AUSTRALIA’S croppers are heading into the critical spring period with markedly different prospects.
Areas in southern Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria have either generally recovered from a dry start or continue to track along well.
It is a different story in northern and western NSW, northern WA and in southern Queensland where daytime temperatures pushed into the 30s last week and heavy frosts overnight have combined to smash the crop around.
Crop potential in the north has been downgraded significantly by analysts in the past fortnight, with central Queensland the only northern part of the eastern seaboard likely to get close to average yields.
Here we take a state-by-state look at crop prospects.
QUEENSLAND:
Duaringa, central Queensland, farmer Colin Dunne said harvest has begun for some in Australia’s most northerly grain producing region.
“We’re probably a fortnight from things really getting into full swing.”
Mr Dunne said overall the region was enjoying a relatively favourable season, bolstered by subsoil moisture from rain earlier in the year associated with Cyclone Debbie.
However, he said there were patches, especially in the south of the cropped area towards Theodore and Taroom where crops do not look so good.
“It’s a very mixed bag, my wheat is a solid average crop and the chickpeas a little better than that but not too far south and it is not so good.”
NSW:
McGregor Gourlay agronomist Mick Jensen, Moree, said crop condition was extremely poor in northern NSW.
“It has looked better to the east all year but after last week’s hot weather and frosts even there the crop has been knocked around,” Mr Jensen said.
“Virtually everything to the west of Moree is really tonguing it, the heat last week cooked it.”
He said farmers had sprayed out crops or had put cattle on in some instances.
“There is the odd paddocks which has been long fallow or underneath a storm or had better stored moisture but in general it is pretty ugly.”
He said farmers were generally grazing cereal crops and leaving chickpea crops.
“There is more value in the chickpeas and they also hang on better as a rule so people are leaving them for now.”
He said rain would still help crops, but significant yield losses had already been incurred.
VICTORIA:
In a different scenario to both 2014 and 2015 when the southern state suffered with drought as other states recorded solid seasons, Victorian crops are currently sitting pretty.
Ouyen farmer Ian Hastings said crops in the Mallee were in top condition.
“It’s bloody beautiful to be honest, we’ve had 40mm or so for August and a reasonable July.
“We’ve been really happy to see this recent rain because after a great start it got a bit dry in June and early July.”
Mr Hastings said he did not think crops would quite match last year’s bin buster in the low rainfall cropping zone in Victoria’s north-west.
“We have to get through September yet and we can easily get 30 degree days and hot north winds, so we certainly aren’t getting carried away, but things are set up as well as they can be at the end of winter.”
He said there had been sufficient dry periods for crop roots to push down to decent depths, while nitrogen application has largely been completed.
“It was ideal, we got the urea out and have had follow up rain to wash it in, the crops are a lovely, healthy deep green colour.”
Mr Hastings said cereal crops were in the early stem elongation growth stage in general while canola was just short of being in full flower.
He said there were a lot of lentils planted in response to strong prices over the past two years and these were also in good health.
Further to the south, Kalkee cropper Steve Schultz said crops were generally in good condition.
“The early sown crops are looking especially good, but there were some crops that needed resowing due to mice damage.
“They still look good and have good moisture underneath them but they are just later, so we’ll need spring rain for them in particular.”
At Congupna, in north-eastern Victoria, Craig Reynolds said conditions were near ideal.
“I really can’t complain, it was getting just a touch dry at the end of June, but we had 60mm in July and we’re probably up to 70mm in August already.”
In spite of the heavy rainfall, he said crops were not suffering from waterlogging.
“We managed to get the urea out last week without problems.”
He nominated canola as the pick of the crops.
“It is really looking the best it ever has at this time of the year.”
From now, he said weed sprays would be a priority, while he will also monitor for the onset of fungal disease.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
Garry Hansen, Coomandook, in the Upper South East region, was also pleased with seasonal prospects.
“Conditions are very good in this part of the world, canola and beans are both in early flower and looking well.”
Mr Hansen said early sown crops in particular were looking the goods.
“Some of the later sown crops are still struggling, they are fine, the rain in the last week has really helped them, but unless we have a perfect spring the early sown crops will be better.”
WESTERN AUSTRALIA:
Scott Crosby at Nyabing, in the Great Southern region said it had been a topsy-turvy season in his area.
“It’s OK at present, not awesome, but OK,” he said.
“We’ve got good moisture at the moment, but the late start to the year will not help, it will mean many crops are exposed to the risk of heat shock at a critical stage.”
He said there was significant variance in the crop.
“There are some crops that people managed to get up early on minimal moisture and they look a lot better than the later stuff, which has had no vigour and is a lot thinner.”
On the balance of things, Mr Crosby said he was pleased with the recovery given there was decile 1 rainfall for April-June.
“July was OK, and we’ve had a nice start to August so we have some chance, but I’d say we’d need a soft finish to end up above average.”
“I’d say the early stuff has a chance of going 3t/ha, but we’d be happy with the later stuff going 2t/ha, although that could obviously improve with the right finish.”
He said other parts of the Great Southern had received markedly more rainfall with areas now suffering from waterlogging.
“It is even really wet out in the Lakes District, which is virtually unheard of.”