YP sets average expectations

YP Ag Yorketown agronomist Kara Johnson said crops were not looking too bad, considering they had not had a "decent drop" since the start of September.

"We had a wet winter and then basically the taps turned off on us and it got a bit dry," she said.

"In Yorketown, a lot of areas tend to die out if they do not get consistent moisture, which affects the yield.

"The growing season rainfall for Yorketown is 317 millimetres - about 30mm behind the average - but if we had another 50mm over spring, it would have made a huge difference."

Ms Johnson said the region had gone from well above average yields earlier this year to average yields in the middle of October.

"Ten tonne per hectare is the expected yield for this year and is also the usual average for cereal crops in the region," she said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the grain weight will be well down and I would be thinking there could be some screenings particularly in the barley, but also wheat, so test weight would be down a bit.

"Lentil yields will also be below average as they tend to not fare as well.

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Some canola areas will be good, other areas will be quite poor because canola doesn't respond well when it has a dry start.

"Beans and chickpeas are also below average."

Ms Johnson said reaping had started in northern Yorke Peninsula and hoped harvest would be completed by Christmas.

Elders Minlaton's agronomist Michael Collins said crop yields would be down on last year, but were looking OK, considering the drier than average spring.

"The crops are tracking down a little bit on what they were but hopefully there has been just enough spring rain for crops to hold on," he said.

"It will have an effect on the yields as they will be lower than expected a couple months ago due to a late start with not much rain prior to seeding and minimal in May and then a really wet June, July period," he said.

Nutrien Kadina agronomist Matthew Smith said strong winds, which hit the region in late October, had affected lentil harvest.

"Up to half the lentil yield has been lost by the pods being blown and dropped off the plant so crops, which were probably yielding 1.5t/ha, are now probably yielding 0.8t/ha," he said.

"The wind damage for lentils is certainly a really big issue here in Kadina and nearby.

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"It is very much a mixed bag, the cereal crops are OK to pretty good considering the finish we have had.

"The Kadina area had a very dry August, September period and the shallow soil types had burnt off pretty well and was more visible.

"Cereal crops will probably average 1.5t/ha to 3.5t/ha, which for some croppers will be below average but for others it will be their usual average."

Mr Smith said the later than usual start with good winter rainfall through June and July, set crops up for a high yielding season.

"Crops were fed accordingly with nitrogen and then it stopped raining in August so the big leafy canopies could not support it and therefore ran out of water," he said.

Mr Smith expected northern YP farmers to be finished harvest by mid-December.

AFTER an above average season last year, the Litster family at Minlaton are hoping this year's harvest isn't too far back on last year's yields, with lentils expected to be a standout.

George Lister, who farms with father Harold, uncle Andrew, cousin Alex and workman Dylan Burdett, grows wheat, barley, lentils and canola on 3500 hectares.

"Lentils generally make up 30-50pc of the program, and just the way the rotations worked, we're on the upper end of that this year," George said.

"Prices are good for lentils so we're happy with that."

George said 25mm of rain in mid-October aided lentils more so than other crops, with the falls helping the crop to continue flowering.

About 85pc of the lentil program is Hurricane, with 15pc Hallmark, and George expected lentils to yield about 2.75t/ha - on par with last season. About 4.5-5t/ha is expected for wheat and barley.