Technical Bulletin – 3 October 2018

• Crops have been holding up surprisingly well given the warm dry conditions although most think some top end yield has been sacrificed, particularly in wheat or later crops. Recent rain and a cool run this week should see crops finish OK now where totals were greater than 15-20mm, for some regions it was maybe just a bit late.
• Heliothis and etiella management are taking place to maintain grain yield or more importantly quality in pulse crops.
• Hay quality until recent rain has been good where crops have had even development. Recent rain may drop some quality, and some have waited for this event to pass to cut crops for hay where they could.
• Pre-harvest maintenance is in full swing with growers finalising any needs before it gets busy
• Livestock management leading into summer (shearing, crutching, drenching) is being prioritised where possible to limit demand on time during harvest to manage fly struck sheep.

• Sowing is continuing with growers 60 per cent (Wimmera)—100 per cent (Mallee) through their program.
• Crops are needing moisture. Earlier sown crops into moisture growing well later sown crops are still trying to establish.
• Supplementary feeding sheep is ongoing while we wait for crops to be ready to graze.
• Slug management in some areas is ongoing, good results from high rates (20kg/ha) but justifying the economics in these more variable risk areas is difficult.
• Some are considering N decisions in canola and hay oats where crops were sown early.
• Knockdown opportunities have been good.

• Black keeled slugs are still causing many issues where they are found. Particularly if management was compromised due to access issues for spreading bait. No crop type has been safe.
• Blackleg levels in canola are very high in some Wimmera crops due to high pressure and early sowing.
• Powdery mildew in wheat has been reported about two weeks earlier than last year in the Mallee.
• Net form net blotch (NFNB) and Septoria are present in barley and wheat respectively. Fungicide plans are being actioned where risk is greatest.
• In the northern Mallee there has been some crop wilting despite good moisture—suspect compaction is the cause. It is a good time to check and identify areas that can be managed out of season. Other than that, growers are quietly positive about the season.

Very warm oceans to our north are creating an enhanced moisture source, and a blocking high hanging around in the Tasman Sea is stalling the passage of fronts, lows and troughs, which has led to persistent harvest rainfall. There still is no La Nina…