A seasonal update of where things are at in our local area

Danielle Moore, Naracoorte Community News

Jamie Weatherald, Nutrien Ag Bordertown

This season has not let up. I’ve been an agronomist for 32 years, while there is rain there is still work to be done and it hasn’t stopped! I think around Bordertown in terms of rainfall we would be in the mid 500mm for the year, but it is hugely varied in a short area. Some growers would have had 600mm for the year.

Crop wise many farmers are weighing up their options. Canola, Do we windrow? Can we windrow? Windrowers are getting bogged.

Beans are full of disease a lot are laying on the ground. Farmers are asking, How are they going to be harvested? How do we pick them up? and what their quality will be like. Some pods have been black for six weeks. What if beans don’t harden up? What segregations will be offered at the silo this year is going to be interesting.

With wheat people are starting to lose areas just through waterlogging. If the weather pattern continues wheat and barley quality may be comprised.

Potential issue of shot grain. We are not out of the woods yet. We have potential for great yields, but also potential to turn the other way.

Pasture wise we have hay to cut and bale. Next to no hay has been cut in the area. It’s making decision making interesting.

We are looking at summer fodder options i.e sorghum and pallaton just to dry the ground out as the ground is satured at the moment.

Commodity prices generally aren’t too bad. They are solid. It is a reflection on the unknown factors around quality.

Harvest looks too be two-three weeks away from starting. Harvest will be going well into January. Watch this space.

Will Malone, Wrattonbully

“Its been pretty challenging from the vineyard side of things with many rainfall events. Lots of spraying going on. There is no doubt there has been disease around especially downy mildew, but good chemistry is helping manage outbreaks”.

Around Wrattonbully most vineyards have started flowering and we are looking for some nice weather now to ensure flowering doesn’t go for too long.

The cool weather has definitely extended things. Timing of irrigation of vines can vary year to year and commence some years middle to late October. We hae only started the irrigation of young vines this week.

From an industry perspective, wine grapes are facing some tough times with not everyone knowing whether they will have a market for their grapes come seasons end.

White varieties are still in favour with the market, whilst red varities there is still some uncertainty. Yields this year are unknown at this stage until flowering has finished. Some vines in the area are reaching a stage where growers are making choices around whether plots should be reworked or removed and left to see what happens with markets.

From a livestock perspective the dry July in the area definitely lessened the impact of recent rain. We are still green in December, which doesn’t happen often.

Overall this year the cost of fuel labour and inputs have really escalated which has seen our margins squeezed. An average to below average rainfall until about the end of April would suit grape growing this season.

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.