Drought decisions paying off in Mallee

Brothers Tom and Bill Shannon and son James farm across four properties at Pata, Paruna and Malpa, with an emphasis on cereal production - wheat, barley and triticale - as well as pulses and about 200 head of cattle.

James said the spread of properties was to capture extra rainfall as they went further south, as well as spread the risks of frost and dry weather.

He said the difference of 25 kilometres between farms also meant an extra 25 millimetres of annual average rainfall.

But there were some challenges. He said while they tried to seed and then harvest in blocks to reduce machinery movements, sometimes weather meant this was not always possible.

The choices made during drought years are paying off.

James said this season was a very different prospect to previous years, having just hit their average rainfall of 150mm.

"From the start at Anzac Day we had 40mm and that set the season up," he said.

While July was dry, they had 14mm that "kept the crop going" before 63mm from August to October.

James said they were originally anticipating yields of 1.8 tonnes a hectare, but with harvest under way, it was looking more like 2.2t/ha, with some areas even hitting 6t/ha.

This year, for the first time, they entered a crop of Cutlass wheat from their property at Paruna into the Browns Well crop competition, where they were awarded runner up.

They made the switch from conventional to no-till farming about eight years ago, with James Shannon saying it has "definitely proven its benefits".

"It's shown in the drought years how well the sandy hills and ground held together with cover," he said.

James said the emphasis on ensuring ground cover meant crops could get a start among standing stubble.

"If we get a wind in May or June, the crop doesn't really have a chance, but the stubble protects it and keeps soil nice and warm with organic matter," he said.

James said regardless of the season, they tried to keep a consistent program.

"We treat every year the same - doesn't matter if it's drought or a good season," he said.

"We keep the same amount of fertiliser - in a bad year it builds up nutrients until we get the wet year like this, when the crop needs it."

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They also grow legumes to inject nitrogen into the soil, mainly peas and vetch.

James said the pulses did not bring big returns but had agronomic benefits, as well as boosting the weight gain in their calves.

This year, in hope of better returns, they sowed chickpeas for the first time.

While there were some issues with moisture and frost, the crops were still likely to reap 1 tonne a hectare.

He said next year they would likely try again with a variety less susceptible to ascochyta, such as kabuli, and see how it performs.

About three years ago, they made the decision to add chaff lining on all their headers, leaving all the weed seeds in one strip.

James said this was an inexpensive "middle step" towards using a seed destroyer, with benefits already evident.

"Even in the pea paddock, there is no brome grass except on the chaff line, and we probably capture 90 per cent of the ryegrass," he said.

"We're on a win against weed resistance."

James said when stock were let in to the paddock, they would go straight to that strip.

During harvest, the Shannons store all their crop in grain bags, to be sold throughout the year.

James said they first used grain bags in 2013, after building sheds in 2007, and the move had "helped harvest flow".

"We've definitely got the grain bag situation worked out pretty well," he said.

"It goes from header to chaser and into grain bags, then at time to sell, into truck and straight to end user."

The barley is mainly sold to local feedlots, while the wheat is marketed throughout the year.

"It adds a bit more business security and saves money on warehousing," he said.

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