Western Australian Department Of Agriculture Research Articles

Parasites, politics and public science: the promotion of biological control in Western Australia, 1900-1910.

Biological control of arthropods emerged as a scientific enterprise in the late nineteenth century and the orchard industry of California was an early centre of expertise. In 1900, as the Australian colonies prepared for federation, each had a government entomologist attached to its agriculture department. The hiring of George Compere from California by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture began a controversial chapter in the early history of biological control that was linked to a late, local popularization of acclimatization. Compere became known as the 'travelling entomologist' and for a decade brought 'parasites' of pest insects from overseas and released them in Perth. His antagonistic disciplinary rhetoric and inflated claims for the 'parasite theory' created conflict with his counterparts in the eastern states. The resulting inter-state entomological controversy was played out in the press, revealing the political use of science for institutional and even state identity. It is a story of transnational exchanges, chance discoveries and popular public science: popular because of the promise of a simple, natural solution to agricultural insect pests and because of the public nature of the disputes it generated between the experts. This microcosm contributes to the global historiography of acclimatization, biological control, scientific exposition and the professionalization of agricultural science.

The population dynamics of some arid zone plants during 46 years of grazing on Mileura Station, Western Australia

Grazed quadrats were monitored on Mileura Station, Western Australia from 1967 to 2013 in order to study the population dynamics of the perennial plants in two of the land systems on the property. Counts of plants on four quadrats at each of 10 sites were made in 1967, 1976, 1990 and 2013, and individual plants were traced for the first three samplings. Five sites were on the Sherwood land system and five on the Belele land system. The results indicated that the populations of some species in the mulga shrubland increased steadily over the 46 years of the study whereas the populations of other species, especially the small, short-lived shrubs, fluctuated over this period. A reduction in stocking rate from 1976 to 1990 was associated with an increase in the population of perennial plants; the total numbers for the 1976 count were 1506 compared with 2102 in 1990. Mean summer rainfall increased between 1990 and 2013 and this increase may have been associated with the recruitment. Overall, the study showed that commercial stocking, although at a lower rate than that recommended by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, was compatible with increases in the populations of the perennial components of mulga shrubland in this region.

Methane emissions from grazing Angus beef cows selected for divergent residual feed intake

Residual feed intake (RFI) is the difference between actual feed intake and expected feed intake required for maintenance and production, such as growth of beef cattle and milk production in dairy cattle. RFI has been shown to be linked with a reduction in CH4 emissions in studies that used grain based diets. Our study quantified CH4 emissions from 48 Angus cows selected based on estimated breeding values (EBV) for extremes in RFI. These EBV were based on a post weaning RFI test conducted at the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food Vasse Research Centre. Two groups of cows with divergent RFI were used being: 25 high RFI (i.e., HRFI, low efficiency) cows with an EBV of 0.68±0.220kg/d, and 23 low RFI (i.e., LRFI, high efficiency) cows with an EBV of −0.69±0.335kg/d. Methane emissions were measured under grazing conditions in a Western Australian annual pasture production system using the Open Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (OP-FTIR) technique. A group average emission rate was obtained for the two RFI lines of cows. Each group was measured separately over a two 6d periods being in the summer when the cows were pregnant and grazing annual pastures of a low dry matter (DM) digestibility of 550g/kg, and in the winter when the cows were nursing calves and grazing annual pastures with a high DM digestibility of 810g/kg. It was hypothesised that LRFI cows would produce less CH4 when grazing both high and low quality pastures. When pregnant and grazing low quality pastures, both groups of cows produced similar amounts of CH4/day (0.26±0.013 versus 0.26±0.018g CH4/kg of liveweight (LW) for LRFI and HRFI cows respectively. While nursing calves and grazing high quality pastures, there was a difference (P<0.05) in daily CH4 emissions between the LRFI and HRFI cows of 0.34 CH4±0.017 versus 0.46±0.023g CH4/kg LW). The hypothesis that LRFI cows produce less CH4 is not supported by results for these cows grazing low quality summer pasture, but it is supported when grazing high quality winter pastures. Results indicate LRFI cattle may have the potential to contribute to reduced CH4 emissions under grazing systems when provided with a high nutritional quality pasture source.This paper is part of the special issue entitled: Greenhouse Gases in Animal Agriculture – Finding a Balance between Food and Emissions, Guest Edited by T. A. McAllister, Section Guest Editor; K.A. Beauchemin, X. Hao, S. McGinn and Editor for Animal Feed Science and Technology, P.H. Robinson.

