GOOD autumn rainfall has fallen over much of the country’s grain belt over the past fortnight.
The falls, ranging from 160mm in parts of the central Darling Downs, to negligible amounts in parts of the South Australian and Victorian Mallee are not considered a true seasonal break, but will put down handy moisture in the lead-up to planting.
They have also allayed fears of a dry autumn, sparked by Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) seasonal forecasts for markedly higher chances of lower than average rainfall for many areas from March to May.
Wayne Newton, AgForce grains section president, said coastal areas of Queensland received heavy falls this week, but said only patchy showers had crossed the Great Divide.
“There was some rain in parts around Toowoomba, but like all year it has mainly been stormy, showery rain, nothing general.
“However, it is still humid so we hope to see some more.”
Mr Newton said there had been falls of up to 160mm in parts in recent weeks.
“We are a little way off winter crop planting here, but those that received that heavy rain will enter the planting season with good subsoil moisture levels.”
He said there had also been useful falls in Queensland’s Central Highlands cropping zone.
Through NSW, after a hot summer, the rain has continued where it let off – over the State’s Central West region, with falls of up to 60mm around Condobolin and Forbes.
In Victoria and South Australia, storm driven rain has delivered over 50mm in parts of those States’ high rainfall zone cropping areas.
It was the first rain of note for many for the year.
Edenhope, in Victoria’s far west, received over 50mm, while there was up to 100mm in South Australia’s south-east, with Lucindale and Mt Gambier both copping hefty drinks.
Through northern cropping zones, however, there was little meaningful rainfall, with general falls of 10-25mm commonplace in other areas.
With hot weather to follow, the rain is unlikely to be considered a true autumn break in all but the wettest of the southern areas.
However, Andrew Weidemann, Grain Producers Australia (GPA) chairman said it would be useful for those who received good tallies to germinate early autumn weeds for control.
For those with less than 25mm it will be a rain of relatively low use, he said, although he added it will make germination rates from following rains much higher.
After record late summer rainfall, there have been light falls over the WA wheatbelt this week.
Calingiri grain producer Gary McGill said there was good stored moisture in many areas.
He said the occasional farmer was experimenting with planting canola in March, but added this would only be a minute part of total plantings.
“Most people are waiting until mid-April before starting their planting programs and many will start with good stored moisture,” he said.