Djilba - Kambarang

Issue 28, Winter 2017 Quarterly newsletter

Your Say: Shaping NRM in the Wheatbelt

Creating habitat for different types of wildlife in the Wheatbelt Summer grazing in Wickepin - new options for closing the feed gap Summer rainfall triggers nitrogen windfall Deep ripping with inclusion plates and more... Contents

Your Say: Shaping NRM in the Wheatbelt ...... 4 Summer grazing in Wickepin - new Dashboard watch options for closing the feed gap...... 8 Percentage of topsoil less than pH 5.5 Creating habitat for different Janda/Berrung/Pulgur Harsh Hakea (Hakea prostrata) types of wildlife in the Wheatbelt ...... 12 Summer rainfall triggers nitrogen windfall ...... 18 ...... 22 Deep ripping with inclusion Aboriginal NRM in the plates ...... 24 Wheatbelt

About the Noongar Season Djilba The fruits have a few hard (non-prickly) projections, but are otherwise reasonably smooth. These open Djilba is a transitional time of the year, with some annually to release the winged , after which, very cold and clear days combining with warmer, they too usually fall from the . The leaves of rainy and windy days with occasional sunny days. 269 Fitzgerald Street Soil acidity is a major constraint to Janda are very prickly and care needs to be taken to PO Box 311 farming in Western . However, Djilba is the start of the massive flowering explosion avoid contact. Northam managing soil acidity is both achievable that happens in the Wheatbelt, beginning with the WA 6401 and profitable and methods for yellow flowering such as the Acacias. Other colours include creams combined with vivid Noongar Uses Phone: (08) 9670 3100 increasing soil pH are widely adopted in and striking blues. As the season progresses the Fax: (08) 9670 3140 the Wheatbelt. • Hakea were an important source of temperatures continue to rise and flower stalks Email: [email protected] honey for Noongar people. The nectar is either of the Balgas (Grass Trees) start emerging in Web: www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au sucked directly from the flowers, or the blossoms preparation for the coming Kambarang season. Soil acidity is widespread in WA are soaked in water to produce a sweet drink. @wheatbeltnrm agricultural soils, where the net removal • The gum from the Hakea tree was eaten by of agricultural products and use of Kurongkurl Katitjin, Centre for Indigenous Australian Noongar people. The gum was also punded into /wheatbeltnrminc nitrogen based fertilisers has contributed Education and Research, Edith Cowan University. a flour and stored in cakes to be transported to soil acidification. Acid surface and from place to place. http://www.ecu.edu.au/centres/kurongkurl-katitjin/ subsurface soils can significantly reduce • In other parts of Australia, the burnt bark of the Copyright © 2017 Wheatbelt NRM growth and leave soils vulnerable to Hakea is used in bush medicine. The ash from ABN 61 661 518 664 degradation. Janda/Berrung/Pulgur the bark is rubbed onto the body to relieve skin Harsh Hakea | Hakea prostrata sores. Janda is an erect, spreading or prostrate shrub Written and designed by Data Source: Department of Agriculture that grows between 1-3m high. A very adaptable Wheatbelt NRM. and Food, WA and widespread Hakea, it grows on calcareous Cultivation and non-calcareous sandy soils, often over laterite, Hakeas are mostly grown from seed but using This publication is produced by loam, gravel and is found on hillslopes, granite cuttings is also possible. Wheatbelt NRM through funding View the NRM Dashboard online: outcrops and coastal dune landscapes. Janda have from the Australian Government’s www.wheatbeltstrategy.com.au attractive white or cream flowers that produce National Landcare Programme. quantities of nectar, that is highly favoured by bees and honeyeaters. These flowers bloom prolifically anytime from July to October, although locally August to September would be their main period. 2 3 We encourage you to People living in the Wheatbelt are “We will soon be making a pitch to the visit our NRM Strategy now being asked to help develop a Australian government on how funding for the Avon River Basin, plan and unlock millions of dollars should be spent on the waterways, for their local environment. bushland, farms and towns of this view our past projects Your Say: region,” Natarsha Woods confirmed. Wheatbelt NRM wants ideas from and have YOUR SAY. Is the community it can pitch to the “We’re asking communities to give there something we need Australian government for the next us ideas now, so we can take them to iteration of the National Landcare Canberra and strengthen our request for to add? Does the whole Shaping Programme. funding, and demonstrate the will of our approach need a re-think? These ideas could help secure up community. to $12 million in funding for projects Previous projects have included What have we learnt? NRM in the as diverse as feral animal control to improving soil health on farming land, How would you create a sustainable farming practices. planting trees to improve connectivity vibrant environment and Chief Executive Officer, Natarsha for wildlife, salt bush trials and night time Woods, said that people could now bat walks. livelihood in the Avon Wheatbelt have their say on the region’s future I want people to go to our website and River Basin? management by submitting their either suggest or vote on projects they ideas online. think are important when it comes to managing our natural resources,”

