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A mock up of an agricultural app on an iphone
No full texthttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/site_carousel/1050/thumbnail.jp
Regional Development
No full textRegional Developmenthttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/site_carousel/1063/thumbnail.jp
Miscellaneous
No full textMiscellaneoushttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/site_carousel/1061/thumbnail.jp
South-West Estuarine and Nearshore Finfish Resource Part 1: Sea Mullet and Yellowfin Whiting
No full textThis report focuses on one of the primary target species for which biomass-based stock assessments are periodically undertaken - sea mullet (Mugil cephalus). The report also includes a recent stock assessment for yellowfin whiting (Sillago schomburgkii) due to concerns regarding substantial increases in catch relative to historic levels.
Status of stock(s)
Sea mullet
The current stock level is considered to be acceptable, and the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to deplete the stock to a level at which recruitment could be impaired. On the basis of the evidence provided, the sea mullet stock in south-west WA is classified as Sustainable.
Based on all available lines of evidence, the current risk level for sea mullet in south-west WA is estimated to be Medium, with current management measures considered to be maintaining the stock at an acceptable level.
Yellowfin whiting
The yellowfin whiting stock in south-west WA is classified as Sustainable.
Based on all available lines of evidence, the current risk level for yellowfin whiting in south-west WA is estimated to be Medium, with current management measures considered to be maintaining the stock at an acceptable level
Environmental weed risk assessment protocol for growing non-indigenous plants in the Western Australian rangelands
No full textThis bulletin is a post-border environmental weed risk assessment (WRA) protocol which is based on the Environmental WRA Protocol developed for the Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC), but with some changes to reflect the different environment and objectives.
The WRA protocol was developed specifically as a post-border assessment of non-indigenous species that may have agricultural value in the WA rangelands and the risk that they may become environmental weeds. Weeds can occur in many land-use systems including agriculture, horticulture and forestry; however, the focus of this protocol is on the risk that non-indigenous agricultural plants may become environmental weeds.
The environmental weed risk of a species is assessed for three regions in the pastoral zone of WA using a three-step process. A WRA can provide information for species selection and management to help achieve a balance between agricultural productivity and risk to natural environments.https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1284/thumbnail.jp
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and natural variation analysis demonstrate the potential for HvARE1 in improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in barley
No full textNitrogen is a major determinant of grain yield and quality. As excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer leads to environmental pollution and high production costs, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is fundamental for a sustainable agriculture. Here, we dissected the role of the barley abnormal cytokinin response1 repressor 1 (HvARE1) gene, a candidate for involvement in NUE previously identified in a genome-wide association study, through natural variation analysis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated gene editing. HvARE1 was predominantly expressed in leaves and shoots, with very low expression in roots under low nitrogen conditions. Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of immature embryos (cv. Golden Promise) with single guide RNAs targeting HvARE1 generated 22 T0 plants, from which four T1 lines harbored missense and/or frameshift mutations based on genotyping. Mutant are1 lines exhibited an increase in plant height, tiller number, grain protein content, and yield. Moreover, we observed a 1.5- to 2.8-fold increase in total chlorophyll content in the flag leaf at the grain filling stage. Delayed senescence by 10–14 d was also observed in mutant lines. Barley are1 mutants had high nitrogen content in shoots under low nitrogen conditions. These findings demonstrate the potential of ARE1 in NUE improvement in barley
Development of an industry-funded fishery-independent survey and associated indices for managing a deep sea crab resource in Western Australia
