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Cropping - agricultural & rural farm news

Cropping

From no rain, to raging storms and frosts that devastated crops across the state, 2018 was a year of extremes for growers, but there were a few highlights that Stock Journal&nbsp;profiled. Here is a&nbsp;gallery of the 2018&nbsp;cropping season from sowing to harvest.&nbsp;

AUGUST 9: Brenton and Rodney Maynard, Lameroo, with Lucy in May-sown Cutlass wheat.

Jason Rover, Paringa, had a 50 per cent increase in wheat crop yields after introducing vetch into his rotation two years ago. 

Australian Grain Technologies wheat breeder James Edwards and AGT national marketing manager Dan Vater in early sowing variety Longsword wheat. Longsword is suited to low and medium rainfall zones across SA. It is derived from Mace, an AGT variety that is the most successful wheat ever released on the Australian market.

SARDI entomologist Maarten van Helden said cultivars resistant to Russian wheat aphid could be available within eight years.

Meningie Platinum Ag agronomist Matt Howell in a crop of Corson Z71 maize, overlooking Lake Alexandrina.

Sam, Andrew and Angus Smith with their dog Buddy, at their new Brinkley farm. The Smiths were running about 500 Merinos and cropping about 202 hectares of Compass barley at a farm at Ettrick, but were eager to expand their operation.

Sam Densley, Quality Wise Oats, Keith, has spent the past four years growing export and domestic sales of his rolled oats and quick oats.

Josh Krieg, Roseworthy, continues to focus on new, modern ways of farming to help push the family operation to new heights. A rotation of wheat, barely, then canola or a legume has proved successful but Josh said changing varieties of wheat and barley in particular is to become a key factor in crop productivity. About 1000ha of wheat will be sown this season as well as 200ha of durum.

​AN investment in a K-Line 12-metre Speedtiller to prepare their land is helping the Reade family increase their cropping operation at their Curramulka farm. Pictured are worker Toby Short, Curramulka, Larwoods' Scott Mercer, Kadina, K-Line's Rob Williams, Gavin Reade and Bradley Clift, Curramulka.

Having a lentil National Variety Trial on his Willamulka property has allowed Craig Ayles to see first-hand how different varieties perform in his soils.

Matt McKinley, NSW, and Nick Kelly, WA, showed SA producers how to partner with biology to produce better cropping outcomes at the SA No-Till Farmers Association conference.

SARDI senior research officer Liz Farquharson and senior pulse pathologist Jenny Davidson spoke at the Minnipa Agriculture Centre's pulse management for low rainfall areas field day. 

Bordertown South’s Nalang Farms took out the champion crop in the long-running Tatiara Wheat Crop Competition for the second time in three years, with an exceptional yielding Scepter crop.

Landmark Naracoorte agronomist James Heffernan with Bruce McLean, Bool Lagoon, in Medusa quinoa, just prior to harvest last month.

GRDC crop protection officer Aaron Long and University of Adelaide associate professor of weed management Christopher Preston, who urged croppers to avoid resistance issues through herbicide rotation.

Mintaro's Andrew Mitchell had one of his driest starts to a season, with only 70mm of rain in six months.

Salter Springs-based agronomist Craig Davis says care is needed when trying to achieve the durum 1 grade, particularly with protein levels.

Sam Branson and his father Mark, Stockport, deployed a drone to help with weed management, and seeding and spreading accuracy. 

Tim Freak, Coomandook, and worker Arron Loechal, with dog Max, inspect clay brought to the surface through delving in between welcome showers. 

Garry Hansen, Coomandook, with his Border Collie Perry, at seeding.

Third-generation farmers Ben and Damien Sommerville, Spalding, controlled ryegrass using a multi-faceted strategy, rather than relying solely on chemicals.  

Emily Salkeld, Small World Bakery, Langhorne Creek, with some Federation wheat, the first specifically Australian-bred variety.

Wunkar farmer Peter Heinrich and Loxton agronomist Chris McDonough inspecting early crop growth last year. Increasing seeding rates and sowing wheat varieties earlier were identified as strategies for success in a shallow stony soil trial conducted for the past two seasons in the northern Mallee.