Interpretation of geophysics for land management planning, Broomehill, Western Australia

In 1995, the SALTMAP airborne electromagnetic (AEM) system was used to survey an area of around 50 000 hectares west of Broomehill in the southwest of Australia. It was the first practical application of a new AEM system developed specifically for mapping salinity. The project was a cooperative study between farmers in the area, World Geoscience Corporation, Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Rivers Corporation, and the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Mineral Exploration Technology (CRC-AMET). Previous AEM surveys in the southwest were carried out using INPUT and QUESTEM, but the results had not been incorporated into land management decisions. The aim of the Broomehill study was to develop the information products to enable farm plans to be created using information from the SALTMAP data. Inherent in the approach was the collection of a large range of complementary geospatial data using geophysical surveys, remote sensing, and other techniques, and incorporation of the data obtained into a geographic database. Various techniques were explored to ensure that as much information as possible from the geophysical surveys flowed through to the eventual land management plans. These techniques included manual interpretation of magnetic and radiometric data and the development of new smart data interpretation in GIS. Intermediate information sets such as ‘Salt Hazard’ and regolith maps guided the development of new farm plans to address land degradation in the area. Ten years later the Broomehill study remains as one of the few cases where farm plans were created based on a full range of geospatial data. This paper reports on the interpretation process which enabled an effective information transfer from geophysicist to farm planner and discusses how new interpretation techniques to define a new set of information could be used to guide land management decisions today.

Education and land‐use planning for sustainable agricultural development in Western Australia

AbstractLand degradation associated with agriculture has been recognized worldwide as posing serious environmental, natural resource and human problems. As a consequence, the Australian Government agricultural agencies, while still focusing on agricultural development, are increasingly being required to add social and biophysical environmental objectives to their more traditional economic development roles. One of the difficulties faced by agencies in achieving this aim is the lack of appropriate skills by their traditionally educated professional staff.This paper shows how one such agency, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, is responding to major land degradation problems and the need to undertake integrated land‐use planning to achieve sustainable development objectives. In particular, following a tender process whereby the authors provided advice on alternative means of achieving the agency's objectives, the authors were contracted through the University of Western Australia's Institute for Regional Development to mount an on‐line course designed for agency officers.While students have responded positively to the course content, a number of problems relating to the delivery of this course has emerged. They include the feeling of isolation by the students, problems with web designer over educational philosophies, the inordinate amount of time involved in writing and delivering the course, and unresolved questions relating to intellectual property. The question still remains as to whether the course will achieve the primary underlying objective of attaining sustainable agricultural development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

The impact of agricultural extension on adoption and diffusion of lupins as a new crop in Western Australia

The growth of the sweet white lupin industry in Western Australia is a classic case of the adoption and diffusion of a new innovation in agriculture. In 1979, following the release of the cultivar Illyarrie, and the development of effective agronomic practices, the Western Australian Department of Agriculture (Agriculture Western Australia) commenced a major extension campaign to promote lupins. Between 1978 and 1987, the area of lupins grown increased from 39 000 to 877 000 ha. However, the pattern of adoption varied widely between regions, with differences in starting time, rate and ceiling levels of adoption. In this paper, we examine regional differences in the start time of the adoption process, and estimate the impact of various factors by using multivariate regression analysis. Results suggest that both Agriculture Western Australia extension activities and the presence of private consultants contributed to earlier start times of the adoption process.

Plant Pathology in Western Australia: The Contributions of an Australian Woman Scientist

Abstract Very few women after the second World War made agricultural science their first career choice. Olga May Goss, however, in her 35 years in the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, saved more than one industry from ruin, thus contributing in no small measure to the economic prosperity of her state and her country. It was by chance that, after a serious illness, Goss was offered a post in the Department to work on plant diseases. The only woman in her Section, Goss faced personal as well as legislative discrimination; nevertheless over the years she tackled many problems confronting growers and through her research illuminated several areas of plant pathology, notably bacteriology and nematology. This article describes the career of this woman who was not only an excellent scientist but also a rare human being.