4 5 “Wheatbelt NRM worked with community to develop strategy for the natural resources of the Wheatbelt, and we have been working with community in achieving that for over 20 years.”

We want this to be the will of the community. You can visit the forum online and submit an idea, or vote on others, to help prioritise the projects we should be developing for the National Landcare Program. Wheatbelt NRM believes its community is best placed to inform management of their natural resources Wheatbelt NRM worked with community to develop strategy for the natural resources of the Wheatbelt, and we have been working with community in achieving that for over 20 years. And we want to hear what measures you think will best determine its management over the next 5 years.” To submit ideas people can log on to oursay.org/wheatbelt with submissions closing Friday 1 December.

6 7 NAME SUPPLIER & LINK FEATURES COST The trial was seeded on the 14 April 2016 Yield Prophet Birchip Cropping Group • Paddock specific potential yield using APSIM. Full rate $230/ (BCG) • Matches nitrogen applications with predicted paddock/year into trial plots 2m x 10m with 4 replications. crop demands. The rates of sowing for each individual http://bit.ly/2giIWlt • Inputs required – requires paddock specific soil species were: test data and crop details, optional growing season rainfall and paddock management data • Balansa 5kg/ha + Alosca Grp C 10kg/ha entry. Uses BOM climate data. • Margurita Serradella 10kg/ha + Alosca iPaddock iPaddock • Uses historical farm rainfall and whole farm On- off fee Grp GS 10kg/ha Yield App average annual wheat yields to determine $169.99 http://bit.ly/2gjPHqC potential yields. • Maximus Ryegrass 20kg/ha • No in-paddock testing required. • Tedera 14kg/ha inoculated with WSM • Inputs required – farm rainfall records, previous 4083 strain wheat yields and uses BOM climate data for current readings. Germination was relatively successful Wheat Yield DAFWA • Based on a modified French and Shultz equation, Free (Table 1) with the Tedera outperforming the Constraints estimating water limited yield potential and other species in terms of establishment Calc http://bit.ly/2frhKQN stored water at time of sowing. percentages. • Inputs required – soil type, selection of nearest DAFWA weather station. Unfortunately the late winter and spring N Broadacre Planfarm • Nitrogen calculator – calculates N available to $24.99 of 2016 was colder than normal, with crop and N required to meet yield/protein targets. September having the coldest average http://apple.co/2gDkEXt • Includes a simple yield calculator but can be minimum temperatures on record across teamed up with other tools such as Yield Prophet. • Accounts for variations in fertiliser and grain prices. most of the grain belt. The long period • Inputs required – basic soil test data, crop type, experiencing frosts from June through to fertiliser type and applications, rotational history. November proved to be hard on the Tedera. Seedlings experienced a 60% mortality, with 14.3 plants/m2 alive on the 17 November 2016. The biomass sampling that was planned to compare the Tedera and the other pasture species was unable to be performed due to Summer Grazing in Wickepin - the lack of growth in the Tedera plots. The 2017 season has not been any kinder new options for closing the feed to the Tedera with a number of frost events Healthy Tedera gap already this year affecting survival rates.

2 Wheatbelt NRM, in partnership with the Facey Group, are trialling new options Table 1: Number of plants per m and establishment percentage for the for sustainable grazing and summer pasture species in the Wickepin region. four species measured on 17 May 2016. Growers have identified a gap in the availability of tolerant summer Species Sowing rate Thousand No. plants/m2 Establishment (%) grazing options better suited to this rainfall zone. 2 2 Seed Weight sown/m (g/m ) (g) (17 May 16) (17 May 16) Tedera (Bituminaria bituminosa var. albomarginata) is a perennial forage legume from the Canary Islands with drought tolerant qualities that has the Balansa 0.5 1 500 119.2 23.9 potential to fill the summer feed gap in a low rainfall environment. This species Ryegrass 2 2.5 800 268.5 33.6 is relatively new to WA and is currently not commonly used in the Wickepin Serradella 1 2.5 400 150.5 37.6 region. Tedera 1.4 19 76 35.8 47.0 This Wheatbelt NRM trials aim to compare tedera to the more commonly used LSD (5%) 40.29 10.18 annual pasture species such as annual ryegrass, serradella and subterranean clover. 88 9 Healthy Tedera Frost Affected Tedera

