Using preliminary consumer insight to enhance the perceived quality of a new apple cultivar (Malus domestica Borkh. Cv. ANABP 01) with a view to maximizing crop utilisation

The visual appearance of a new apple cultivar is of foremost importance for consumer attraction and fruit purchase. A new Australian apple (“ANABP 01”) has a unique burgundy colored skin which can range from red to dark burgundy during fruit maturation. This study investigates consumer likability and purchase of “ANABP 01” apples with similar eating quality characteristics with four different skin colors being Red, Light Burgundy (LB), Burgundy (B) and Dark Burgundy (DB). During testing, panelists liked all classes of apple colors, giving high scores for their visual, textural and flavor characteristics. Panelists rated the color of B and DB apples higher than LB apples, however, ranked Red apples the same as DB. However, in the retail market customers chose to purchase darker colored fruit first before lighter colored. Overall “ANABP 01” apples were highly liked by panelists regardless of color. In any one market, color grading technology could segregate retail supply to a narrow color range to maximize retail sales and minimize fruit waste. Fruit not meeting the leading “ANABP 01” brands burgundy color requirement are still of high quality, liked by consumers and could maximize fruit sales and minimize fruit waste if segregated by color

Beach Emergency Number (BEN) signage - 3

https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_bens_slideshow/1002/thumbnail.jp

Detection of Phosphite Fungicide in Persea americana Fruits Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy at 400 and 80 MHz

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is widely adopted for assessing biochemical composition in agriculture. This study evaluated the feasibility of 400 MHz NMR to detect biochemical differences in Hass avocados grown under conventional (N = 101) and regenerative (N = 105) farming practices in Southwestern Australia. Phosphite, associated with Phytophthora root rot management, was a key discriminating feature (area under ROC curve = 0.96), being detected in 90% of conventional avocados (mean: 49 mg/kg) and 6 regenerative samples (mean: 24 mg/kg). To assess translational potential, water extracts of five samples were analyzed using 80 MHz benchtop NMR. Phosphite was detectable below the strictest maximum residue limit (25 mg/kg), demonstrating the potential of NMR as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for monitoring phosphite residues. This proof-of-concept benchtop NMR approach demonstrates analytical feasibility but requires further validation before application in field-based traceability or regulatory contexts, with a potential future relevance to environmental monitoring, sustainable agriculture, and other crop systems

Beach Emergency Number (BEN) signage - 6

https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_bens_slideshow/1005/thumbnail.jp

Potassium for high rainfall pastures in Western Australia

Potassium (K) deficiency can lead to a decline in clover content and severely limit pasture productivity in high rainfall pastures. Large amounts of potassium can be lost each year through leaching and removal of potassium in hay or silage. This information is specific to high rainfall pastures receiving more than 600mm average annual rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia

2025-26 Pest Scarab Species Trial Data

Experimental data on effects of insecticide seed treatments on cockchafer and barley plant health

Micronutrients (trace elements) for high rainfall pastures in Western Australia

Micronutrient deficiencies can result from removal of agricultural products over many years, changes in soil acidity, or from large increases in plant biomass production and export. This page is specific to high rainfall pastures (more than 600mm average annual rainfall) in the south-west of Western Australia. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to check plant micronutrient nutrient needs

Cambridge, Town of - BEN sign map – 1 of 1

BEN Signage Installation Map – Town of Cambridgehttps://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/gis_bens/1042/thumbnail.jp

Soil re-engineering in Western Australia, Part I: a novel approach for rapid and lasting improvement of soil physical and chemical properties

Context Soil acidity, high soil strength, and poor subsoil structure are major constraints to crop productivity in coarse-textured and texture-contrast soils of southern Australia. These interacting limitations restrict root growth, reduce access to subsoil water and nutrients, and constrain yield potential in water-limited environments. While deep tillage and surface liming have been used to address individual constraints, their benefits are often short-lived and insufficient to overcome multiple subsoil limitations simultaneously. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of soil profile re-engineering on soil physical, chemical, and hydrological properties, and to determine the persistence of these changes over four cropping seasons at two contrasting sites in Western Australia. Methods In May 2021, four soil re-engineering treatments were established at Bolgart (deep sand) and Meenar (loamy duplex): untreated control; deep loosening with lime; deep loosening with lime and clay; and deep loosening with lime, clay, and compost – all applied between 0 and 80 cm depth. Soil properties including soil strength, bulk density, volumetric water content, pHCa, soil organic carbon (SOC), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were measured at establishment, three months post-treatment, and 4 years later (2024). Key results At both sites and sampling times, untreated soils had subsoil strength exceeding the critical 2.5 MPa threshold for root growth below 10-cm depth. All soil re-engineering treatments significantly decreased soil strength to well below this threshold and maintained these improvements over 4 years, despite partial recompaction. Soil strength increases between 2021 and 2024 were substantially smaller than typically reported following strategic tillage alone. At Bolgart, treatments incorporating clay and compost increased soil water storage in the 0–80 cm profile by up to 25 mm relative to the control, whereas at Meenar, greater water retention in the untreated subsoil reflected limited root access rather than improved water availability. Lime incorporation increased subsoil pHCa by 1.5–1.7 units – an order of magnitude greater than surface liming – raising pHCa above critical thresholds at 10–70 cm depth and maintaining these improvements over 4 years. Incorporation of compost and clay resulted in marked increases in SOC and CEC, improving soil buffering capacity, stabilising soil physical condition, and reducing the likelihood of re-acidification. Conclusions Soil profile re-engineering produced rapid, substantial, and persistent improvements in subsoil physical, chemical, and hydrological properties, with benefits maintained for at least four cropping seasons across contrasting soil types. Implications These findings demonstrate that soil re-engineering can overcome multiple interacting subsoil constraints simultaneously and provide a mechanistic basis for the large yield and water-use efficiency gains reported in Part II of this series. With the development of cost-effective machinery, soil re-engineering offers a promising pathway to sustainably increase productivity in water-limited, constraint-prone cropping systems

On the interpretation of biogenic carbon flows in livestock LCAs: A comment on Blignaut et al. (2026)

Blignaut et al. (2026) address an important and timely issue: how biogenic carbon flows are treated in life cycle assessments (LCA) of livestock-based fibre systems. Their effort to explicitly map carbon flows through a wool production system provides a clear illustration of carbon movements within the system. However, the paper interprets several biogenic carbon flows as carbon removals, which is not supported by standard LCA practice and is inconsistent with established GHG accounting frameworks