The dismay felt by seeing foxes around livestock and predating native wildlife is enough to make most farmers consider a control program. However, feral pest management can be expensive and time-consuming, so it’s vital that farmers choose the most effective strategy. One farmer with considerable experience managing pests in...
Music festivals took on a whole new meaning in Dumbleyung recently when 150 volunteers came from the city to plant 40,000 seedlings across five properties while listening to and playing music. The much-appreciated help came from Activate the Wheatbelt, a not-for-profit organisation that brings volunteers from Perth to the...
Nothing frustrates beef and sheep producers like a late break-of-season. After months of supplementary feeding, the rain comes when temperatures are cold, slowing the break-down of organic soil nitrogen and pasture growth, and creating less than ideal conditions for grazing. In this situation nitrogen fertilisers are often used to...
Supplementary feeding of livestock is a costly but necessary part of farming in Western Australia. To get the best return on supplement, farmers need to understand nutritional requirements for livestock and what components can be filled by pasture at different times of the year so they can fill seasonal...
, , Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Soil constraints - high rainfall beef, Sustainable Agriculture
If your sub clover isn’t germinating or seems to be dropping out of your pasture sward during winter, there’s a fair chance it’s suffering from root disease. Colloquially known as root rot, soil-borne fungal pathogens dominate most Mediterranean ecosystems and pose a serious risk to self-seeding pasture legumes such...
, , Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Soil constraints - high rainfall beef, Sustainable Agriculture
Beef production in the South West’s high rainfall zone appears to be significantly constrained by poor sub clover productivity. That’s according to a survey of 24 beef properties conducted by South West Catchments Council (SWCC) in partnership with Western Beef Association Inc., which aimed to give farmers a better...
Salinity might have slipped off the radar for some but it’s not going away. A recent tour of salt country organised by Katanning Landcare found five farmers who have made a significant investment in saltland management over the past 10-20 years, all with beneficial outcomes. Deep drains The first...
, , Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Soil constraints - high rainfall beef, Sustainable Agriculture
A survey of soil constraints across the South West beef farms has found that half appear to be low in molybdenum. The trace element is critical for the development of nitrogen-fixing nodules on legume roots. The survey also scored nodulation in the South West, finding that nodules were scarce...
, , Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator, Soil constraints - high rainfall beef, Sustainable Agriculture
Livestock producers looking for independent advice on phosphorus application rates might want to look at a key document used by agronomists that’s available on-line. Almost a decade ago, the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD) published the Soil Test and Phosphorus Rate for High Rainfall Clover Pastures....
For a long time the dairy industry has been trying to find fit-for-purpose systems to deal with effluent in a manner that maintains profitability and reduces environmental impacts. Now an initiative by Augusta Margaret River Clean Community Energy Incorporated (AMRCCE) may be one step closer to an alternative solution...
The importance of keeping dead wood in your bushland 26 August, 2020
Keeping fallen trees, branches and debris in your ...
Community survey dramatically improves understanding of Carnaby’s cockatoo breeding areas in the South West region 26 August, 2020
Community members across the South West Catchments...
Supporting farmers to make the transition to regenerative agriculture 26 August, 2020
South West Catchments Council (SWCC) has released ...
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Emma Keillor
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Nerilee Boshammer
Peter Clifton
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Sarah Molloy