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Fisheries science update - Western Australian Salmon Resource - September 2023
No full textKey points: 2023 stock assessment outcomes: The latest weight of evidence stock assessment for Western Australian salmon indicates the status of the stock is adequate and the risk to the stock is low. This means that there are no sustainability concerns for the stock. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks our aquatic resources by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments on a regular basis. This science update follows on from the previous Western Australian salmon update in 2017. Detailed information on the latest stock assessment is available in Fisheries Research Report No. 336
Identification of promising accessions of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) from six years of genetic resource regeneration activity
No full textSubterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) is one of the most widely sown annual pasture legume species across southern Australia. Over 9000 accessions of subterranean clover are conserved in the Australian Pastures Genebank (APG) in Adelaide, South Australia. One of the functions of the APG is to regenerate accessions of forage species that have low seed stocks or low seed viability. During the period 2016 to 2021, over 1000 accessions of subterranean clover from the subspecies of subterraneum, yanninicum and brachycalycinum were grown in unreplicated small plots in the field in Western Australia to replenish seed stocks. Basic morphological data was recorded for confirmation (and correction) of historical descriptions and to fill gaps in the database. Additional information was collected on distinguishing leaf markers, winter vigour and days to flowering. A comparison of seed yield and winter vigour with a well-established benchmark cultivar cv. Dalkeith (T. subterraneum ssp subterraneum) has identified a cohort of promising accessions that merit further field evaluation
Warming temperatures exacerbate groundwater depletion rates in India
No full textClimate change will likely increase crop water demand, and farmers may adapt by applying more irrigation. Understanding the extent to which this is occurring is of particular importance in India, a global groundwater depletion hotspot, where increased withdrawals may further jeopardize groundwater resources. Using historical data on groundwater levels, climate, and crop water stress, we find that farmers have adapted to warming temperatures by intensifying groundwater withdrawals, substantially accelerating groundwater depletion rates in India. When considering increased withdrawals due to warming, we project that the rates of net groundwater loss for 2041–2080 could be three times current depletion rates, even after considering projected increases in precipitation and possible decreases in irrigation use as groundwater tables fall. These results reveal a previously unquantified cost of adapting to warming temperatures that will likely further threaten India’s food and water security over the coming decades
PestFacts WA Issue 08 - June 2023
No full textPestFacts WA Issue 8 - June 2023 contents: The unknown “Dongara” weevil has been attacking canola European earwigs are hatching again Blackleg in canola Sclerotinia stem rot Early spot-form net blotch is around, but stay calm and don’t spray Scald on barleyhttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fc_pestfactswa/1010/thumbnail.jp
Natural Resources slideshow 2
No full textSalt lakes and ancient valleys of the WA Wheatbelthttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/nrm_images/1001/thumbnail.jp
Recreational fishing identification guide
No full textThis guide has been developed to help you identify the more common species in Western Australia that you may encounter. The purpose of this guide is to enhance consistent and accurate species identification. If you are unsure about a particular species (or if it is not in this guide), please discuss it with a representative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.
Throughout this guide you will see all or some of the marine bioregion symbols with each fish illustration, indicating where the species is most likely to occur.
Updated August 2023.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_fop/1023/thumbnail.jp
Review of toxicity of agricultural chemicals and implications for aquatic fauna of the Keep River
No full textThis report was compiled for the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) as part of the National Water Grid Authority (NWGA) project entitled “Managing water quality to enable future irrigation development in the Kimberley Region, WA”. The purpose of this report is to review the toxicity of farm chemicals (herbicides and insecticides) used by farm operators in the Keep River catchment and their potential impacts on the aquatic species in the river, in particular those species that are listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It is designed to complement the report entitled “Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling to evaluate effect of farm chemicals on the lower pools of the Keep River” compiled by GHD Pty. Ltd., and to inform management of current and future agricultural practices in the catchment.
Investigators from Murdoch University, DPIRD, GHD, The University of Queensland and Farmacist presented preliminary results of these investigations into the potential toxicity of agricultural chemicals in use on farms in the Keep River catchment and mitigation and management options to key stakeholders in Kununurra on 29-30 March 2023
Skeleton weed in Western Australia: Control program 2023–2024
No full textSkeleton weed can reduce crop yields by competing for moisture and nutrients (mainly nitrogen). This guide helps you manage and eradicate skeleton weed infestations on your property, and helps to stop the spread across WA. Without the coordinated program aimed at controlling the spread, skeleton weed would now be much more abundant and widely established throughout cereal growing areas.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bs_bulletins/1001/thumbnail.jp
Building the soil and the community at Hollands Track Farm, Newdegate, Western Australia
No full textThe Kelly family have been farming at Hollands Track Farm, about 18 km south-west of Newdegate, since 1965. They currently produce grains, beef, eggs and sheep. Long-term annual average rainfall is 350 mm. The Kellys were early adopters – in the 1990s – of the no-till farming system, which is now widely used in Western Australia. Around 2002 they sold the last of their sheep and moved to a continuous cropping program with increased fertiliser and chemical use. They were very good at this system, and it served them well. They really enjoy the challenge of growing good crops. Over time, persistent weeds emerged on the farm and these – along with other constraints including soil compaction, low pH and decreasing nutrient and carbon levels – led them to investigate ways to solve these problems. The Kellys developed a series of soil care principles to guide their farm management. These principles are founded in nature: maintain groundcover; minimise soil disturbance; keep living plants with roots in the soil for as much of the year as possible; encourage diversity – no monocultures; integrate animals; reduce or eliminate synthetics. These principles are all aimed at increasing biodiversity above and below the ground to produce nutrient-dense food that is free from pesticide residues. They are based on the knowledge that biodiversity enables efficient nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration through plant root exudates and biomass breakdown, improved water infiltration through soil aggregates, and increased water-holding capacity. The Kellys have trialled and adopted a wide range of new practices to enable them to achieve their goals
Chicken’s best friend? Livestock guardian dog bonding with free-ranging chickens
No full textGrowth in the free-range and pastured egg industries has increased globally, necessitating improvements in predator control. Some egg producers are turning to the use of livestock guardian dogs (LGD; Canis familiaris) to protect hens from predation. We worked on a property where pastured layer hens were protected by two Maremma LGDs that were released from their chicken enclosure for 2–3 nights a week. GPS tracking showed that the dogs were more strongly bonded to people than the chickens, spending most of their time at night (96.1% of location data) close to the farmhouse and only 0.09% near their chicken paddock. Despite this lack of attendance, we found no change in the paddock space use by chickens with or without the dogs present (P = 0.999). Furthermore, camera trapping revealed 40 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) events over the 46-d monitoring period, with less fox activity on nights when the LGDs were allowed to roam the property and motion-activated spotlights were also deployed (P = 0.048). An online survey of 59 poultry producers found strong belief in the effectiveness of LGDs, although half the respondents (52%) indicated that they were still experiencing predation issues. There was no association with the reported degree of human bonding of their LGDs, but respondents were more likely to report current issues with predators if they owned 100 or more chickens (P = 0.031). The present case study as well as the farmer survey have identified that LGDs can be strongly bonded to people. Although there was no evidence of subsequently increased risk of predation, bonding with people could draw LGDs away from the animals they should be defending, with predation risk for poultry likely to depend on how far away LGDs move from their livestock