Berrigan Winter Cropping Group members inspect an irrigated canola crop.
The farmers at the Berrigan Winter Cropping Group meeting, held at Garry Seamer’s, said the cool weather after the two hot days on September 18 and 19 had helped the winter crops.
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On the two hot days cloud came in, reducing temperatures earlier than the west side of Finley.
The dryland crops have moisture and roots down to 60cm-70cm.
We augered the soil of a dryland canola 44Y94 CL crop to 80cm.
It emerged in early May.
Crumbly ball up moisture started at 25cm, indicating 25-50 per cent, and continued to deep gravel soil that balled up.
Roots were visible to 60cm.
Most of the pods were intact and all the grains were green.
There was no sign of heat or moisture stress.
The crop had flowered well for seven weeks.
The yield estimate at the time of writing this report was 2.5t/ha.
One farmer commented that the cool nights had reduced the effect of heat and moisture stress.
Canola and barley crops are home, according to the farmers.
Wheat crops flowered a week before the optimum date of September 25.
Berrigan Winter Cropping Group members in a dryland wheat crop.
We augered a dryland wheat Scepter crop which was sown in the first week of May and emerged on May 15.
It was similar to the canola with roots and moisture to 80cm. It was in full flower.
We checked an irrigated Scepter wheat crop for frost and heat stress symptoms.
There was no sign of stress. It was watered 10 days earlier.
The crop had three green leaves and all the heads had 25 per cent kernel/grain development.
Septoria was spotted on bottom leaves.
This crop has a six tonne potential, with rain this week it will likely not not need a second watering.
If there is no rain the timing of the last watering is three weeks after flowering at the late milk stage.
But since this article was completed (following the September 26 group meetings), the region received more than 70mm of rain.
~ John Lacy is an independent agricultural consultant based in Finley.
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