No full textThe inclusion of fishery-independent data in stock assessments has been shown to have positive stock and financial outcomes for fisheries. A co-management approach between the government and commercial fishers in this limited-entry fishery led to the successful implementation of industry-funded, fishery-independent surveys of crystal crab, a deep water Geryonid crab, in two areas off Western Australia. While the instigation of these surveys was driven by a need for improved abundance indices for stock assessment, they have also provided an opportunity to better understand stock dynamics and composition. Structuring the surveys across the depth distribution (400–700 m) of crystal crabs demonstrated an apparent lack of depth-related size stratification in crystal crabs with large crabs captured throughout the species depth distribution. Female crabs, which mature below the legal minimum size for harvest, were a minor component of the catch and were more prevalent at the shallower end of their depth distribution. There also appeared to be a movement of pre-molt crabs to the periphery of their distribution (shallow and deep), in preparation to molt. There was a slight decline in the fishery-independent abundance (FIA) index from 2017 to 2019 mirroring the pattern displayed by the current standardized commercial catch rate, with an increase during the most recent survey (2020). The FIA index will be incorporated as an additional data source for the weight of evidence and size-structured integrated model for the assessment of the crystal crab resource off the west coast of Western Australia. The surveys, which were funded by industry and supported by government research staff onboard, have proved cost-effective, robust and sustainable, and a preferable means by which fishery-independent data could be collected for this commercially important Geryonid crab. The cost of the survey was partially offset by the retention of the legal catch. Such a collaborative model could be applied in fisheries world-wide to address the inherent biases of commercially-derived indices and the ever-increasing financial constraints on regulators to conduct stock assessments
Genome-wide superior alleles, haplotypes and candidate genes associated with tolerance on sodic-dispersive soils in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
No full textSodic-dispersive soils have multiple subsoil constraints including poor soil structure, alkaline pH and subsoil toxic elemental ion concentration, affecting growth and development in wheat. Tolerance is required at all developmental stages to enhance wheat yield potential on such soils. An in-depth investigation of genome-wide associations was conducted using a field phenotypic data of 206 diverse Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS) wheat lines for two consecutive years from different sodic and non-sodic plots and the exome targeted genotyping by sequencing (tGBS) assay. A total of 39 quantitative trait SNPs (QTSs), including 18 haplotypes were identified on chromosome 1A, 1B, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 5A, 5D, 6B, 7A, 7B, 7D for yield and yield-components tolerance. Among these, three QTSs had common associations for multiple traits, indicating pleiotropism and four QTSs had close associations for multiple traits, within 32.38 Mb. The overlapping metal ion binding (Mn, Ca, Zn and Al) and photosynthesis genes and transcription factors (PHD-, Dof-, HTH myb-, BHLH-, PDZ_6-domain) identified are known to be highly regulated during germination, maximum stem elongation, anthesis, and grain development stages. The homozygous/biallelic SNPs having allele frequency above 30% were identified for yield and crop establishment/plants m−2. These SNPs correspond to HTH myb-type and BHLH transcription factors, brassinosteroid signalling pathway, kinase activity, ATP and chitin binding activity. These resources are valuable in haplotype-based breeding and genome editing to improve yield potential on sodic-dispersive soils
Wagin townsite borefield: review of aquifer performance
No full textThe Wagin Borefield was established by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia in 2000-2007 to control groundwater levels in the town that had risen to critical levels as a result of increased recharge and runoff following the clearing of native vegetation for urban development and agriculture. Similar investigations were conducted as part of the Rural Towns Program and Rural Towns-Liquid Assets projects in 41 other wheatbelt towns, but none, except perhaps from Merredin, have been as comprehensively implemented, operated and monitored as Wagin.
The Wagin Borefield comprises 8 production bores, of which only 3 have been operated. To assist with definition of the townsite geology and hydrogeology, and for the measurement of water levels, 113 monitoring bores were installed throughout the town area.
The last review of pumping rates and water levels at Wagin was performed by Rockwater (2008), when only one of the production bores was in operation. Since then 2 other bores have been commissioned and the 3 bores have been pumped more or less continuously, resulting in a widespread amelioration of the shallow watertable problem.
In 2022, DPIRD engaged Rockwater to conduct another review of the Wagin Borefield, focussing on the effects of pumping on water levels and the sustainable yield of the aquifer.
This aquifer performance review is particularly important at Wagin because of the apparent inability of the borefield to supply sufficient water to operate a small reverse osmosis (RO) plant used by Unigrain for the processing of oat crops. The Unigrain RO plant ceased operation in November 2019, but could be recommissioned if groundwater were made available. Another option would be for Unigrain to purchase the permeate from the RO plant to be installed by WaterSmart Farms. The feed water requirement for the WaterSmart Farms RO plant is likely to about 150 kL/d, which at a recovery rate of 50%, should be sufficient to produce 25 kL/d of water for Unigrain and 50 KL/d of water for the Shire of Wagin