Sherwood farmer Trevor Menz applied 450 tonnes of lime to cropping paddocks in March this year. He is pictured in a crop of broad beans sown in mid-May.

Emma Faint, Rusty Park, Steelton, with Red. Chicken litter is being trialed on the property to try to stimulate soil nutrients.

Bute farmer James Venning in Aurora durum, alongside Scepter wheat, which have both been strong performers.

John and Lachlan Nitschke, Belvidere Ridge, Greenock, have been producing chaff for eight years and sow tall, awnless varieties of oats and wheat of different maturities to ensure consistent production of quality hay. 

Simon Allen, Warrawee Park, Keith, is hosting a three-year Lucerne Australia trial evaluating methods of placing irrigated lucerne stands under water stress to maximise seed yields.

Minnipa Agricultural Centre senior research officer Amanda Cook among weed seed trays collected from barley grass trial paddocks.

Neville Kernick, Field, in RGT Planet barley. Planet was sown for the first time on a 12-hectare trial patch last season, but performed so well it has become the main barley grown.

Peter McLellan, Wolseley, has had trials on his place for more than 50 years, and this year is hosting the Wolseley Cereal Challenge.

FAR Australia managing director Nick Poole with Landmark agronomist James Heffernan at the SA Crop Technology Centre near Millicent. Mr Heffernan was a driving force behind the centre.

SARDI entomologist Kym Perry says through the strategic use of insecticides, control of red-legged earth mite can be achieved. 

AUGUST 30: Mundoora farmer Simon Mildren in Aurora durum wheat, sown in the second week of May. 

Peter Tralaggan, Oaklyn, Hamilton, is applying liquid trace elements at seeding to help boost the health and sugar levels of his crops in an attempt to minimise the damage caused by frosts. 

Grant Roberts, Cleve, in Stingray canola. He said crop germination had been patchy this year.

Luke Gregor, Hoyleton, was awarded champion canola at the Royal Adelaide Show.

Mackillop Farm Management chief executive officer Meg Bell with Kym and Chad Makin, who have a soil moisture probe on their Keith property.

OCTOBER 4: Patrick Neal, Ngapala, in April-sown beans growing on a chaff line that was made at harvest last year. 

Ryan Starkey, 3, Sanderston, with his mother Murray Plains Farmers treasurer Zoe Starkey, brother Luke, 1, MPF president Steen Paech, Palmer, and MPF vice-president Will Graetz, Sedan, in a vetch variety trial plot.

Tim and Matt Eckert, Malinong, next to the Plozza plough and in front of their award-winning hay. Feed Central named the Eckert family as having the best cereal feed analysis test in Australia.

Symon Allen, Kimba, with son Luke, says the Australian Grain Leaders course has built his skills and networks.

CSIRO wheat geneticist Greg Rebetzke says research is being done to identify genes that could help new wheat varieties make better use of rainfall.

Adam Cook, Minlaton, in front of his harvester covered in snails, despite efforts to control numbers.

Mid North cropper Andrew Sargent delivering grain to the Andrews silo near Spalding. The Sargents finished harvest early this year due to some crops being cut for hay.

In a tough year, Twilight peas have been a good performer for Andrew Williams, Everard Central, along with Spartacus barley. 

Ben Pratt with Blue Heeler Rosie. As the seasons continue to bring new challenges each year, the Pratt family at Blyth has reassessed their traditional on-farm practices and begun using non-chemical alternatives to boost crop nutrition and control ryegrass.

Broad beans are not widely grown in SA but they have proven a great fit in Lachie Seears' cropping program at Conmurra.

Curtis’s Sales and Service's Richard Curtis, Michael Curtis and Kieran Laver with Ben McNamara, Tumby Bay (second from right) and his New Holland CR10.90 header with a MidWest Durus Premium 18.3-metre front.

Cropping throughout the year | GALLERY

Top of the crops in 2018 | GALLERY

It was a year of extremes for croppers, but here are some highlights from season 2018.

Cropping throughout the year | GALLERY

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