Refer to Table 2 for the values on four Tedera plots trialled. Weeds within the plots have also likely contributed to the variation in survival rates between plots. Across the site, the average plants on 11 May 2017 were just 1.24 plants per square metre. In comparison, the average number of plants per square metre on 17 May 2016 was 46.92. Results at this stage indicate that site selection needs to be carefully considered when planting Tedera. Tedera is clearly drought tolerant, however this trial suggests that it is highly susceptible to frost. From these results, we would not recommend planting this species in frost prone areas. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are however, still developing Tedera as a pasture species and are looking at ways to improve its frost tolerance. The trial is supported by Wheatbelt NRM through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme

Table 2: Number of plants surviving and the average number of plants per m2 on 11 May 2017

Plot Numbers Plants per plot No. plants/m2 (11/05/17) (11/05/17) Tedera Plot 1001 3 0.15 Tedera Plot 2004 18 0.9 Germination Plot Tedera Plot 3003 44 2.2 Tedera Plot 4002 34 1.7

10 11 Birds

Birds live in a wide range of habitats. You can For more tips on improving your garden for plant flowers to attract honeyeaters, grassy birds, visit http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/ plants to attract seedeaters, and and Your-Garden-How-make-it-safe-haven-birds/ trees with woody seeds for endangered species Gardening-Birds. such as Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo. It is also worthwhile providing prickly, dense shrubs To discover common birds in the Wheatbelt, such as hakeas to provide nesting areas and find a bird guide for your area at http://birdlife. protection from predators, including raptors and org.au//locations/birdlife-western-australia/bird- cats. guides-wa.

Many old trees, currently providing nesting hollows in the Wheatbelt, are not being replaced naturally. These include trees in grazed or cropped paddocks, in small remnant stands surrounded by roads, or in urban environments. If you are starting with a bare Providing water for birds in your garden it is worth planting tree species that will garden provide food and other resources in the short term and become nesting trees in the future. • Different species use different depths of water, so create several water levels Some migratory species only visit for short by adding a slope to a pond or pebbles periods at particular times of year. If you want to a bird bath. Even better, add water to encourage migratory species, research the sources of various shapes, sizes and times of year they are in your area and what heights to different parts of your they require at those times. For instance, garden. Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo breed primarily in • Keep the water cool. Birds prefer the Wheatbelt region, and at this time they baths and ponds located in dappled need access to nesting sites, roosting sites shade. and food plants all within a relatively small • Make sure the water is safe from area. This is so they can feed and return to cats and other predators by having the nest with food for their chicks several perching areas nearby (e.g. open Strated Pardelote (male), Pardalotus striatus times a day. In this instance, you wouldn’t trees) dense shrubs to escape into, substriatus (Aidan English) install a cockatoo nest box unless there was a and raising baths (e.g. hanging in a nearby significant remnant vegetation patch tree or placing on a pedestal). of appropriate food species and roosting trees • A rock or branch in the water also (e.g. hakeas, banksias, eucalypts). For specific creates a place to safely drink from, plants beneficial for Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, and will help any animal that falls in, to see www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plantsforcarnabys. climb out again. Providing food plants for migratory species is • Birds use baths to drink AND bathe in. always beneficial – whether they stop over on Replace the water every day or two, Creating habitat for different their way to or from a breeding site, or they and clean the bath regularly. Unclean have a nesting site nearby. water can spread disease between types of wildlife in the different birds using the bath. Wheatbelt

