AS FARM input expenses seem to climb ever-higher, one Loxton family is bucking the trend and cutting costs.
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Matthew Vowles crops about 4500 hectares with his brother Andrew and father Michael, and says a shake-up in their fertiliser program has delivered big benefits.
“We’re into no-till farming, but we don’t do a lot of top dressing these days,” Mr Vowles said.
Instead, they applied 22,000 litres of a liquid fertiliser treatment – supplied by Jayson Butcher from Outback Ag – which cost about $6/ha as opposed to typical granular fertilisers which he said cost about $30/ha.
The family set aside two trial paddocks of Katana and Scout wheat – coming off vetch and peas last year – which received no granular fertiliser. Prior to harvest, total input costs for one paddock, including the liquid treatment and spraying costs, amounted to $55.
“All the paddock had no fertiliser at seeding, except for one strip which had 18:12:10 at 40kg/ha,” he said.
“The strip stood out at first – it was 5 centimetres higher and was a really dark green, but by August you could’ve walked across the paddock and you wouldn’t have known.”
Katana in the trial paddock yielded 1.3 tonnes/ha, while a strip of Scout in the same paddock poured in at 2t/ha. Quality was also excellent, with all trial wheat making Hard 1 or 2 at the silo.
“We’re not trying to produce massively heavy crops, we’re just trying to get our costs down,” he said.
“The liquid fertiliser is applied at 6 litres/ha, and can go on as a broadleaf spray at early tillage.
“We used to use about 150t of fertiliser, then it went back to 90t and then 40t. Our fertiliser bills have come right back – that’s certainly been something easy to adapt to.”
The family grows Scout, Kord, Grenade and Katana wheat, but will likely add Sceptre at the expense of Katana. They also grow Scope barley, Rosina vetch and Twilight peas. Wheat yields averaged 1.35t/ha, while barley went 1.6t/ha.
Canola has been overlooked in favour of other break crops.
“It’s too risky for this area,” he said. “We got smashed by beet western yellows virus last year.
“Plus it just destroys your tires – there’s so much extra wear and tear after going across the canola stubble. Peas and vetch is enough.”
While cropping is the main focus, he said sheep played a vital role on the farm.
“There’s still a place for sheep. It means we don’t have all our eggs in one basket,” he said. “When you have a drought, you’ve got another option at least.”
