With an estimated ten million hectares of sandy soil, Western Australian agriculture is at particular risk from water-repellent or non-wetting soils. Sandy soils are more prone to this significant production constraint because the larger sand particles gives them a smaller total surface area compared to clay particles. This...
Preliminary results from two years of pasture trials are supporting the use of an existing national model as the basis for making phosphorus fertiliser recommendations in South West WA. The national model was developed by the “Better fertiliser decisions (BFD) for grazed pastures” project, a four-year project that collated...
Rosa Glen sheep producer Kevin Silverthorne can’t help but feel a bit proud as he watches his daughter Kylie grow as a farmer. He attributes at least some of her development to the 12-month Grazing Matcher program that both Kylie and Kevin have taken part in since May 2020....
Bridgetown beef producers Ann Harris and Graeme Fazey have wanted to implement rotational grazing for a long time. However, it was only after joining a Grazing Matcher group in 2020 that they gained the knowledge and tools to motivate a change. The Grazing Matcher program supports beef and sheep...
Expressions of interest are now open to take part in the Grazing Matcher Program in 2021. The twelve-month, eight-meeting program is facilitated by local consultants Jeisane Accioly and Dan Parnell, who have tailored best practice grazing techniques to local conditions. They show producers how to set and adjust their...
It is no secret that the Western Australian grain belt is struggling with reduced rainfall and water supply. Areas with lower rainfall are typically expected to be hardest hit. However, higher rainfall areas, such as Darkan, Arthur River and Wickepin, are also beginning to deplete their water supply before...
How deep would you plant a saltbush seedling? The answer surprised farmers who attended the Forage Options field day at Bell Pasture Seeds recently. Saltbush is often used on marginal lands to address problems such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, reducing supplementary feeding, covering marginal land at risk of...
Sheep producers interested in confinement feeding were treated to a goldmine of information at the recent Rylington Park Annual Field Day when organisers engaged four farmers to talk about their experiences with the practice. We’ve put together a summary for three of the talks with a link to an...
Nurseries are finalising orders for 2021 over the next few weeks, so if you plan to plant in 2021, you need to start talking to your nursery about the species and numbers to order. However, before you make that call, the first step is to be clear about the...
With decreasing rainfall, there has been an expectation that the area affected by dryland salinity has peaked. However, recent observations by farmers that salinity is expanding in many areas have been verified through groundwater monitoring by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), particularly where clearing of...
Green Jobs a Winner for Local Wildlife! 13 April, 2021
A new project aiming to employ and train local peo...
Double benefits for South West farmers planting native trees 12 April, 2021
The Australian Government’s much-anticipated Car...
Managing non-wetting soils in South West WA 19 March, 2021
With an estimated ten million hectares of s...
Emily
Emma Keillor
Jodi Elston
Nerilee Boshammer
Nicki Ledger
Peter Clifton
Pip Marshall
Sarah Molloy