12 13 Frogs Reptiles Frogs are important to the environment for several Reptiles are important in the ecosystem reasons. They are often used as both predators and prey. While it is as indicator species, as they understandable that you may not wish to are susceptible to slight encourage snakes around your house, lizards, changes in the health of their geckos and legless lizards are wonderful to environment. Frogs form an have about the place. Reptiles eat insects, important part of the food fruit, snails and frogs, but there is no need web. Tadpoles and baby frogs to provide them with any extra food. Provide feed on algae and help to plenty of structure to your garden, and you’ll keep waterways clean. As they find reptiles will happily take up residence. mature into adults, their diet changes to include insects. This helps keep insect numbers under control. In turn, frogs are food to many birds, fish, snakes and other animals. L. dorsalis or Western Banjo Frog Creating space for reptiles • Create variety in your garden The Western Australian to provide the many types of Museum’s excellent Frogwatch habitat that encourage different website http://museum.wa.gov. types of reptiles au/explore/frogwatch/regions/ How to encourage frogs into your • Use heavily-planted native southwest/wheat-belt has lots garden vegetation mixed with areas of of information on the types of bare ground. frogs you can find in different • Find a place suitable for a pond or a bog. • Create living spaces and areas parts of the State. Common It needs to have: for basking and hibernating by frogs in the Avon Wheatbelt - a wet area using rocks, logs, bricks or PVC region include the motorbike, - access to sunshine, shade and pipe to form lots of crevices and spotted burrowing, pobblebonk designed by Toni Korotschuk-Rose shelter open areas. and moaning frogs. - a distance from an area of high • Retain leaf litter, mulch and bark traffic which create areas to escape Frogs are amphibians, and • Provide a wet area with varying depth that from sun and support food have moist skin through will attract different types of frogs. sources such as insects and which they breathe, as well • Plant native plants around your wet area. snails. as through their lungs. The These attract insects, which in turn attract • Include damp areas and ponds surrounding environment frogs. Rushes and sedges provide shelter, which are also welcomed - they affects their body temperature, while also cleaning and oxygenating the provide water and attract food. so they need to move between pond water. • Plant some extra strawberry cooler and warmer locations • Add native fish, like the pygmy perch, plants - Bobtails love them! throughout the day. Frogs also which will control mosquito larvae in your • Find other tips on a reptile need water to grow tadpoles. pond. Do not add goldfish or mosquito fish, friendly garden, including things Building a permanent frog as they eat frog eggs. to avoid, which are listed here pond can ensure they have • Include natural shelter, including branches, http://www.backyardbuddies. access to water year-round to logs, rocks and leaf litter which is essential. org.au/habitats/create-a-lizard- keep their skin moist and for Artificial shelter includes bricks and PVC friendly-garden breeding. piping. Don’t remove logs and branches from the bush, as it is probably providing habitat for other animals. P. minor or Western Bearded Dragon Pagona Minor

