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Boosting winter pasture growth
No full textApplying gibberellic acid or nitrogen fertiliser to pasture in winter can increase dry matter production of grasses and broadleaf weeds and help reduce feed shortages in winter
Fallow and red deer: requirements to keep
No full textThis factsheet provides information on the requirements for keeping fallow and red deer species in Western Australia.
Fallow (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are declared pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (BAM) Act 2007 in Western Australia (WA).
The department assists in preventing the establishment of deer in the wild. This means a permit is required to keep fallow and red deer in WA. Animals that escape or become feral must be recaptured or destroyed.
Small populations of feral deer occur in WA from escaped captive stock and deliberate release. Deer damage native plants, crops and plantation trees and can transmit exotic livestock diseases.
Fallow and red deer may only be kept in WA under authority of a permit to keep breed or cultivate. All other species of deer are prohibited and not permitted to be kept outside of high security facilities, such as zoological parks and scientific organisations, approved by the Minister.
Requirements for the keeping of deer have been framed to safeguard agriculture, the natural environment, and community. Permits to keep deer will include specific conditions to manage the risks that they pose to WA.
People who wish to keep deer at a particular location must apply for a permit before they obtain the animals, and a permit will only be issued when the department is satisfied (by inspection) that an applicant is able to provide conditions for the safe and secure keeping of deer.
Applicants should also be aware of the relevant industry codes of practice, guidelines, standards and animal husbandry manuals
Grazing annual pastures – using feed on offer (FOO) as a guide
No full textGrazing management in winter and spring in South West Western Australia (SW WA) can manipulate the quality, quantity and composition of pasture. These pasture changes can increase livestock feed efficiency and productivity, reduce insect populations and improve pasture persistence. Seasonal grazing based on feed on offer (FOO) is described here to maximise stocking rate and pasture production.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends using feed measurements and feed budgeting to increase productivity and reduce livestock health risks
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
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
Rotary spading to ameliorate soil water repellence
No full textOne-off deep cultivation can reduce the severity of soil water repellence by mixing some of the repellent topsoil into the wettable subsoil and bringing wettable subsoil to the surface.
Rotary spading or deep cultivation increases water infiltration by providing pathways for water entry; diluting the water repellent soil with non-repellent soil; increasing the breakdown of soil organic matter causing water repellence; in some soil types, spading and other deep cultivation can lift subsoil with higher clay content to the surface.
Deep cultivation increases the risk of wind and water erosion. To minimise the risk of erosion, follow the guidelines on this pag
European wasp baiting trial 2020
No full textA Western Australian-first baiting program implemented by the department to eradicate European wasps from a 9 km stretch of rugged and largely inaccessible bushland of the Darling Scarp yielded promising results
Harvesting, packing and storing bananas in the ORIA (Ord River Irrigation Area)
No full textFor bananas on the Ord River Irrigation Area, length of time to emergence and harvesting depend on air temperature, planting time and sucker management. Ratoon crops are much slower to reach maturity than new crops
Pre-plant fertiliser for brassica crops on loams
No full textFertiliser is a major input cost in vegetable production along with labour and seedling costs. Optimising fertiliser rates and application methods is important to gain maximum benefit. The following information is based on trials carried out from 2008 to 2010 on broccoli and cauliflower crops grown in karri loams at Manjimup, about 300 kilometres south-west of Perth, Western Australia.
Trial results indicate that changes can be made to rates and application methods to optimise fertiliser use. Changes to application methods include strip incorporation of granular fertilisers and the potential for using liquid phosphorus for pre-transplant application
Yield and forage quality of the new forage perennial legume Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata cv. Lanza in response to rainfall reduction and competition
No full textBituminaria bituminosa is a promising drought-tolerant perennial legume which could reduce the vulnerability of Mediterranean livestock systems to drought. A 3-year field split-plot experiment was carried out in southern Spain to test the response of Bituminaria bituminosa cv. Lanza (tedera) to a 24% annual rainfall reduction and competition in terms of yield and forage quality. The experiment included a whole-plot factor, Rainfall, with two treatments, 24% annual rainfall reduction and no rainfall reduction, and two subplot factors: Species (tedera and alfalfa) and Stand (pure and mixed). In the sowing year, tedera in pure stands was as productive as alfalfa in rainfed conditions (2740 kg ha−1). In the second year, a suitable distribution of rainfall until April and a mild winter allowed production of tedera of 9526 kg ha−1 compared to 1811 kg ha−1 of alfalfa. In the third year, both species had a similar yield of 1843 kg ha−1. Rainfall reduction marginally affected (p \u3c 0.1) the species production. The 24% rainfall reduction had less impact on tedera than management and the contrasting weather over years. In the second year, rainfall reduction caused a decline in the yield of, on average, 36% in alfalfa and 17% in tedera. Contrary to the previous year, in the third year, both species showed a similar increase in yield under reduced rainfall due to a possible protective effect of the rainout shelters in winter. Tedera suffered from frost damage indicating the cold tolerance of cv. Lanza may not be enough to persist in some Mediterranean areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Competition strongly affected both species, leading to failure, especially in tedera, whose establishment may be severely limited by fast-growing grasses. Tedera showed suitable forage quality, especially in the leaf fraction (CP = 16%). However, uncut tedera developed lignified stems that caused a great decline in forage quality. Rainfall reduction had little or no impact on forage quality