Spuds quick to the finish

Fourth-generation farmer Ashley Morrell said they decided to start producing potatoes in 1997, as the growing seasons fit well into their cropping rotation.

"We had considered onions, but they were more of a long-term crop, whereas potatoes can be harvested within 130 days," he said.

"They were a quick income option and we could fit it in with our cereal harvest."

The Morrell Pastoral business, which includes Ashley's brother Kingsley and their semi-retired father Owen, usually harvests spuds three time a year - one after Christmas, one before seeding, and a winter crop in mid-July.

But for the first time this year, a fourth crop was planted before Christmas in a bid to increase income.

"Just before Christmas, prices get really high, so we were targeting that market," Mr Morrell said.

"We had the manpower to do it, and with harvest finishing so early, it enabled us to harvest spuds in the morning, which we prefer to do."

But the trial did not quite pay off.

"I think we were a little too late in planting," Mr Morrell said.

"We harvested a few weeks too early so the crop wasn't quite at its quality and yield potential."

They had only achieved 37 tonnes a hectare - well below the 50t/ha target for their winter crop.

"We have set ourselves a pretty high standard on our potatoes, yield and quality wise," Mr Morrell said.

"We have enough water to do what we need to do, so next time we will give water and feed when they need it, not when we feel like it or when the market demands.

"We will do it again this year, but look to sow slightly earlier."

The Morrells started out with sheep and crops on 405ha and Morrell Pastoral has since grown to 4200ha.

They employ a full-time worker and a part-time transport driver.

The family crops 40-50ha of potatoes a year, mainly the Nadine variety. They also crop up to 3200ha of cereals and run 1400 self-replacing Radnor-blood Merino breeders.

Mr Morrell said they had expansion plans for their irrigated crops, either through buying more land or leasing, but added they would stick with cropping the same hectares and running the same amount of sheep to spread the risk.

"We have to steer clear of Group B crops in certain areas because of the potatoes, so sheep are good for weed control," he said.

"The sheep go onto stubbles straight after the header, so not only are they cleaning up any grain that we miss (minimising foreign grain growth next season), they eat summer weeds for us, meaning we only have to do one summer spray.

"You don't have to do a lot with sheep for the income they attract."

The Morrells no-till sow Mace wheat, barley (Scope, Gairdner and Commander) and oats for sheep feed (hay or grain).

This year's harvest finished in early December, which Mr Morrell said was the earliest he could remember.

Barley was above average, with 75 per cent going malting, while the Mace wheat crop was below average, going ASW with very low protein.

"The wheat just needed one more rain," Mr Morrell said.

The property received minimal rain from October.

"Normally we average 300-millimetre rainfall, but it was not anywhere near that in the growing season (about 85mm from May to September)," he said.

But the Scope variety, which could be sown dry, and Gairdner, which had good yields and competed well with grasses, went malting.

Their Commander barley did not, and Mr Morrell said this season would be its last. The family will consider trialing new barley variety Skipper A this season - a good alternative in low to medium-rainfall environments.

"We might also introduce lupins to our rotation this year, for nitrogen and another option for a weed kill," Mr Morrell said.

"We also trialled a bit of rye last year, so we will increase that acreage as well."