The dry finish to 2012 continued into 2013, with little rain falling in many parts of the Wimmera and Mallee during the months leading up to sowing. Between January and March, Ouyen, Swan Hill, Kaniva, Longerenong, Charlton and Hopetoun were all sitting on Decile 2 or less. Some areas fared better after a thunderstorm in February.
The dry start to the year had many consequences, particularly in the Mallee, where insufficient rain fell prior to sowing to germinate weeds. As a result, a pre-sowing weed kill was not possible. In the Wimmera, rains in May created an opportunity for a knockdown before most crops were sown. Livestock farmers were supplementary or containment feeding stock extensively well into May-June.
Sowing generally started early and the majority of farmers were happy to sow at least a third of their crop dry. Money saved on summer spraying was spent on more extensive use of pre-emergent herbicides. Some areas received excellent autumn rains, with Kaniva and Nhill sitting on Decile 9 for the April to June period. In the Wimmera, some farmers found the combination of dry sub-soil and wetter top-soil caused issues with cloddy seed beds that made sowing difficult.
Another effect of the dry conditions was that many farmers had to change their sowing plans, planting more cereals to reduce the risks of herbicide plantback damage. As a result, canola plantings were down and the area sown to group B tolerant cereals like Kord wheat and Scope CL barley was higher than might otherwise have been the case. Vetch plantings were also up as farmers tried to control herbicide resistant weeds.
The effects of sowing dry after a very dry summer were soon seen: dirty crops and header trails were common sights. The high number of barley crops infested with wheat led to the term ‘wharley‘ which was so common that receival points set up separate bunkers. Marketing ‘wharley’ was not as challenging as first thought, as stock feed buyers recognised the higher protein benefits of the mix. Many tonnes sold at F1 prices.
Crown rot caused significant damage in the Mallee, causing many crops to yield less than expected. Otherwise, pest and disease issues were not widespread this year, although most farmers sprayed for heliothis in canola, high rainfall farmers protected their good looking crops with numerous fungal sprays and some mouse damage in chick peas meant that baiting was necessary in parts of the Wimmera.
The BoM spring seasonal outlook indicated an 80 per cent chance of exceeding the rainfall median for the whole Wimmera and Mallee region. Unfortunately in the Mallee, good rains didn’t eventuate and low rainfall in August/September affected many crops. Around Nhill and Kaniva, soils were so wet that planes were used for spraying in spring. Spring spraying conditions were generally challenging due to wind, rain and frosty conditions.
More crops were cut for hay this year, with north central growers salvaging what they could from crops decimated by frost in early October and others cutting hay to combat increasing weed pressure and resistance issues. Frost also hit pulse crops in the Mallee and caused some significant damage around Rupanyup.
For Mallee farmers, harvest began and ended early, uninterrupted by rain. Many finished before the end of November. Windrowing barley, especially Scope, was a new phenomenon in the Mallee this year. This was driven partly by concern about Scope CL dropping seed and farmers’ need to find a crop to harvest early as farm sizes increase and canola becomes a more permanent fixture in the cropping mix. Conversely, this year we saw less windrowing of canola and those who did had problems with the windrows being blown around. Mallee results were generally average to below average with low rainfall, crown rot and some frost being the significant factors.
Further south results were generally average to above average. To compensate for low mineralisation early in the year, many farmers applied very high rates of nitrogen and in many cases this was money well spent with high yielding, good quality crops the result around Horsham, Nhill and Kaniva.
THE BIG 10: LESSONS LEARNT FROM 2013
- To avoid plantback problems (eg. wheat sown into imi canola stubble) keep all your herbicide records (type, rate and date of application). Check label recommendations for minimum re-cropping intervals and rainfall received since the herbicide application before planting.
- When dry sowing, volunteer plants and weeds should be a major consideration. We were lucky to get a reasonable price for ‘wharley’ this year!
- Frost still poses a significant risk to farm production. Spread your risk by ensuring you have multiple germination dates or grow varieties with different maturity classifications.
- Root diseases (rhizoctonia, pratylenchus, crown rot and take-all) in cereals have the potential to drastically reduce yield. Don’t let the more visual diseases (rust, yellow leaf spot or spot form of net blotch) distract you from managing root diseases.
- Dry summer, late break and a windy spring: yields were well below grower expectations in 2013, but still acceptable given the late break.
- Broadleaf weeds (wild radish, wild turnip and indian hedge mustard) are developing resistance to group I (esters and amines) and B (Ally, Logran and imis) herbicides. Keep track of your herbicide use, rotate herbicide groups regularly and use all other methods available to you to control weeds (windrow burning, hay, etc.).
- Windrowing and direct heading of canola are both effective harvesting methods. It’s a case of horses for courses. More important than the method is getting your windrowing or desiccation timing right.
- Don’t be disheartened by poor profitability from break crops in a single season. Assess profitability over a full rotation. The real benefits may be realised in the coming seasons.
- There are some great herbicide options available for controlling weeds, but under dry sowing conditions they can’t perform miracles. Be realistic about your ability to control weeds in-crop. It can take many years to control weedy problem paddocks.
- Marketing skills in grain and livestock sales can make a significant difference to farm profitability. Grower skills have progressed a long way in 12 months. Don’t rest on your laurels: continue to develop your skills in marketing, seek advice and talk decisions through with others.