Determination of Nitrofuran Residues in Poultry Muscle Tissues and Eggs by Liquid Chromatography

A liquid chromatographic (LC) method was developed and statistically validated for the determination of nitrofurazone, furazolidone, and furaltadone residues in poultry and porcine muscle tissues. The antimicrobial residues were extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and ethyl acetate by using ultrasonication followed by solid-phase extraction cleanup and LC analysis with UV detection. A modification of the method incorporating acetonitrile extraction and solvent partition cleanup was developed for analysis of poultry eggs. The limits of detection were 1 microgram/kg ofr nitrofurazone and furazolidone and 2 micrograms/kg for furaltadone in both muscle tissues and eggs. Average recoveries for spike levels of 1, 2, and 5 micrograms/kg ranged from 84 to 128%, and coefficients of variation were between 1.1 and 12.1%. A field trial with these methods was conducted in conjunction with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture to determine the stability of furaltadone in both poultry tissue and eggs. Results of this study show that the concentration of furaltadone in muscle tissue diminished rapidly even when stored at -18 degrees C. Furaltadone was considerably more stable in eggs.

Crop production on duplex soils: an introduction

Duplex or texture-contrast soils occur over about 60% of the agricultural areas of south-west Western Australia. Annual crops of wheat, barley, oats, and lupins predominate on these soils, grown in rotation with annual pastures. The climate is characterised by cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Crop production is restricted to the winter and spring and is limited by waterlogging in the wet winter months and by water shortage during grain filling in spring. Research on crop production on duplex soils has been undertaken for the past 8 years by a collaborative team from the CSIRO Dryland Crops andyoils Program and the Western Australian Department of Agriculture. This research has been focussed on 3 sites at which processes limiting crop production on duplex soils have been highlighted. This special issue was initiated to summarise that research and to put it in its regional and national perspective. Additionally, opportunity was taken to compare and contrast experiences both within Western Australia and throughout Australia, and to draw out management options for crop production on duplex soils.

‘SummerPack’, a user-friendly simulation software for the management of sheep grazing dry pastures or stubbles

‘SummerPack’ is an interactive computer package aimed at assisting farmers and agricultural advisers with the management of sheep over the summer/autumn period in a Mediterranean environment. The program provides predictions through time of sheep liveweights, herbage on offer, diet digestibility, maintenance requirements and digestible dry matter intake. The amount of supplementary feed necessary to carry the sheep until the next autumn break can be determined. The inputs used in the program are: initial amount of dry herbage on offer and digestibility of the various herbage components, natural decline rates in dry matter on offer and in digestibility, initial liveweight and type of sheep. Although a green pick can be included, the program does not simulate pasture growth. The simulation model on which ‘SummerPack’ is based is described in detail. The herbage is composed of up to five components and preference coefficients are defined that provide a simple way to derive diet composition from the proportion of each component in the herbage. The sheep flock can be split into five liveweight classes that account for the variation in size of the animals. The model has been tested against the results of a stocking rate experiment conducted in Katanning, Western Australia. The model is currently being used at the Western Australian Department of Agriculture for extension and research. Applications are described, ranging from the early on-farm planning of supplementary feeding requirements to the analysis of trial data and assistance in the assessment of research proposals.

Seasonal Variation in Above-Ground Annual and Perennial Phytomass of an Arid Rangeland in Libya