14 15 Australian Blue Banded Bee

Butterflies leaves and other plants. These leaf segments are used by the female bee to construct their There are more than 60 nests or brood cells. species of butterflies native to the south west of Western Some native bees are very small, while others Australia. Butterflies and are quite large. In the south west of Western moths are indicative of Australia, most native bees tend to be solitary healthy environments and species. Nesting sites are quite varied, ranging ecosystems. They have been from burrows in soil, tunnels chewed out in used by ecologists as model rotting wood or pithy stems, hollow plant stems, organisms to study the impact burrows left by wood borers or empty mud of habitat loss, fragmentation wasp nests. Native bees usually only sting if and climate change. Areas rich caught or provoked. Some species are common, in butterflies are usually rich in Creating a butterfly-friendly garden others are quite rare, and it is possible that other invertebrates. Butterflies Native Bees more species will still be identified. and moths are a very important • Eggs are laid on a specific food source for food source for birds, caterpillars, quite often a different plant species There are about 25,000 species of bees One thing you can do to help in your garden is insect-eating mammals and than the butterfly collects nectar from. Some worldwide. Bees are responsible for pollinating to build nest boxes for native bees. For more other insectivores. In particular, examples of plants for shelter for eggs and about 1/6 of the species information about Western Australian native moths are an important subsequent food for the caterpillar include: worldwide. But bees are disappearing at an bees, visit http://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/ component of bat diets in Acacia sp, peas (Pultenaea sp), fan flowers alarming rate worldwide, due to pesticides, default/files/Native%20Bees.pdf. A fact sheet Western Australia. (Scaevola sp); grassy plants such as Lomandra parasites and diseases. We are very lucky in on building bee hotels is http://www.abc.net.au/ sp, Poa sp, Gahnia sp, Carex sp; climbers Australia that due to our stringent quarantine gardening/stories/s4701951.htm The key to making a and sprawlers like the Happy Wanderer, laws, some of the parasites and diseases have butterfly friendly garden is Hardenbergia violacea and Running postman not reached our bee populations. to provide habitat and feed (Kennedia prostrata), and mistletoes. requirements for all stages of • Providing caterpillars with food plants is There are over 2,000 species of native bees the lifecycle of the butterfly: Native Bees more important than supplying nectar for the found in Australia, of which about 800 are found egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterflies. in Western Australia. Australian native bees • Plant native species in your garden butterfly. Attracting and • The caterpillar needs a sturdy, sheltered place to tend to be different to the commonly known like Jacksonia, Dianella, Lechenaultia, keeping butterflies in your form a chrysalis or cocoon. European Honey Bee. While the introduced Dasypogon, Regelia, Verticordia and patch means that you need to • Butterflies and caterpillars need warmth to stay honeybees are an important pollinator of Calytrix. provide food and shelter for active, so butterfly gardens should be in full introduced agricultural crops and provide us • Plant plenty of flowering plants. them at every stage of their life sun and include some bare ground or rocks for with honey, they represent a double-edged • Minimise your use of pesticides in the cycle including from caterpillar basking/sunning/warming up. sword. Feral bees, or European bees that have garden. right through to the attractive • Butterflies particularly like blue, yellow and red swarmed and escaped to the wild, build their • Some are colonisers, but most are adult life phase… so if you flowers. Examples of native plants which attract hives in hollow trees which would otherwise be solitary species. can’t stand the caterpillars, a butterflies include: Acacia sp, Eucalyptus sp, used by native insects, mammals and • Build bee hotels (http://www.abc.net. butterfly garden may not be for Allocasuarina sp and Banksia sp, Bossaiea sp, hollow-nesting birds. The feral bees also au/gardening/stories/s4701951.htm) you! Leptospermum sp, Callistemon sp, Goodenia compete with the native bees for food sources. • Join local Facebook groups such sp, various hakeas, Solanum sp, Hardenbergia Control of feral bees in the bush is a very as https://www.facebook.com/ For more information about violacea, Kennedia prostrata, and Clematis sp. important conservation objective. groups/479428025586681/ to butterflies you might see in Talk to your local garden centre about what is south west Western Australia familiarise yourself with native bees native to your area. Native bees that you may have seen, include and suitable plants for them, found in Western Australia. • A few flowering or evergreen shrubs can provide the blue banded bee. It has distinct blue and visit https://www.dpaw.wa.gov. • Need protection from pesticides. shelter from wind and rain. black bands around its abdomen. Another au/images/documents/plants- • Keep patches of bare ground in your • Avoid using chemicals and non-organic species where you may not see the bee, animals/animals/living-with- garden to supply dirt for nest making. fertilisers. but you have probably seen the effect of its wildlife/butterflychart.pdf presence, is the leaf cutter bee. They tend to cut neat circular to elliptical pieces from rose 16 17 Summer rainfall triggers nitrogen windfall

This year’s wet summer has provided a nitrogen windfall for many broad acre farmers in the Wheatbelt.

The massive rainfall events of late January and February, where falls of more than 100 millimetres were recorded, has triggered a revision of the Nutrient Use Efficient project. The revision studies the impact that massive summer rainfall events have on soil nutrients, with a focus on nitrogen. The Nutrient Use Efficiency Project held workshops with the 20 farmers involved in the project during early March to discuss the results of their early soil testing. During these workshops, a groundswell of interest emerged among the growers around, what impact would the massive summer rainfall events have on the nitrogen levels in the soil? Did mineralisation occur or was all of the nitrogen leached down the profile? Previous research has indicated a two inch rainfall event can leach soluble nutrients out of the immediate root zone. However, 200 to 500g of nitrogen per hectare per day can be generated through mineralisation in wet soil after significant summer rainfall. Initial soil testing was done in December on 120 sites over 20 farms using a soil corer to a depth of 50cm. These sites were then re-tested in May to compare the pre and post rainfall soil test results. Mineralisation occurs when soil bacteria convert nitrogen oxides and other nitrogen sources into nitrate and ammonium forms, which are plant available.

