By Pat Conlan – Agronomist, Elders Swan Hill
Seeding is drawing to a close, with most growers on the home straight, some finished already, and others pulled up waiting for further rain.
It has been a relatively straightforward sowing period weather wise, with minimal interruptions bar patchy rainfall and a few windy days.
Many farmers however, have had issues with trash flow – a legacy of the high yielding crops last season.
As well as the dry outlook affecting germination timing for later sown crops.
After such a wet spring last season there were some big crops around the region, leaving behind large stubble loads, thick trash residue and viny, ropey straw.
It has been a headache for seeder operators as it has caused stubbles to ball up, clump and eventually lead to blockages.
Several different methods have been trialled to alleviate these issues with stubble mulchers, speed tillers and trash cutters being used to great effect, while others have had success seeding on a slight angle.
Those with wider row spacings and coulters on the front of the bar have generally been better off.
Others have simply resorted to burning.
Early sown feed, vetch, lentils and canola have flown out of the ground making the most of the warm weather, topsoil moisture and longer days.
Post-emergent sprays in these crops have started, with some paddocks now ready to be rolled. Later sown crops are yet to germinate as top-soil moisture has rapidly dried out.
Further rainfall will be required for these crops to shoot; however, the 28-day forecast does not look overly promising.
We remain optimistic, as with plentiful subsoil moisture we only need enough rainfall for these two moisture horizons to meet up.
Mice numbers continue to be monitored, with varied reports around the Mallee.
Further north in the Sunraysia, growers have been baiting and seem to have numbers under control.
Around Swan Hill mice pressure has been noted, particularly in barley stubbles.
Generally, numbers have not been high enough to warrant baiting, but we will continue to monitor closely. In the higher rainfall regions growers have had to bait for slugs and snails, fortunately this is rarely required in the Mallee.
Rice harvest is just about wrapped up with some fantastic results given the adversity faced over the last nine months.
Average yields have been far above initial expectations early in the season, when rice farmers were busy battling floods whilst trying to get their rice sown simultaneously.
Some growers will be keen to sow crops back on rice stubbles where paddocks have dried out enough, whereas others will be fallowed for this season.
