Two decent falls of rain in April and May have seen many of the region’s cropping farmers work around the clock to take advantage of the upcoming dry weather and sow their winter crops.
Growers have been sowing canola, wheat and faba beans since March but the recent rain has resulted in increased activity.
Cropping consultant and PhD student John Lacey travelled through southern NSW on Saturday, May 11 and had reports from local farmers of 29mm of rain at Finley and 34mm at Blighty.
Mr Lacey drove through Berrigan on the previous Thursday and observed farmers preparing paddocks for sowing.
“The sky was full of smoke from stubble and windrow chaff burns and there was pre-emergent spraying and farmers sowing,” he said.
“Coming home that night, there were more farmers sowing with lights on, all the way to Finley.
“The gentle rain will really soak in and be great for the previous dry sowings, as many paddocks have had patchy emergence.
“It will also be good for farmers sowing right on the rain; they should be able to sow wheat, barley and fabas in five to seven days with the dry weather forecast.”
Avenel brothers Ash and Ben Robinson are hard at work sowing oats, wheat, canola and vetch, and are even contributing to helping neighbours sow around the clock.
“We still like to have clean paddocks before sowing, so we are waiting for the weeds to grow out,” Ben Robinson said.
Dookie grain grower Chris Ludeman said he had not been worried about the late autumn break and was currently completing his sowing of faba beans and canola.
“Most people around here would be working toward the finish about now; we will be by this weekend [May 18 and 19] so no, we haven’t been worried at all,” Mr Ludeman said.
“We had about 15 to 20mm so there’s no concern for us.
“We just need some follow-up rain.”
Dookie received about 18mm in some areas on May 11, which helped canola farmers who typically sow the crop in mid-April and had areas of emerged crops struggling with the dry weather.
Local farmers there were still sowing last week with mid-May considered the optimal time for faba beans.
Less rainfall has fallen between Benalla and Yarrawonga, resulting in the soil drying rapidly despite the area receiving the earlier April rain.
Agronomist Bruce Larcombe also said some follow-up rain would help east of Shepparton.
“It would be nice to get another one,” Mr Larcombe said.
“It’s good to always get a good break, and we have a good moisture profile.
“But as the nights get colder we could do without a dry surface because it results in frosts.”
Mr Larcombe said the areas around Dookie were ‘very fortunate’ to receive between 11 and 20mm of rain and that his clients located around Dookie, Goorambat and Bungeet were still sowing.
“A lot will finish by this weekend [May 18 and 19]; the rain will definitely get a crop up,” he said.