18 Chris Kennedy (WNRM) and Dave Stead (Anasazi Agronomy) 19 Total Nitrogen kg/ha before and after heavy summer rainfall 90 Before After 80 Results from the re-testing of the sites found there was a significant amount of mineralisation of nitrogen across most of the sites after the summer rainfall 70 events. Some sites however, mainly those with sandy soils, 60 showed a definite leaching of nitrogen down the profile with some nitrogen leaching lower than the 50cm 50 sampling depth. Some of these sites then received a top-up of mineralised nitrogen in the top layer. 40 Other sites lost nitrogen due to late spraying of weeds. Weed growth on unsprayed sites was stimulated by the TotalNitrogen 30 kg/ha summer rain, which then drained much of the available nitrogen within the soil. 20 The majority of sites however, did show an increase in the nitrogen levels, with at least two sites obtaining 10 more than 60kg/ha of nitrogen from mineralisation.

The aim of the Nutrient Use Efficiency Project is to 0 give farmers more information about their soils before 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70 73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 97 100 103 106 109 112 115 118 they start planning their fertiliser program. These Sites throughout the Wheatbelt results have reinforced the importance of farmers testing nutrition levels as close to seeding as possible to achieve a more accurate understanding of crop Change in nitrogen kg/ha after heavy summer rainfall requirements. 120 The Avon, Dale and Mortlock Rivers contribute over 2/3 of the nitrogen and over 1/3 of the phosphorous 100 load into the Swan River. With fertiliser costs at around 25% of budget for cropping programs, capacity to 80 reduce application without adversely effecting yield

makes strong economic sense. 60 The Nutrient Use Efficiency Project continues

to work with the Round 4 group of participants, 40 currently collecting tissue samples and testing for

microbiological activity within the soil. Grain testing will 20 also be carried out at the same sites in the lead up to

harvest. in kg/ha Change nitrogen 0 The Nutrient Use Efficiency Project is supported by 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Wheatbelt NRM through funding from the Australian -20 Government’s National Landcare Programme and the Western Australia based Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions - Rivers and Estuaries -40 Division. -60 Site number

20 21 Diet Western Pygmy Possum facts

Invertebrates, nectar and form the Family: Burramyidae diet of the Western Pygmy Possum. Nectar Conservation status: Not listed is an important energy source and pollen provides readily digested protein. Possums actively search for it, licking the pollen grains Size (head and body length) from the anthers of flowers of Banksia, 71 – 106mm Grevillea, Hakea, Eucalyptus, and other native species. It seems to choose Size (tail) its habitat based on the species of plants 71 – 96mm available for food, rather than the structure of the vegetation. The Western Pygmy Weight Possum is probably an important pollinator of 8 – 20g flowering species, however, more research is required to confirm this. The possum is Habitat also an aggressive hunter; once it captures an insect, it holds the prey in its hands and Heathland, forest and mallee with an crunches it up with its sharp, needle-like understorey of shrubs. teeth. Researchers who handle these animals can confirm that their teeth are sharp, as they Diet readily bite when restrained. Nectar, pollen and invertebrates.

Reproduction Reproduction Breeds throughout the year. 1 – 6 The Western Pygmy Possum will breed at young. May have several litters in quick any time of year if conditions are suitable. succession. Young stay in pouch for 25 The female has six teats and may produce days then are left in a nest. two or three litters of up to six young yearly. Western Pygmy Possum Young stay in the pouch for 25 days and then, while still pink and hairless, are left in a nest while the mother forages. She returns to feed them at intervals. The female may mate Cercartetus concinnus immediately after the birth of a litter, but the embryos develop slowly and are born after about 50 days, when the previous litter is independent. Identification Habitat and distribution Threats The Western Pygmy Possum or ‘mundarda’ is soft The Western Pygmy Possum is widespread in the brown or grey-brown with reddish-tinged fur on wheatbelt and the south coast of Western Australia Cats and foxes prey on the Western Pygmy its back. The underside is creamy white and bare and is known to occur in the Avon region. It is found Possum, but because it can breed quickly skin areas on the nose, feet and tail are pink to in mallee heath, woodland and dry forest with it seems to be able to cope with predation pinkishbrown. The first third of the tail is furred understorey of Banksia and shrubby native Myrtles. pressure. The population has suffered habitat on top, but the remainder is almost hairless. To Occasionally, the pygmy possum occurs in other loss through land clearing for rural or urban conserve energy when it is cold or when food is areas, for example, in mulga-saltbush country. It development but is not endangered. limited, the western pygmy possum can go into sleeps in a nest made of leaves in a hollow, dense torpor, dropping its body temperature and entering a bush or grass tree, or sometimes on the ground deep sleep. It has large eyes and soft, delicate ears among leaf litter. It occasionally uses birds’ nests Management actions that fold down when it is asleep. When it is active, it and will use wooden nestboxes attached to trees. The maintenance of suitable habitat in secure climbs and scampers through undergrowth using its It can be quite opportunistic in its use of shelter; a reserves helps to ensure the conservation of This article is reproduced from hand‑like front and back feet and prehensile tail to female with three young was once found under a this species. The installation of nest boxes climb and balance. The Western Pygmy Possum has sheet of corrugated iron. the Mammals of the Avon Region, in degraded areas where tree hollows have an opposable hind toe and its second and third hind available for download at: been lost can provide secure sleeping places toes are fused. www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au/mammals for Western Pygmy Possums. 22 23 Sub surface compaction has long been a constraint for Wheatbelt farmers, with many looking at deep ripping following years of no till practice. Ty Fulwood, from Meenaar is one such grower who has been deep ripping for some time, but wanted to look deeper into the process. The Fulwoods have hosted many trials over the last decade, but thanks to Trials and Demonstrations project funding through the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme, Ty has been able to trial deep ripping at the paddock scale.

