THE grain and fodder judging for this year’s Royal Adelaide Show, which took place last week at the showground, was adjusted to incorporate new requirements following the Pinery bushfire.
Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society Grains and Fodder committee member Bill Rowett, Marrabel, said they had changed the entry requirements this year and waived the Pinery farmers’ entry fees.
“It was a committee decision for the people affected by the Pinery fires to enter their grain samples from a seed cleaner and one direct from the header, rather than entering larger samples,” he said.
Mr Rowett said a significant number of entries had come from districts within the fireground.
“This year more than 20 per cent of entries have come from the region, so we would like to think someone from the Pinery fire region could win a major trophy,” he said.
“All things considered, with the dry finish and the fires, our entries have been outstanding, which is particularly due to the seed cleaners that have helped us.”
This year was Don Hawke’s 30th year of judging.
Mr Hawke has been involved in the grain industry for 45 years.
“I’ve been through it all,” he said. “I’ve sown it, grown it, and reaped it.”
Judges were impressed with the overall quality of all grains entered, considering the recent weather conditions.
Canola judge Jade Saunders, Viterra, said size was variable from higher rainfall areas.
“One area is very clean, but size is very small, while another has very good size, and they’ve had trouble cleaning providing a variable quality,” he said.
In the wheat judging, Australian Grain Technologies’ Stuart Milde, Roseworthy, said the clean samples reflected growing conditions, mainly due to new machinery.
“There is a pleasingly good number of entries. Overall, slightly better quality than previous seasons,” he said.
Mr Milde said the wheat was smaller, but this was due to the drier conditions.
In the barley section, judges said the samples reflected a good 2015 season, which had a very hard finish.
AGT Adelaide’s Paul Telfer said there were characteristics of stressed crops evident in some samples.
Fellow judge Jason Eglinton, University of Adelaide, said the samples that were submitted reflected changes in the varieties farmers were growing.
“For the first time in many years, we’ve had no samples of Schooner or Sloop barley, the competition is dominated by the newest varieties,” he said.
The winners will be announced at the show on Tuesday, September 6, at 3.30pm.