An Aristida pungens-Retama r&m rangeland in the rrid Jefhra plain in Libya produced 2,000 and 950 kg (dry matter) ha-’ of net above-ground phytomass with 200 mm and 171 mm of rainfall during the 1977178 and 78179 growing seasons, reavly. Annual plants contributed 460 and 300 kg (dry matter ha ) in the 2 seasons, respectively. Perennial shrubs lost their 1978 winterspring aerial production during the long 1978 summer and dry winter when graxable forage was most needed. In contrast, spring production of annual plants remained available and graxable until late summer. Settlement of shepherds’ families on site is not advised as the dead standing phytomass (270 kg dry wood ha-‘) may be rapidly exhausted for fuel consumption, leading to wind erosion problems on presently fixed sand dunes. Libya has embarked on a large rangeland development programme involving 2 million ha (Gintzburger and Bayoumi 1977) of its estimated 12.5 M ha of nonagricultural lands located above the 50 mm isohyet (Le Houerou 1965). Most rangeland development projects are located between the 100 and 200 mm year-’ isohyets on what is considered as marginal, yet sometimes valuable, cropping land by local farmers. In the northwestern zones of Libya, approximately 500,000 ha were surveyed to provide Libyan authorities with vegetation maps as well as estimates of rangeland carrying capacities (GEFLI 1974) based upon research work in a similar environment in Tunisia (Le Houerou 1969, Floret et al. 1983). To provide their rural population with modern facilities, including schooling, medical care, and technical assistance in agriculture, the Libyan authorities have planned to allocate one set piece of rangeland to each shepherd’s family. It was anticipated that each shepherd should derive an adequate minimum and sustained income from proper management of his land and flock of sheep and goats. Conflicting estimates of long-term carrying capacity (1.5 to 3 ha sheep-‘) reported by different advisory teams rendered rangeland management and planning difficult. Problems were compounded by desertification hazards in this region. Suggested long-term carrying capacities resulted largely from guesses or one-time measurement, usually at the supposed peak standing phytomass in a similar environment. The relationship between average annual rainfall and net consumable rangeland production proposed by Le Houerou and Hoste (1977) for the Mediterranean Basin, though useful, appeared to be optimistic and needing refinement. None of these estimates took into account the yearly distribution of the rangeland production or considered the contribution and availability of ephemerals (annuals and ephemeroids). This situation prompted the author to measure the seasonal variation of above-ground phytomass of a rangeland type representative of some lOO,OOO-200,000 ha of the Libyan Jeffara Plain. The information gathered was aimed at providing range managers with an improved knowledge of above-ground phytomass dynamics and forage availability throughout seasons, hence to assist in planAt the time of the research, the author was working as an FAO range ecologist with the Agricultural Research Centrc (Tripoli, Libya). The research was financed through a Libyan funded FAO project (TF/LIBO6). Present address of the author: Instltut National de la Recherche Agronomique (LECSA), Place Viala, 34060 Montpellier, France. The field assistance of Hedi H’Diden and Muamar A’Sid, the support of FAO of The United Nations, the Libyan Agricultural Research Centre, and friends of the Grazing Projects are acknowledged as well as constructive criticism from M. D’Antuono, B. Wroth, A. Payne, and C. Trotman (Western Australian Department of Agriculture), and G. Long, C. Floret, and E. Le Floch (CEPE/CNRS, France). Manuscript accepted 21 October 19X5. 348 ning rational long-term utilization of Libyan rangelands by livestock.

Development of an agricultural database for dissemination of research information to research and extension workers using STATUS software

The Information Branch of the Western Australian Department of Agriculture (WADA) provides an internal information service for research and extension workers throughout Western Australia. The increased generation of scientific and technical information within WADA has created a growing need for more efficient ways to store, retrieve, and disseminate information.

Vegetation Map, Pemberton and Irwin Inlet, compiled by Dr Francis G. Smith, in accordance with the requirements of the Western Australian Vegetation Survey Committee, 1 :250 000, 5S0 x 760 mm. Commentary by F.G. Smith, Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Perth, 1972, 32 pages (185 x 240 mm), 1 table, 34 photographs.Vegetation Map, Busselton and Augusta, compiled by Dr Francis

<b>Vegetation Map, Pemberton and Irwin Inlet</b>, compiled by Dr Francis G. Smith, in accordance with the requirements of the Western Australian Vegetation Survey Committee, 1 :250 000, 5S0 x 760 mm. Commentary by F.G. Smith, Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Perth, 1972, 32 pages (185 x 240 mm), 1 table, 34 photographs.<b>Vegetation Map, Busselton and Augusta</b>, compiled by Dr Francis