Deep ripping work to date, on farm and on other Wheatbelt properties, has shown very positive results. Trials indicate that ripping with inclusion plates does incorporate lime to depth and allows plants to penetrate deeper into the soil profile. This allows the plants to access nutrients and water that would be otherwise be unavailable to plants, reducing the need for energy hungry fertilisers. While deep ripping with inclusion plates is not innovative per se, the practice has not as yet been used extensively across differing depths and soil profiles, and the most profitable ripping depth is still unclear. The innovative aspect of this project is that the deep ripping will be conducted Deep ripping with down to 700mm and investigated on three different soil types to determine which soil types are most responsive to ripping at this depth. This trial is inclusion plates innovative in its comparative approach and its capacity to produce learnings Comparison of the benefits of deep ripping with inclusion plates to that can be applied to many areas of 700mm across three typical Wheatbelt WA soil types. the Wheatbelt.

24 Ty Fulwood with his Heliripper 25 The aim of the trial is to quantify the crop yield benefits, nutrient recovery and water use efficiency improvements from deep ripping with inclusion plates down to 700mm across three different typical Wheatbelt soil types; deep loamy sand, sand over clay duplex and sand over gravel duplex. The trial design involves deep ripping of test strips with a 4m wide three point linkage Heliripper with 6 tynes and inclusion plates bolted to the back of the tynes. The soil was be ripped to 700mm deep. Test and control strips will be 12.2m wide and are lined up with the harvester lines to allow for yield recording and comparison. This design is consistent over the three soil types.

This trial will seek to provide answers in two key areas: 1. To identify which of the soil types respond best to ripping to the depth of 700mm to overcome sub surface compaction, and; 2. How the use of inclusion plates affects overall soil health through funnelling more alkaline, nutrients and organic matter rich topsoil deeper into the soil profile.

Specifically, the trial will measure subsurface acidity levels plus the plants’ recovery of soil and fertiliser nutrients. Once the ripping was completed, all areas were seeded with the same applications of fertilizer, Heliripper in action herbicides and seeding rates. This is to ensure a reliable comparison between the ripped and non-ripped areas of each paddock. Even with the start of the season being dry, the trial sites have received over 70mm of rain in the month of July, which has been sufficient for the crop to grow and mature, so we will definitely see yield results from this trial in 2017. We are hopeful that this trial will show an economic return from deep ripping, with greater crop yields expected, due to the increase in available nutrients at depth, and better access to soil water lower in the profile. The trial is supported by Wheatbelt NRM through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme. Soil pit showing the topsoil slotting from deep ripping with inclusion plates

26 27 Your Say: Shaping NRM in the Wheatbelt

We encourage you to visit our NRM Strategy for the Avon River Basin, view our past projects and have YOUR SAY. Is there something we need to add? Does the whole approach need a re-think? What have we learnt? How would you create a vibrant environment and livelihood in the Avon River Basin?

To submit ideas people can log on to oursay.org/wheatbelt with submissions closing Friday 1 December.

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