Biosecurity bulletins

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Skeleton weed in Western Australia Control Program 2021/22

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

The Program now includes:

• Recommendations for control in legume based annual pastures.

• Provision of clopyralid (Lontrel™) herbicide to eligible landholders, to undertake their own spraying of paddocks that are greater than 10% infested (by area), and known as heavily infested paddocks, has been ... Read more
Skeleton weed in Western Australia: Management Guide

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Skeleton weed is a declared plant which can reduce crop yields by competing for moisture and nutrients (mainly nitrogen).

This Management Guide has been designed to assist landholders and increase their capacity to manage and eradicate skeleton weed infestations on their properties and to prevent ... Read more
Mosaic agriculture: a guide to irrigated crop and forage production in northern WA

Geoff A. Moore Mr, Clinton K. Revell Dr, Christopher Schelfhout Dr, Christopher Ham Mr, and Samuel Crouch Mr

The Bulletin is a comprehensive guide for pastoralists, agronomists, agribusiness and the broader community on the growing of irrigated crops and pastures within a rangeland pastoral setting.

Dispersed irrigation developments on stations throughout the northern rangelands (sometimes referred to as mosaic agriculture) has created opportunities ... Read more
Chemical weed control in canola

Harmohinder Dhammu, Mark Seymour, Abul Hashem, and Jackie Bucat

Canola is an important break and cash crop in Western Australia. To provide maximum benefit to the following crop, while maximising the yield potential of canola, growers should aim to control weeds as early as possible. There is a wide suite of chemicals available for ... Read more
Importing and keeping introduced mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in Western Australia

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Many animals and birds cause severe damage to agriculture and the environment. They can:carry diseases or parasites, damage agricultural crops, displace native animals and plants, damage property, cause land degradation and have a negative impact on pets.

These primarily introduced species (species that have originated ... Read more
The value of break crops in weed management

Wayne Parker, Ian Pritchard, and Abul Hashem

This publication discusses the effect on weed management of the inclusion of break crops (lupin, field pea, chickpea, faba bean, lentil and canola) in the cropping rotation compared to a rotation of continuous cereals.

Including break crops in the cropping rotation allows weed management options ... Read more
Ecologically significant invasive species, a monitoring framework for natural resource management groups in Western Australia

Jan-Willem de Miliano, Andrew Woolnough, Andrew Reeves, and Damian Shepherd

This publication is the result of the project titled 'Resource Condition Monitoring for Ecologically Significant Species. The project identified and addressed key weaknesses in the State's capacity to monitor threat posed by ecologically significant species. The invasive species monitoring framework for Western Australia developed through ... Read more
Common regional pests of Western Australia

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Western Australia is free from many exotic animal and plant pests, diseases and weeds that are present elsewhere in Australia. However, the state does have some unwanted intruders. Of these, many are declared plants or declared animals which, for the sake of convenience, we collectively ... Read more
Skeleton weed in Western Australia, pocket guide

State Skeleton Weed Committee; Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia; and Agriculture Protection Board

The Skeleton Weed Program is a coordinated approach to eradicating skeleton weed in Western Australia. It is run jointly by the State Skeleton Weed Committee, the Department of Agriculture and the Agriculture Protection Board. It is funded through the skeleton weed levy collected from grain ... Read more
Root disease under intensive cereal production systems

Bill MacLeod, Vivien Vanstone, Ravjit Khangura, and Ciara Beard
This Bulletin describes symptoms and control methods for the most commonly encountered cereal root diseases in Western Australia:
- rhizoctonia bare patch
- root lesion nematode
- take-all
- fusarium crown rot
- cereal cyst nematode
- common root rot
Southern weeds and their control

John Moore and Judy Wheeler

This booklet provides easy identification of common weeds and methods of control using common cultural, biological and herbicidal control techniques. The weeds are divided into four colour coded groups based on their lifeform and are grasses, herbs, vines and shrubs or trees. Within each group, ... Read more
Strawberry root and crown rot disease survey 2005 and 2006 seasons

Dennis Phillips and Hossein Golzar

Reports of unusually high numbers of plant deaths in strawberry crops from growers in Western Australia prompted a survey to identify the cause. Plant and soil samples were taken from a range of growers and runner sources over a two-year period and tested for plant ... Read more
Common seasonal pests : your handy guide to prevent the spread of animal and plant pests, diseases and weeds.

