress tangible sustainability schemes for the WA food and beverage manufacturing sector.
Special guests at this breakout session include Rob Whyte from Hippie (Kombucha brewing company using a unique return-refresh-reuse program for its glass bottles) Mel Holland from Rocky Ridge Brewing Company (a scope 1, 2 & 3 carbon neutral brewery committed to lowering their emissions to net zero by 2025, whilst growing their production and revenue) Chris Tistrand from Dinner Twist (a carbon neutral meal kit service using local ingredients and sustainable packaging) Doriana Mangili from Sweeter Banana (a local producer finding innovative ways to improve environmental outcomes and reduce food waste, environmental footprint and carbon miles) Samantha Watson from FMCG Guru and Prof Consulting (a business and marketing strategist specialising in retail for fast moving consumer goods, with local and international experience and expertise in go-to-market planning and guiding businesses to growth and commercial success
Including methane emissions from agricultural ponds in national greenhouse gas inventories
No full textAgricultural ponds are a significant source of greenhouse gases, contributing to the ongoing challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Nations are encouraged to account for these emissions in their national greenhouse gas inventory reports. We present a remote sensing approach using open-access satellite imagery to estimate total methane emissions from agricultural ponds that account for (1) monthly fluctuations in the surface area of individual ponds, (2) rates of historical accumulation of agricultural ponds, and (3) the temperature dependence of methane emissions. As a case study, we used this method to inform the 2024 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports submitted by the Australian government, in compliance with the Paris Agreement. Total annual methane emissions increased by 58% from 1990 (26 kilotons CH4 year–1) to 2022 (41 kilotons CH4 year–1). This increase is linked to the water surface of agricultural ponds growing by 51% between 1990 (115 kilo hectares; 1,150 km2) and 2022 (173 kilo hectares; 1,730 km2). In Australia, 16,000 new agricultural ponds are built annually, expanding methane-emitting water surfaces by 1,230 ha yearly (12.3 km2 year–1). On average, the methane flux of agricultural ponds in Australia is 0.238 t CH4 ha–1 year–1. These results offer policymakers insights into developing targeted mitigation strategies to curb these specific forms of anthropogenic emissions. For instance, financial incentives, such as carbon or biodiversity credits, can mobilize widespread investments toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the ecological and environmental values of agricultural ponds. Our data and modeling tools are available on a free cloud-based platform for other countries to adopt this approach
Great Southern Development Commission
No full textGreat Southern Development Commission boundaryhttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_maps/1045/thumbnail.jp
Spiny lobster recreational fisheries in Australia and New Zealand: An overview of regulations, monitoring, assessment and management
No full textSpiny (rock) lobsters occur globally and, although harvest is dominated by commercial fisheries, it is important to account for recreational harvest in stock assessments and fisheries management. This paper provides a contemporary review of recreational fishing for five spiny lobster species in Australia and New Zealand. Each jurisdiction has established approaches for collecting data which best meet their information needs (telephone-diary or telephone-recall surveys, charter logbooks, tag reporting). Jurisdictions with specific spiny lobster licences (Western Australia, Tasmania) or mandatory reporting (charter logbooks in Western Australia, tag reporting in Victoria) use these registers as a sampling frame for annual reporting of participation, fishing effort, catch (numbers) and harvest (tonnes). All other jurisdictions use a general fishing licence or general population sampling frame for telephone-diary surveys to provide periodic reporting of catch and harvest. Annual participation in spiny lobster recreational fishing was highest in Western Australia (35,236 ± SE 626 fishers in 2022–23), followed by Tasmania (13,715 ± SE 1067 fishers in 2022–23) and Victoria (5516 fishers in 2020–21). Annual recreational harvest of all spiny lobster species, combined for the most recent data collection period in each jurisdiction, was 830 tonnes; consisting mostly of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) from Western Australia and Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) from Tasmania and New Zealand. This review illustrates the various spatial scales of monitoring, reporting and assessment in each jurisdiction. All monitoring provides information on catch and harvest, with some also reporting participation, effort, carapace length and non-catch related variables. The designs underlying these approaches vary from probability-based (opt-out) and census (mandatory), and it is important to understand the benefits and inherent biases of each. Understanding the parallels between jurisdictions offers valuable insights into how to cost-effectively monitor spiny lobster recreational fisheries and integrate this data into stock assessment and harvest strategies to support sustainable fisheries into the future
Rain and potential evapotranspiration are the main drivers of yield for wheat and barley in southern Australia: insights from 12 years of National Variety Trials
No full textContextWater is widely assumed to be the factor most limiting the growth of annual crops in rainfed environments, but this is rarely tested at sub-continental scale. AimsOur study aimed to determine the key environmental and management variables influencing the yield of wheat and barley in the grain-production regions of southern Australia, using data from National Variety Trials. MethodsWe used generalised additive models to determine the importance of climatic and management variables on wheat and barley grain yield. We determined the effects of the best one, two or three variables and their interactions. Key resultsThe aridity index, defined as the ratio of cumulative rainfall to potential evapotranspiration, was the single strongest determinant of grain yield for both crops. Model performance was further improved by separating the aridity index into pre-seasonal and seasonal components. Interestingly, other variables that might be expected to influence yield, such as nitrogen fertilisation and extreme temperatures, had relatively minor effects. A comparison between data collected over two 6-year periods showed that there had been yield gains and increased water-use efficiency with time, especially in wetter environments. ConclusionsOur findings illustrate the importance of water availability for grain production in this region and suggest opportunities for benchmarking and yield prediction through use of readily available climate data. ImplicationsOur study reinforces the importance of factors such as water-use efficiency and drought tolerance as goals for cultivar development and agronomic research in wheat and barley. It also highlights the potential of National Variety Trial data as a resource for understanding grain production systems and climate resilience. Further work could explore the value of additional variables and improved weather data
Transcriptome-wide genetic variations in the legume genus Leucaena for fingerprinting and breeding
No full textLeucaena is a versatile legume shrub/tree used as tropical livestock forage and in timber industries, but it is considered a high environmental weed risk due to its prolific seed production and broad environmental adaptation. Interspecific crossings between Leucaena species have been used to create non-flowering or sterile triploids that can display reduced weediness and other desirable traits for broad use in forest and agricultural settings. However, assessing the success of the hybridisation process before evaluating the sterility of putative hybrids in the target environment is advisable. Here, RNA sequencing was used to develop breeding markers for hybrid parental identification in Leucaena. RNA-seq was carried out on 20 diploid and one tetraploid Leucaena taxa, and transcriptome-wide unique genetic variants were identified relative to a L. trichandra draft genome. Over 16 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 0.8 million insertions and deletions (indels) were mapped. These sequence variations can differentiate all species of Leucaena from one another, and a core set of about 75,000 variants can be genetically mapped and transformed into genotyping arrays/chips for the conduction of population genetics, diversity assessment, and genome-wide association studies in Leucaena. For genetic fingerprinting, more than 1500 variants with even allele frequencies (0.4–0.6) among all species were filtered out for marker development and testing in planta. Notably, SNPs were preferable for future testing as they were more accurate and displayed higher transferability within the genus than indels. Hybridity testing of ca. 3300 putative progenies using SNP markers was also more reliable and highly consistent with the field observations. The developed markers pave the way for rapid, accurate, and cost-effective diversity assessments, variety identification and breeding selection in Leucaena