Natural resources bulletins

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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
Land systems of the Kimberley region, Western Australia

A L. Payne and N Schoknecht

The Land Systems of the Kimberley Region Report describes and maps the landscapes, soils and vegetation of the Kimberley region. This report is a consolidation of surveys carried out by different organisations, across different areas of the Kimberley, since the 1940s. The Kimberley region, as ... 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
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
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
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
Climate change response strategy

Anne Bennett

Climate change and policies introduced to reduce emissions will affect the agricultural sector and will lead to social and economic outcomes.

In addressing the Western Australian Government's priority plan for the agriculture and food sector, the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia has a ... Read more
Report on phosphorus and potassium experiments conducted on partner farms of the Greener Pastures project

Mike Bolland, Ian Guthridge, Graham Blincow, and Peter Needs

Dairy production in south-western Australia occurs predominantly on sandy soils in the greater than 800 mm annual average rainfall areas of the region. The climate is Mediterranean-type, typically with cool, wet May-October growing seasons and hot, dry November-April. Most dairy pastures are rain-fed and comprise ... Read more
Potassium for high rainfall pastures

Mike Bolland and Bill Russell

Potassium plays a major role in plant growth. It maintains the solutions in plant cells at ionic strengths suitable for maintaining strong plant walls and for the proper functioning of leaf pores (stomata) and plant processes such as photosynthesis, transport of sugars and enzyme activation.
... Read more
Phosphorus for high rainfall pastures

Mike Bolland, Bill Russell, and David Weaver

Soil testing for phosphorus provides a reliable indication of when the level of phosphorus in a soil is likely to be adequate for pasture production in the next growing season. It is a waste of money to apply phosphorus fertiliser when soil testing indicates none ... Read more
Landscapes and soils of the Narrogin 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.
Landscapes and soils of the Northam district

D N. Sawkins and Department of Agriculture and Food

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.
An inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region

Peter-Jon A. Waddell, A K. Gardner, and P Hennig

The inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 2005 and 2007, describes and maps the natural resources of the region. This survey report provides a baseline record ... Read more
Managing south coast sandplain soils to yield potential

Department of Agriculture, Western Australia

This book has been written to help farmers reach their rainfall-limited yield potential. It comes from a need to understand the properties and management options for grain production on sandplain soils. It also seeks to address concerns that crop yields on sandplain soils are not ... Read more
Soil acidity : a guide for WA farmers and consultants

Chris Gazey and Stephen Davies

Soil acidity: a guide for WA farmers and consultants provides all the necessary information for effective management and understanding of soil acidity in a user-friendly handbook including many examples, diagrams and photographs.
Pasture condition guide for the Ord River Catchment

K Ryan, E Tierney, and P Novelly

This guide has been produced as a tool for assessing pasture condition over a range of pasture types in the Ord River catchment. A pasture type is a distinctive mix of plant species, soil type and landscape position. For example, the Mitchell Grass Alluvial Plain ... Read more
Landscapes and soils of the Merredin district

D N. Sawkins and Department of Agriculture and Food

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.
Report on polyacrylamide, a practice to reduce sediment and insoluable chemicals in tailwater

Tara Slaven

The main barrier to the adoption of PAM seems to the timing of the cost of outlay. This could add significantly to the initial crop establishment costs at a time of year when rowers receive no income. However, the partial and parametric analysis indicates that ... Read more
Lime for high rainfall pastures: above 800mm average annual rainfall

Mike Bolland and Bill Russell

Conventional agriculture acidifies soil. As your soil becomes more acid, productive pasture species disappear and are replaced by species of low agricultural value. It is a waste of money to apply expensive fertiliser to pastures which are inherently poorly productive because they are growing in ... Read more
Western Australian rangeland monitoring system for grasslands: field manual

Andrew Craig and Philip Thomas

Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS) sites are designed to provide defined areas for repeated photography and collection of vegetation composition, shrub/tree cover and landscape function (soil surface assessment) data. This manual defines the procedures for installing and monitoring WARMS sites in the grasslands of ... Read more
Climate change, vulnerability and adaptation for south-west Western Australia: Phase one of action 5.5, Western Australian Greenhouse Strategy

Luke Morgan, Jo Anne Molin, Ross George, Richard McKellar, and Janet Conte

This report outlines preliminary findings about the impacts of climate changes that occurred during 1975 to 2005 on the South West’s people, its economy and natural ecosystems. The report focuses on vulnerability and adaptation, identifying useful pointers for future work, particularly in relation to how ... Read more
Returns to research and development investment of the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia : benefit cost analysis, 2006-2007

Peter Coyle, Editor; Roslyn Blanchard; Francis Bright; Paul Mattingley; and Manju Radhakrishnan

Strategic decision making is enhanced by the consideration of benefit cost analyses of many projects. Each year a selection of projects is evaluated to assist in the determination of the most appropriate allocation of funds. This is only one of the methods that are employed ... Read more
Returns to R&D investment of DAFWA: benefit cost analysis, 2005-2006

Nazrul Islam

The primary outcome or objective of the projects that are assessed, is to increase the market competitiveness and profitability of agri-industry.
Returns to research and development investment of Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia : benefit cost analysis 2005-2006

Nazrul Islam, Francis Bright, Peter Coyle, Peter Eckersley, Louise Evans, Joseph Gaffy, Allan Herbert, Ross Kingwell, Emma Kopke, and Peter Tozer

Programs of the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia apply benefit-cost analysis to assist in the allocation of funds to those areas likely to make the largest contribution to the rural economy and thus to achieve the Department outcome of increased market competitiveness and ... Read more