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far sNSW , Australia | Crops in S half of NSW are in big trouble. Photos I'm hoping to attach are of one farm I do on shares. Normally 21 inch country, 4t/Ha (50 bpa) average wheat yields. Last 3 yrs yields have been 10, 7, 20 bpa. This year 1 variety if no more rain will go about 7, other variety hopefully 20. Canola with no more rain will yield nothing. Canola is in mid flowering, big areas change from yellow to orange. Crops 50 km SE on home farm could still go 50bpa if more rain, otherwise will do probably 30. We have rainfall records going back 140 yrs, and each of last 4 years has been in the bottom 10 % of historical totals.
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Attachments
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 Aug09 086 (600 x 450).jpg (86KB - 154 downloads)
Aug09 087 (600 x 450) (300 x 225).jpg (43KB - 168 downloads)
Aug09 088 (600 x 450).jpg (81KB - 179 downloads)
Aug09 089 (568 x 426).jpg (71KB - 167 downloads)
Aug09 092 (568 x 426).jpg (81KB - 168 downloads)
Aug09 093 (568 x 426).jpg (94KB - 172 downloads)
planter & Mncanola 006 (600 x 450).jpg (111KB - 162 downloads)
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Martinsville, Ohio | I never understood how you can farm down there given the rainfall.
It wouldn't be my cup of tea, this is hard enough.
Blessings to you,
Ed Winkle |
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Kindersley Sk. | To my eye those crops look like they are in good shape, but then in this area we don't have the heat you have to deal with, so I imagine your crop conditions can go down hill a lot faster than I'm accustomed to. What peaked my curiosity was the drill, who is the manufacturer? And do you have any close-up pictures of the openers. Looks like it does a good job.
Good luck with the crop. |
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Nth New South Wales Australia | Ed,
I'm sure there are many farming areas of the US that farm with limited moisture too,heck in Ham's part of the world crops are grown on 10 inch averages.
Mike. |
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sw ks | The average here is 14 inches half of that normally comes in one night. That wheat doesnt look Horrible but not great. Dont count your dead chickens before they die. If you can get some rain you will be in good shape again. |
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far sNSW , Australia | Crops have gone backwards alot in last few days, we had 2 days of 30 degrees C (??? degrees F) and really strong wind. Another week without rain and I think they'll be beyond getting a head out. Because we normally do have really good yield potential, up to 6.5t/Ha (90 bpa) in the best years, we do set them up carefully, holding back nitrogen till we see enough rain, but they still get some size. If the climate does change to be like this for good, we'll have to back off seed and fertiliser rates, if we're still here. A few farms being forced to sell now. Everyone is fairly depressed at the moment.
I'll attach a few photos of my planter, its a simpicity X bar, made in Queensland. Been controlled traffic for 10 years, presently on 2.5 m Wheeltracks, 30 foot planter (9m),60 foot boomspray, 12 inch row spacings, absolutely no tillage, keep all the stubble, no stock grazing on most of our country. Harvester 25 feet is only thing that doesn't go on the wheel tracks at this stage.
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Attachments
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planter & Mncanola 018 (568 x 426).jpg (105KB - 101 downloads)
planter & Mncanola 017 (568 x 426).jpg (104KB - 101 downloads)
planter & Mncanola 016 (568 x 426).jpg (98KB - 105 downloads)
planter & Mncanola 015 (568 x 426).jpg (110KB - 102 downloads)
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W Texas | I'm interested in your crop rotation. By the pictures, it looks like wheat-canola? I farm in an 18-20 inch rain region in the Texas Panhandle. Summers are hot and windy but the soil is superb.
We are mostly on a 3 way rotation (wheat fallow milo). No one here plants unless there is four foot of stored soil moisture (around 9 inches of water.) 9 inches of water virtually guarantees a 20 bushel wheat crop, if there are no fertility, insect, viral, fungal, or late frost issues (LOL!). |
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far sNSW , Australia | We are in a predominantly winter rainfall area (30% summer) and our soils are limited in their water storage ability. So you're right, we presently do a canola/wheat/wheat rotation, trying to get some faba beans, chickpeas in as well. Never grow summer crops in this area. Top half of NSW is very similar to you, only planting with subsoil moisture, and often using sorghum(milo). If the climate here does stay this dry we'll have to farm more like you. |
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Blvd d'Espair Bowhill, Sth Aust | I think mostly its a matter of swapping different problems. Things that wouldnt ever enter my head might be problems to you, and vice versa. In some ways I think its easier when you dont have to worry about what would be the best thing to grow because my options are extremely limited. Quite some years ago I had some Danish young farmers staying with me, and I typically was overly sensitive and a little embarrassed by the environment in which I live and farm, and the level and intensity of management compared to theirs. Because they were with me a week or so, we got to be friends and I was able to admit that to them, and their response was was "Don't feel like that.. We are amazed you can grow anything. We couldnt grow weeds in this environment." So i felt better for at least a while. : )
Having said that, the last 4 years are testing the resolve of many of us down here.
Peter's pics above dont look so bad to me either, but I'm quite aware that its often very difficult to show in pics what you are seeing in the field. And I dont know what is likely to happen in that environment. And there are varying levels of expectations as well.
I am hearing reports of areas that would be closer to Peter than to myself now not expecting to harvest enough cereals to replace their seed ( field saved seed is definitely the normal practice here)
Currently Im a long way from home travelling in Western Australia, where its wet wet wet. Reports from home have been of searing wind and heat a week ago or so , and a 7 mm ( 28/100 inch ) rain a couple of days ago.
I'm not sure if i want to go back to my reality : ) |
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Blvd d'Espair Bowhill, Sth Aust |
One other thing that is quite different is that there is no crop insurance here that would cover those losses. Cover for Fire and/or Hail losss is all that is available.
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Echunga | All relative i guess snsw i aim for 1.7 to 2t/ha when i seed but in reality it can be 2.5 plus or .5t/ha but my costs presumably are 30% probably of yours in 21 inch country
i farm in 340mm country about 30kms south of ham
i have hostlie stony subsoils but decent sand
and as ham mentioned a picture quite often doesnt fully explain the situation and thick crops on heavy country once they get seriously behind the eightball moisture wise sometimes never catch up despite semmingly good rainfall and would suggest thats about were you are now with your comments snsw? |
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Some pics of Australian crop in trouble
