Far North Queensland, Rockhampton Dawson/Callide - QLD

Territory Manager:
Chris Farrelly

Callide Dawson

Winter crops: Wheat crops in the two valleys were on the whole very good with yields between 10 to 16 bags per acre. However, a little damage was done because of an early break in the season but this was not widespread. Most other crops including chickpeas, oats and barley were well grown and produced some great results in view of grain prices and I think that nearly all of the farmers would take a repeat of the winter season just gone.

Summer crops: It seems that all of my territory has been planting grain sorghum since August as there have been plantings every month somewhere in the area. I had a look at some very good crops of spring-planted grain sorghum and sunflowers. The sorghum was yielding upwards of 2mt/ac and I saw an absolutely magnificent crop of Hyoliec 41 sunflowers which should yield in excess of .5 mt/ac. This crop is coming off at the moment. Some of the spring sorghum crops mentioned above did get caught in our big wet with some being flooded on the day harvesting was due to start. Some sorghum that was not flooded had both protein and weight washed out of them with the lowest weight I have heard being 50.

The proper summer plantings have been progressing well and most have benefited from the great season. However ideally we would like some dry, fine weather to enable harvesting and growing of the crops and have the rain return in the 1st week of March (if only we had a perfect world). One problem with some of the flowering sorghum crops has been fungal attacks on the heads. At the moment this is slight in most areas and should not do a lot of damage if the weather dries out for awhile, however it does depend a lot on conditions and stage of the crop etc. The one area that had missed out on the rain and hence has had a limited planting is Biloela and I hope that the farmers in that area can pick up some rainfall in this current weather change. One thing that all this rain has done is set us up for a great wheat crop this coming winter if the weather keeps coming of course.

Duaringa          

Winter: Some very good wheat crops were harvested in last year’s crop with yields between 1.2 to 2mt/ac. Some crops did suffer a bit of weather damage but this was not widespread.

Summer: This is the area most affected by the flood and I have heard of crop losses both from the spring plant which was ready to be harvested and the summer plant which was drowned and I guess the upside of this is the moisture base that has been laid down to finish any summer crop and a great start for the winter crop when it goes in the ground.

Far North Queensland

A vey mixed bag this year with the inner Atherton Tablelands getting planted on time and the dryer areas of Lakeland Downs in the north and Innot Springs in the south staying dry until late December. From what I have heard the Lakeland area is in need of some good rainfall now. Here is hoping they get their wish shortly.

Most of the gulf area has just been too wet but I guess at least their ring tanks should be full.

Northern Territory

The Territory started off slow as far as rainfall is concerned but it has not stopped raining since and it certainly plays havoc with getting jobs like spray applications completed. I would expect some very weedy crops as I don’t know how herbicides could be applied to growing crops. I don’t know what stage crops are at but would think that they would be all over the place simply because of the rain and how it has fallen.

As I finish this Roundup I would ask everyone to spare a thought for the farmers and graziers who have had significant crop and stock losses during the recent floods.

So it is goodbye from Rocky where we have mossies as big as drilling rigs and I hope the rest of the season is kind to all.

Chris Farrelly

Last Updated: 21 September, 2007