Paddocks show promise with cool weather on its way

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Matt Bass said up to 15 millimetres could be expected on Saturday, but mainly in southern agricultural regions.

“Looking at rain for the month, the southern areas have been lucky with average to above-average falls recorded,” he said.

“Rain has been more lacking in the northern parts of Eyre Peninsula and Mid North, the Flinders Ranges and even the Riverland.

“Unfortunately these regions shouldn’t expect too much from the weekend, but there are more showers forecast mid-next week.”

Despite the limited rain outlook, the milder spring had enabled “quiet optimism” to creep back in about the cropping season, according to Grain Producers SA chief executive officer Darren Arney.

He said other than some patchy areas on the EP and Upper Yorke Peninsula, most crops were “looking good”, particularly in the Mallee and Upper South East where crops were well-advanced.

“There has been a few frosts, but the cool spring has been helping to keep crop stress low,” he said.

“But farmers are not getting too far ahead of themselves; they’re waiting to see how the next period pans out, particularly frost events on very late-sown crops.”

Mr Arney did not expect the same disease pressures as the 2016 season, as it was not as wet.

YP Ag agronomist Chris Davey, Kadina, agreed, mainly due to the drier start to the season.

But septoria had been problematic in wheat, ascochyta was affecting chickpeas and lentils were being sprayed for diseases as well.​

“Break crops are also being monitored for insect pressures and are being sprayed once thresholds are met,” he said. 

Mr Davey also said there was some optimism about, but it did depend on farm location.

“It ranges from a well below-average season near Kadina, to potential for an above-average season on the northern and southern extremities of the peninsula,” he said.

“There is still a large area of central YP that is about 1-2 weeks behind in growth due to the dry start and staggered germination.

“The cool, wet weather in the first week of September has been a great start to spring, but all of YP will be looking for a final grain-fill rain to finish the month off.”

WITH the possibility of a wet October looming, Pinery farmer Kelvin Tiller has begun the first stages of his fungicide spraying program.

Mr Tiller said there were reports of Botrytis grey mould fungus in lentils in the Pinery area, but he was yet to locate any on his farm.

“We’re just getting on top of it early,” he said.

“There’s talks of October potentially coming in quite damp, and running a large area of lentils, we could run into a problem.”

Mr Tiller crops 2200 hectares, with wheat and lentils about 90 per cent of the program. He also has 160ha of canola and 60ha of oaten hay for export.

Mr Tiller said the season got off to an average start, with dry conditions proving challenging during seeding, but since late July up to 200 millimetres of rain had been received for the growing season.

“This year could be pretty good for us,” he said.

Mr Tiller said his Scepter and Grenade wheat crops, sown in late May, were at the early head-emergence stage, while his TT 44T02 canola, sown late April, was at mid-flowering stage.