Production & postharvest

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development contributes to the productivity, profitability and sustainability of plant-based agriculture. From broad scale dryland cropping systems to intensive irrigated production, we work with industry and business to address challenges in plant production through research and development, knowledge transfer and government policy settings.

Articles

  • Recent research from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia's barley agronomy team has busted the myth that increasing the seed rate of barley will significantly decrease the qua

  • Plants with fewer tillers and pale older leaves

    Nitrogen deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in barley especially during cold, wet conditions and in sandy soils in high rainfall areas.

     

  • Phosphorus deficient seedling

    Nearly all soils in Western Australia are phosphorus deficient but continual use of phosphorus fertiliser means acute deficiency in broadacre crops is rare, with the exception of Darling Range grav

  • Weather damage in barley is a common problem worldwide including the south coast of Western Australia (WA) where it is associated with the late spring/early summer rains.

  • A blue colouring in the aleurone layer of barley grain (the layer immediately below the husk) may be present in some varieties.

  • Patches of stunted pale clumpy plants.

    Zinc deficiency has become more common in young barley plants emerging in drying soil but this deficiency is usually transitory and disappears when rainfall re-wets the topsoil.

     

  • At maturity deficient plants vary from bleached with disordered heads to stunted and dark with shrivelled heads.

    Most soils in Western Australia were copper deficient in their natural state.

  • Tips of new leaves die, turn grey or pale brown and become tightly rolled or twisted.

    Calcium deficiency is occasionally seen in canola but is yet to be observed in cereals due to the widespread use of superphosphate.

  • Older plants are stunted with thin spindly stems and pale yellow foliage marked with necrotic lesions.

    Western Australia (WA) agricultural soils, particularly acidic sands, are inherently low in magnesium but deficiency is rare in broadacre crops.

     

  • Stunted plant with youngest leaves affected first

    Boron deficiency is rare in cereals in Western Australia (WA) and will impact broadleaf crops such as lupin and canola before affecting cereals like wheat and barley.