KEITH farmer Glen Simpson says crops in the Upper South East area are looking as good, if not better, than 2016’s impressive season.
“Any crops which were in early or on time, and where the mice were baited well, are looking tremendous,” he said.
“We have had plenty of rain, but being free draining soils around Keith, it hasn’t got too wet.”
Mr Simpson said they would not need much more rain to achieve above-average yields.
“A bad frost could be the only stumbling block,” he said.
The decision to keeping the seeding rate up and apply extra nitrogen during the season has paid off.
“We didn’t go too lean with the seeding rate, which has helped with the mice about early,” he said.
With about 32 millimetres of rain falling in September so far, Mr Simpson has been proactive applying fungicide to cereals.
He has 1000 hectares of canola, wheat, barley, beans and lentils, and runs hay contracting and contract seeding businesses.
