AFTER a dry May caused significant concerns for those that had sown crops into minimal moisture, farmers across the Wimmera are for the most part breathing a sigh of relief.
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Widespread falls of 15-25mm over the past week and a half will be sufficient to germinate all crop in the ground.
The news was even better in some places, with isolated areas, such as Warracknabeal and districts near St Arnaud, receiving up to 50mm.
However, on the other side, areas of the West Wimmera received less than 10mm all up, and there is also a small part of the eastern Wimmera Plains near Banyena that received less than 5mm all up.
Banyena is situated between areas to the north and south that received heavy rain, highlighting the patchy nature of falls.
As a rule, though, the Wimmera is in good condition leading into winter, with around 80pc of sowing completed.
The rain has put moisture back into soils that had been dried out by a run of frosts in the third week of May, with some of the harder setting soils needing moisture to make seeding possible, and to get herbicides activated.
As locusts have been the major issue of the Mallee, mice have been the main talking point among Wimmera farmers, with individual paddocks having issues depending on previous history and the amount of grain left from last season.
Baiting is underway in a number of areas, and is generally soil type related as well. Locusts have been sporadic in the Wimmera, but some have laid significant numbers of eggs in areas, such as the northern Wimmera or southern Mallee around Rainbow and Yaapeet.
Growers are still concerned that infestations may occur in spring on the back of hatchings out of the Mallee.
Generally seeding has been hassle free with good weather conditions for seeding.
Pre-emergent herbicide resistance issues are of concern with significant numbers of tests showing trifluralin resistance developing or already at high levels.
This, along with the loss of a number of post emergent options, makes for an interesting time ahead in terms of chemical rotations.
Rotations with other pre emergent products are the norm at this stage to try and counteract the trifluralin problem in certain paddocks.
Low hay prices and lack of markets for hay is an issue as problem paddocks often would see a hay crop as part of a resistance management rotation, but this may now not be economic.
Growers are hoping for an improvement in the dairy industry to ensure a more positive market for hay down the track.
Significant areas of Hindmarsh barley are going in this season, with all growers hoping it will receive malt accreditation when the review process is completed early next year.
The variety is a natural fit in the drying Wimmera climate, with its quick maturity, and consistent good yields.
Flash lentils may also be worth a try as they have a good rotational fit, and offer the opportunity to crop top more consistently.
In terms of pest control, an integrated pest management strategy has been popular for aphid control, after the problems we had with aphids in pulses last season.
Insecticide seed dressings and monitoring may prove to be beneficial early in the season when virus’s enter crops with aphid vectors, and contaminate a crop, with the resultant symptoms being evident in mid to late spring.
Matthew Sparke is an independent consultant, with Dodgshun Medlin Agricultural Management based in Horsham Victoria.
