More welcomed rain in the Forbes district yesterday has brought with it more positives than negatives for farmers, the majority of whom are finishing up their winter cropping sowing, and has germinated hopes for a good season this year.
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Landmark agronomist Matt Gould said the three major rainfalls in the past month has set Forbes up with an almost perfect start to the season; good soaking rains at the start (admittedly a little later than ideal), with timely follow up rain eight days later.
The first break saw between 15 and 30mm of rain between April 30 and May 1, with the follow up rains of between 30 and 50mm between May 9 and 11.
“These follow up rains have negated any potential soil crusting issues, and with no heavy fast rain occurring, we haven’t seen very much damage from pre-emergent herbicide,” Mr Gould said yesterday.
Despite the late arrival of the rain break, there is a positive in that the warmer soil has prompted faster germination; canola has been germinating in three to four days, and wheat in four to six days.
At the arrival of the first rain, soil temperatures were at 17 degrees.
Two weeks later, they had dropped 4.5 degrees to 12.5 degrees, meaning longer germination times.
By lunchtime yesterday, Forbes had received around 15mm of rain, with more forecast.
Mr Gould said the outlook for the remainder of the season was promising.
“The El Nino is continuing to weaken and is expected to return to neutral by late autumn to early winter,” he said.
“The Bureau of Meteorology reports that six out of eight climate models suggest that a La Nina system is likely to form during June to August, which will hopefully bring above average rainfall to finish the season.”
The late rain, however, has brought with it some negatives, particularly for the 30 to 50 per cent of crops that were sown dry and germinated after the April 30 rain event.
“This is a little later than ideal for canola, lupins and early wheats, and it has also caused a lack of fodder production with no lucerne growth and later grazing wheat germination.”
It also meant that with no early rains to germinate weed seeds, it is likely that there will be ‘weedier’ crops this year, and where barley was sown dry on wheat stubble that farmers may have more wheat contamination.
He added that the lateness could also result in some yield losses in canola, lupins and early wheats.
“Usually each of these varieties have their best yields in early sowing windows, but the faster germination may have reduced this loss,” he said.
Overall, he said, farmers could be looking at a good season, provided these favourable growing conditions continue.
