Works in this collection were published by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. The DAFWA library is gradually scanning and adding electronic copies to this collection, starting with the more recent material. However, reader requests to have electronic copies added will receive priority. Requests may be emailed to the DAFWA Library
For further information go to our department's website.
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Carbon farming in relation to Western Australian agriculture
Robert Sudmeyer, Jackson Parker, Tanmoy Nath, and Ananda Ghose
Carbon farming activities need to return multiple economic and environmental co-benefits to be attractive to land managers. This bulletin summarises concepts underlying carbon farming, how Australia accounts for greenhouse gas emissions and the potential for Western Australian land managers to participate in, and benefit from, ... Read more
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Market opportunities for Western Australian mandarins and oranges
Manju Radhakrishnan
Citrus growing in Western Australian (WA) is concentrated north and south of Perth and in the north around Kununurra and Carnarvon. WA currently produces about 18 000 tonnes (t) of citrus each year. Most production is sold on the local Perth market, with negligible exports. ... Read more
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Soil acidity : a guide for WA farmers and consultants.
Chris Gazey, Stephen Davies, and Ron Master
Our first edition of Soil acidity: a guide for WA farmers and consultants in 2009 was a significant publication which brought together current knowledge on the management of soil acidity in WA in a user-friendly book. Three thousand printed copies were distributed and an interactive ... Read more
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The agronomy jigsaw: Finding the pieces that maximise water use efficiency
David Hall; Paul Galloway; Jeremy Lemon; Ben Curtis; Andrew van Burgel; Kelly Kong; and Nigel Metz,
The Agronomy Jigsaw project is an initiative of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) in collaboration with the South East Premium Wheat Growers Association (SEPWA) and Precision Agronomics Australia (PAA). The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) funded the project under the ... Read more
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Audit of WA agricultural lime quality 2013
Chris Gazey
Applying agricultural lime is the most economical way of ameliorating low soil pH in broadscale agriculture in Western Australia (WA). In WA, agricultural lime is usually limesand from coastal sand dunes, crushed limestone from coastal deposits or crushed dolomitic lime (usually marketed as dolomite) from ... Read more
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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
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Establishment guide for sub-tropical grasses : key steps to success
Geoff Allan Moore, Ron 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Barley variety guide for WA 2013
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
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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
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Barley variety guide for WA 2012
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Growing oats in Western Australia for hay and grain
Raj Malik, Blakely Paynter, Cindy 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
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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.