Changes in pastoral vegetation can provide a guide to management

Over approximately half the area of Western Australia, stock are being grazed on the native vegetation - plants which over the years, had adapted themselves to the soils and climatic conditions and which were growing in profusion when white man first took his flocks and herds into the areas

Problems of the spinifex areas

The decline in carrying capacity A major problem facing pastoralists in the North-West spinifex areas, is the serious decline in carrying capacity which has taken place during the last two or three decades. Investigations into the cause of the decline, and experiments designed to point the way to regeneration of these areas were instigated by the Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, and continued by the North-West Branch of the Department of Agriculture

Lucerne and banana trash for sheep feeding - An interesting experiment at Carnarvon

Although Carnarvon is the port for a large area of pastoral country, local butchers often find it difficult to obtain fat stock for slaughter and it is occasionally necessary to have mutton carcasses shipped from Perth to supply the local trade

Deferred grazing improves soft spinifex association

THE Pastoral region in Western Australia where Triodia pungens (soft spinifex) makes up most of the vegetation, covers an area of about 17,000 square miles in the Forrest and De Grey pastoral areas. On the deeper granitic sands in much of the region, plant associations revert to a pure stand of soft spinifex after about five or six years\u27 grazing. It is common practice to burn at this stage, to encourage the re-establishment of other species and the production of palatable spinifex regrowth

Buffel and birdwood grasses

Two useful perennials Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) and Birdwood grass (Cenchrus setigerns. Vahl.) are two introduced perennial grasses which have become established in the coastal pastoral areas in the North-West of Western Australia. Both provide excellent grazing, being more nutritious than the majority of the native grasses, and efforts are being made to establish them over wider areas

Lambing problems in summer rainfall areas

LOW lambing percentages have become a serious problem in the summer rainfall areas in the North-West of Western Australia. Largely as a result of poor nutrition of the lambing ewes, lamb marking figures have fallen to the stage where keeping up stock numbers is extremely difficult

Observations on the breeding performance of merinos at Abyos Station

ABYDOS STATION is situated in the spinifex country some 90 miles inland from Port Hedland and is one of several stations in the area which were abandoned about 15 years ago, following upon a marked decline in their sheep-carrying capacity extending over a number of years. Abydos and the adjoining station, Woodstock, were purchased by the West Australian Government in 1946 as a site for research into local pastoral problems

Claypans in the North-West spinifex areas

Claypans are common in the spinifex areas of our North-West, particularly on stations near the coast. Many are increasing in area owing to wind erosion but some reclamation is possible by suitable furrowing and surface roughening. In this article the term claypans is used in referring to areas where the topsoil has been blown away and the bare subsoil is left. In many cases this subsoil contains a considerable percentage of clay

Lambing trials at Abydos Research Station

ABYDOS Research Station is halfway between Port Hedland and Wittenoom Gorge. I t is in country of granitic origin that is largely covered with spinifex (mainly Triodia pungens) and associated species. The results of a recent lambing trial at Abydos are discussed below

Weaning lambs under pastoral conditions

IN the summer rainfall region of the pastoral areas lambs are too often born too late to ensure their survival. In good seasons with a fair measure of winter rain more late lambs will survive, but losses are still serious. The only solution to this problem is to make sure lambs drop in May-June. But the presence of late and often unmarked lambs at mating time is a disturbing influence, which makes it hard to advance the established mating pattern