Department of Agriculture and Food, WA

This bulletin provides information on quarantine, common pests and common household pests in Western Australia. Details include identification, damage caused, seasonal occurance of pest, action to take, control measures, and where to seek advice.
Skeleton weed - best practice management guidelines for cropping programs

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea L.) is the only species within the genus Chondrilla that is found in Australia. It belongs to the tribe Cichoriae (chicory tribe) of the family Asteraceae (the daisies). Other closely related species in this tribe include lettuce, endive, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), ... Read more
Downy mildew in vineyards

Diana Fisher, Andrew Taylor, Colin Gordon, and Peter Magarey

Downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola, is a major fungal disease of grapevines that originates from North America. This disease was first detected in a commercial Western Australian vineyard in October 1998 and has since been found in most grape growing areas within the State. ... Read more
Identification and control of pest slugs and snails for broadacre crops in Western Australia

Svetlana Micic, Ken Henry, and Paul Horne

The numbers of slugs and snails have increased in broadacre cropping in Western Australia with the use of minimum tillage and stubble-retention practices. The organic content of paddocks increases under such systems, providing an increased food source especially to young slugs and snails. Soil moisture ... Read more
Root lesion and burrowing Nematodes in Western Australian cropping systems

Vivien Vanstone

Nematodes are common soil pests that feed on the roots of a wide range of crop plants in all agricultural areas of Western Australia, irrespective of soil type and rainfall. Nematodes multiply on susceptible hosts. Consequently, as nematode populations increase, crop production is limited. Cereal ... Read more
Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)

Department of Agriculture and Food, WA

The Australian plague locust (APL) is the most economically important grasshopper in Australia. The immature hopper stage damages mainly pastures in farming areas, and gardens and lawns in domestic areas. They tend to avoid established green crops, although the edges of crops can be damaged. ... Read more
A guide for skeleton weed management and control

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Assisting Western Australian landholders to eradicate skeleton weed and to prevent its further spread within the State
Phytophthora diseases of cutflower crops

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Phytophthora root rot is the most common soil borne disease causing plant death in native cut flower production. It is also a pathogen of exotic cutflower crops such as rose, lily, carnation, proteas and gerbera. The fungus, Phytophthora cinnamomi, the cause of jarrah dieback is ... Read more
Sampling and testing for plant pathogens

Aileen Reid

There are many methods used in the laboratory to determine whether Phytophthora or other fungi are present in growing media, water supply and diseased plants. These include:

• filtering water for spores

• baiting for fungi in growing media and water samples

• examining diseased ... Read more
Wild Dog Management: Best Practice Manual

Peter Thomson, Ken Rose, and State Wild Dog Management Advisory Committee

Wild dogs (all wild-living dogs including pure-bred dingoes, hybrids, and domestic dogs running wild) are one of the major pest species impacting on grazing industries across mainland Australia. In this Manual, the text refers to dingoes where the information is derived from studies of essentially ... Read more
Nematodes in Western Australian vineyards

Vivien Vanstone and Neil Lantzke

Nematodes are worm-like microscopic animals that live in the soil. There are numerous soil-inhabiting nematode species, but not all are harmful to plants. Some nematodes are plant-parasitic, feeding on and damaging roots, including those of grapevine. Feeding activities of these nematodes reduce the vine’s ability ... Read more
Harmful garden plants in Western Australia

Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

Many garden plants can cause harm. Some are commercially available and very popular; others are no longer readily available but still exist in older gardens; and yet others are favourite indoor ornamentals, cut-flowers, weeds, or even fruit and vegetables that we consume frequently, often without ... Read more
Common insect pests and diseases on fruit trees in the home garden

Harald Hoffmann, Glynn Ward, Stewart Learmonth, and Peter Wood

Home gardeners frequently see insect pests and diseases affecting their fruit trees. Usually they would have seen them in previous seasons, so the pests or diseases look familiar. However, there are occasions, when an unusual pest (not native to Western Australia) can occur. These exotic ... Read more