A small amount of rain has offered an Eyre Peninsula farmer hope of a good season ahead, but a good downpour is wanted to help kickstart the season.
Sydney Lawrie, Collandra North, Tumby Bay, has had some of his crop germinate.
A total of 2840 hectares will be cropped on the mixed-use property, which he co-manages with his parents Graeme and Kerry and wife Therese.
They plan to crop canola, wheat, barley, broad beans, vetch and oats this season.
The property has an annual rainfall of 325 millimetres to 400mm.
They have 700ha left to sow, which will include wheat, barley and oats.
Sydney said the property received about 12mm of rain last week and some canola and wheat has emerged.
Most weeds were managed prior to seeding as part of his summer spraying program.
“It’s all a long, long way off from needing any more spray,” Sydney said.
“It’ll depend on the rain.”
Sydney said they would spray for marshmallows and clover later in the season as they did not get a good kill before seeding.
“In our post-emergent spraying we treat every paddock individually,” he said.
“Most crops receive a mix of zinc, manganese and copper, and other nutrients, depending on the plants and soil tests. Also, we will be looking to take grasses out of our legumes.”
Despite the rain received last week, Sydney is hoping to receive a good downpour to help germination progress.
“If we can get one of them in the next couple of weeks, that will help,” he said.
“There’s still some subsoil moisture so there is some hope. There’s still a lot of great opportunity here, it’s just a later season.”