Climate, land & water

Western Australia’s agriculture sector needs access to productive soil and water resources for growth and profit. However, the sector must compete with increasing resource demands from all sectors of the community, and the pressures of a changing climate. The Agriculture and Food division of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supports agriculture by providing long-term management solutions, practical risk management strategies and tools to maintain and improve resource conditions, to meet the needs of industry and stakeholders. Agriculture and Food is also pioneering soil and water investigation of the state’s undeveloped areas to establish new irrigated agricultural industries.

Articles

Soil organic carbon in Western Australian

17 November 2016

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is inherently low in Western Australian soils – limited by climate and soil type – with some potential to increase through management.
Wheat yield potential and land management constraints in the south-west of Western Australia

10 November 2015

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia assessed the potential and reported wheat yield of the 18 million hectares of agricultural land in the south-west of Western Australia and
Ord River Irrigation Expansion: Mantinea Development area

19 May 2015

This page summarises the preliminary soil and groundwater resource assessment findings for the Mantinea Development area, part of the Goomig farmlands in the Ord River Irrigation Expansion Stage 2,
Whole farm nutrient mapping

3 July 2014

Whole farm nutrient mapping helps graziers make informed nutrient management decisions. We developed an innovative presentation of soil test results as colour-coded nutrient maps in response to par
Immobilisation of soil nitrogen in heavy stubble loads

14 April 2014

Soil microbes often require nitrogen (N) to breakdown organic matter in soil.
Irrigation in the Pilbara

16 January 2014

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is planning for the future of irrigated agriculture development in the Pilbara, recently completing a three-year investigation into irr
Carbon farming: approved and proposed methodologies for carbon-offset projects

20 December 2013

Anyone wanting to undertake a carbon farming project to sell carbon offsets has to use an approved methodology to account for the carbon sequestered.
Land drainage and the Soil and Land Conservation Act

11 December 2013

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) carries out the requirements of the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945 to mitigate and prevent land degradation throu
Environmental impact of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers in high rainfall areas

10 December 2013

In the high rainfall south-west of Western Australia, especially on sandy soils, the most commonly used nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers can be leached into the groundwater and washed into water
Micronutrients (trace elements) for high rainfall pastures

10 December 2013

Micronutrient deficiencies can result from removal of agricultural products over many years, changes in soil acidity, or from large increases in plant biomass as a result of added nitrogen fertilis