Technical Bulletin – 28 JUNE 2016

• Welcome rainfall tallies of around 30mm were received across much of the region over the weekend.
• Consideration is being given to cutting cereal crops for hay due to strong prices.
• Regular paddock inspections to assess crop and weed growth and for pest activity and disease.
• Data from long term soil moisture sites indicates infiltration ranging from 20 to 60cm depending on soil type and rainfall. Without follow up rain, crops are likely to continue to use shallower moisture reserves.

• Stripe rust is becoming more apparent but not to the same levels as last year.
• Aphid numbers are building in some areas. Other insects are being monitored.
• Sheep markets are a pain point with producers trying to decide the best course of action with the current low returns.
• Brown manuring is underway and hay cutting has started in some areas largely driven by growth stage as a result of time of sowing or more northern regions. Harvest preparations are on the maintenance schedule.

In the northern Mallee, reports of Etiella and Heliothis may create more activity in the coming days and weeks. For the southern Mallee, most growers are looking for more rain to protect yield potential, and late fungicide sprays have gone out on wheat.

In the Wimmera (North, Central and West) soil moisture levels are good (explained later in this bulletin) and there are isolated reports of armyworm activity that warrant some monitoring, particularly in cereal on cereal rotations.

Some action points from recent BCG events: leave the fenceline and get out into your crops to assess for potential frost or heat stress damage, adjust your header set up ready for the coming months, succession planning is an ongoing process and farming is about decision making and we can only influence the quality of our decision making by acting more consciously on the best available knowledge.