Bulletins 4000 -

Works in this collection were published by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.

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Effect of smoke in grape and wine production

Kristen Brodison

Smoke exposure of grapevines and the development of smoke-related characteristics in the resulting wines is an increasing issue for the wine industry. As Australia faces a warming climate with more bushfires, smoke exposure in vineyards is becoming more regular.

Wines made from grapes exposed to ... Read more
Establishment guide for sub-tropical grasses : key steps to success

Geoff Allan Moore, Ronald J. Yates, Phil Barrett-Lennard, Phil Nichols, Brad Wintle, John Titterington, and Chris Loo

Sub-tropical perennial grasses are now widely sown in the Northern Agricultural region (NAR) and on the south coast of Western Australia (WA). Since 2000, more than 50 000 ha have been sown to perennial grasses in the NAR and about 150 000 ha on the ... Read more
Pasture condition guide for the Kimberley

Kathryn Ryan, Elizabeth Tierney, Paul Novelly, and Robert McCartney

This interactive guide has been produced as a tool for assessing pasture condition over a range of pasture types in the Kimberley. A pasture type is a distinctive mix of plant species, soil type and landscape position. For example, the Mitchell Grass Alluvial Plain Pasture ... Read more
Selections of the Houghton clones of Cabernet Sauvignon

Glynn Ward, Ian Cameron, and Richard Fennessy

Cabernet Sauvignon is the premium red wine grape variety grown in Western Australia. The high quality wines produced have won prestigious awards and accolades nationally and internationally. The first clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon in Western Australia was conducted by the Department of Agriculture at ... Read more
2013 Barley variety sowing guide for Western Australia

Blakely Paynter, Andrea Hills, Harmohinder Dhammu, and Sanjiv Gupta

This publication presents general information on market demand by industry sector, variety and Port Zone for each of the malting barley varieties that will potentially be segregated in Western Australia at the 2013/14 harvest (Tables 1, 2 and 3).

This information is presented on behalf ... Read more
Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

Meredith Fairbanks, David Bowran, and Geraldine Pasqual

Agriculture contributes 15.5 per cent of Australia’s emissions (Figure 1), largely due to methane, from ruminant livestock digestion, nitrous oxide from soils and carbon dioxide from fossil fuel use (Australian National Greenhouse Accounts 2011; ABARES 2011).

This bulletin identifies current ways to reduce greenhouse gas ... Read more
Wheat variety guide for WA 2012

Brenda Shackley, Sarah Ellis, Christine Zaicou, Harmohinder Dhammu, Manisha Shankar, and Mohammad Amjad

The wheat variety guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats which have undergone testing in the National Variety Testing Project (NVT), and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) wheat agronomy project.

This information includes variety summaries, agronomic, disease and herbicide tolerance characteristics and medium ... Read more
2012 Barley variety sowing guide for Western Australia

Blakely Paynter, Andrea Hills, and Harmohinder Dhammu

This variety guide is designed as a quick reference to help growers determine which barley variety to grow in their region. It provides domestic and international market feedback, relative grain yield comparisons, disease ratings, agronomic information and herbicide tolerance ratings for all malting barley varieties, ... Read more
Changing climate, changing business practices : lessons from innovative growers

David Gray, Nicole Baxter, Meredith Fairbanks, and Geraldine Pasqual

Climate change and increasing seasonal variability are challenging the production efforts of growers in lower rainfall environments of the Western Australian grain belt. Significantly less rainfall than the long-term average has fallen across southwest Western Australia during the past 30 years.

Seasonal rainfall has also ... Read more
Evaluation of alternative wine grape varieties in Manjimup, Western Australia

Kristen Kennison and Richard Fennessy

Since 1998 the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) in conjunction with the Western Australian Vine Improvement Association (WAVIA) have imported over 60 new varieties and clones of wine grape material into Western Australia. These new varieties and clones were identified by the ... Read more
Greener pastures 1 - The greener pasture project: managing nutrients in dairy pastures

John Lucey, Mike Bolland, Don Bennett, Richard Morris, Bill Russell, and Martin Staines

As dairy farmers have strived to maintain profitability, many have farmed more intensively. More cows are milked and increasing inputs of fertiliser and purchased feed are used per hectare. However, these increased nutrient inputs have far exceeded the increase in nutrient output in milk production. ... Read more
Greener pastures 2 - Nitrogen for intensively grazed dairy pastures

Martin Staines, Richard Morris, Tess Casson, Mike Bolland, Bill Russell, Ian Guthridge, John Lucey, and Don Bennett

We undertook three main studies during the Greener Pastures project:

1. From mid 2005 to late 2008, a farming systems study was undertaken with five rates of nitrogen fertiliser as the main treatment. This study will be referred to as the ‘nitrogen response farmlets’.

2. ... Read more
Greener pastures 3 - Managing phosphorus in dairy pastures

Mike Bolland, Ian Guthridge, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, John Lucey, and Richard Morris

Between 1999 and 2009, soil testing was conducted in 48 dairy paddocks at Vasse Research Centre (VRC) in the south-west of Western Australia (WA). This study will be referred to as the VRC soil test study.

Phosphorus experiments were undertaken on partner farms of the ... Read more
Greener pastures 4 - Managing potassium in dairy pastures

Mike Bolland, Ian Guthridge, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, John Lucey, and Richard Morris

We undertook three studies into the potassium requirements of high rainfall pastures: 1. Between 1999 and 2009, soil testing was conducted in 48 dairy paddocks at Vasse Research Centre (VRC) in the south-west of Western Australia (WA). This study will be referred to as the ... Read more
Greener pastures 5 - Managing sulphur in dairy pastures

Mike Bolland, Ian Guthridge, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, John Lucey, and Richard Morris

During 1999-2009, soil testing for sulfur (S) was undertaken on 48 paddocks at the Vasse Research Centre (VRC) at Busselton, in the south-west of Western Australia (WA).

Paddocks had been grazed intensively by dairy cows and their young stock over a period of 10 years, ... Read more
Greener pastures 6 - Managing soil acidity in dairy pastures

Mike Bolland, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, Richard Morris, John Lucey, and D L. Bennett

During 1999-2009, soil testing for pH (in CaCl2) was used to determine lime application for 48 paddocks at the Vasse Research Centre at Busselton, in the south-west of Western Australia (WA).

Paddocks had been grazed intensively by dairy cows and their young stock over a ... Read more
Greener pastures 7 - A fresh look at nutrient losses from intensively managed pastures

Don Bennett, Bill Russell, Martin Staines, Richard Morris, Mike Bolland, and John Lucey

Dairy farmers in Western Australia have a long history of being concerned for the environment in which they live and work, from early involvement with Landcare District Committees through to participating in the various programs run in DairyCatch.

They have planted trees, organised soil testing ... Read more
Growing oats in Western Australia for hay and grain

Raj Malik, Blakely Paynter, Cindy L. Webster, and Amelia McLarty

The oat industry in Western Australia has made phenomenal progress in recent years with the discovery of new markets, the release of several high yielding varieties and the development of agronomic guidelines through rigorous research programs. Oat production in Western Australia for the domestic and ... Read more
Landscapes and soils of the Lake Grace district

D N. Sawkins

The publication aims to provide readers with the principles underlying the formation of local landscapes and soils, and the ability to identify landscapes and their associated soils.
Native vegetation in Western Australia is actively involved with soil formation

Doug Sawkins, William H. Verboom, and John S. Pate

Many adverse situations in Western Australian agriculture have arisen because in the past we cleared native perennial vegetation below safe ecological limits in order to grow annual crops and pasture. In retrospect, we did not fully understand the functioning of the native ecosystems concerned and ... Read more
Soil test and phosphorus rate for high rainfall clover pastures

Robert Summers and David Weaver

Essential information for soil testing to determine the phosphorus fertiliser requirements for clover pastures in high rainfall coastal areas of Western Australia. Includes procedures for soil sampling, tissue testing, liming, when to apply fertiliser, how to decide on the target production level, how much fertiliser ... Read more
Soil test and phosphorus rate for high rainfall clover pastures

Robert Summers and David Weaver

When new land was first developed, phosphatic fertilisers had to be applied at high rates to overcome Phosphorus (P) deficiency, and to increase P fertility. Once good P fertility has been established after a number of years of applying P, the requirement for applying high ... Read more
Subsurface compaction a guide for WA farmers and consultants

Stephen Davies and Alison Lacey

For plants to grow in agricultural soils, roots and emerging shoots must be able to force their way through the soil. In soils of high strength, this growth is physically restricted. High strength soils may be due to natural soil characteristics and conditions or develop ... 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
Wheat variety guide for WA 2011

Brenda Shackley, Sarah Ellis, Christine Zaicou, Harmohinder Dhammu, and Manisha Shankar

The wheat variety guide summarises performance characteristics of commercially available wheats which have undergone testing in the National Variety Trials Project (NVT), breeding organisations crop variety testing and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) variety specific agronomy projects.

This information includes variety summaries, agronomic, disease ... Read more