Grains and harvest 2014 (low res)

ountry News Co

Grains & Harvest Reaching Australia’’s richest agricultural region

Choosing a header for the harvest — page 3

Grain growers warn on GRDC shift — page 2 Wild radish advice — page 9 | Harvest kicks off in the north — page 8

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PAGE 2—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

grains and harvest

Fears levies to pay for move rain growers are G urging caution with the proposal to shift the

Grains Research and Development Corporation office from Canberra to Albury.

The GrainGrowers organisation doesn’t want the expense of a shift taken from grower levies which would be better applied to research.

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has raised the possibility of moving a number of rural agencies.

Under the plans, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation would be off to Tasmania, the Grains Research and Development Corporation would be packing its bags for Albury and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation would be on the road to Wagga Wagga. ‘‘As the GRDC only moved to its current premises within the last month, and is also currently undergoing a costly restructure investigation process, GrainGrowers is concerned over the amount of grower levy money being spent on a move which does not have a direct benefit for the industry,’’ a statement from the organisation said.

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‘‘GrainGrowers urges the minister to consider the movement of these statutory agencies on a case-by-case basis, rather than blanket criteria, and this would necessarily include review of the costs of the physical move itself, but also the potential loss of human and intellectual capital, and the impact the move may have on the operation of GRDC into the future. ‘‘Consideration of any move should also be made with respect to any change to GRDC governance and the timing of such a change. ‘‘The Australian grains industry is a national

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GrainGrowers chief executive officer Alicia Garden.

industry with production occurring across the country, so a particular regional area does not necessarily make the same sense as it might for other RDCs where production is more concentrated, such as the Cotton RDC which is Narrabri-based. ‘‘However, GrainGrowers would not be opposed to a move to a regional area if it could be demonstrated that research and development outcomes could be maintained or enhanced by the move.’’

GrainGrowers chief executive officer Alicia Garden said while they understood the need for regional connections, GRDC had just undergone a significant and costly move within the past month. ‘‘To propose another, even more significant, move of a large number of public servants and expect it to be funded entirely from grower levy money is unacceptable as far as we are concerned,’’ Ms Garden said. ‘‘The compulsory levies which Australian grain producers pay are required to be spent on research and development activities which benefit growers and the industry.’’

growers navigate through the marketing options that will confront them during the next harvest.

The website www.grainplan.com.au provides growers with a 2014-15 GrainPlan guide that explains the options available to meet the needs of individual growers.

AWB has supported the guide with the services of a network of farm marketers across the wheat production areas of Australia.

The new website, quite separate from the AWB corporate site, offers access to this season’s pre-harvest prices, flexibility to extend pricing over 15 months and provision for protection against production shortfalls.

An early commitment program is currently open and features the ability to lock in pre-harvest wheat values as well as participate in grain sales across the season.

Its advantage is that it has the potential to capture any additional price upside over the marketing window.

On-farm storage of grain is increasing, with growers spreading their marketing options.

AWB has created the website with interactive navigation that will help growers decide which product is ‘right for them’ and which will assist in coping with the price volatility expected to dominate the upcoming harvest marketing environment.

The tool is provided at a time when cash prices for grain may not be the best option for many growers.

AWB national marketing manager Matthew Smith said the GrainPlan tool would help growers draw on a range of marketing products that offer immediate cash or managed options that offer a mix of deferred cash

options that include pools.

Both versions of the GrainPlan were created with a number of grower objectives in mind. ‘‘We want to help growers build profitable businesses that are solid enough to be left to subsequent generations with confidence,’’ Mr Smith said. ‘‘If growers know we are working with them towards those shared objectives then they will likely access an even wider range of our products and services. ‘‘Returning growers will be the driving force behind the win/win philosophy for which GrainPlain was created.’’

‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014—PAGE 3

grains and harvest

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Phil Neale with the Gleaner which he will be relying on for this season’s harvest.

Reliable header is vital

By Geoff Adams

eliability and service R make a big difference for Hunter farmer Phil Neale.

When he shifts the Gleaner S67 header out of the shed for the start of the season, he needs to know he can rely on back-up service should anything go wrong.

A third generation farmer, Mr Neale grows lupins, canola, wheat, barley and oaten hay for export on a property west of Elmore.

The Gleaner is in its third season, and is the third Gleaner the Neale family has operated.

He appreciates their simplicity and ease of operation. ‘‘They’re built on very simple concepts, and very easy to service.’’

Their S67 model is powered by an 8.4 litre Agco Sisu engine,

‘

They’re easy to operate with most of your adjustments done from the cabin. It’s a big capacity machine as well.

Hunter farmer Phil Neale

with a four-speed transmission and hydrostatic drive.

It has a big 13 743 litre grain tank, and a constant unloading rate of 141 litres/second. ‘‘They’re easy to operate with most of your adjustments done from the cabin. It’s a big capacity machine as well,’’ Mr Neale said.

But one of the main reasons for the header choice was the service from the local dealership, McKee’s Garage and Engineering. ‘‘There’s no special ‘after hours’ numbers with them. You don’t get passed around from one to another. You know if you

’

really need them they’ll be out any time,’’ Mr Neale said. ‘‘They’re a family business and they know how important it is. If they can’t get the part straight away, they’ll find a way to get us going. ‘‘The relationship works well for us.’’

Mr Neale said time was money and if there were any delays in harvesting, the grain could be downgraded or rain could spoil the crop.

This season he is looking forward to reasonably good crops, as long as there aren’t any late frosts or other bad weather.

‘‘We’ve had good rain in winter which has given us some deeper soil moisture. We’ve had a dry August, but about 20 to 30 mm came through in September.’’

And their wheat crops have been rust-free.

Like the Neales, the McKees have been in business for multiple generations after the company was established in the 1940s by Lee McKee’s grandfather.

They have been handling Gleaner headers since the 1960s. ‘‘They’re a super reliable machine with a very fast unloading capacity,’’ Lee McKee, who has been with the business for 15 years, said.

Switching from one crop to another, like canola to wheat, is simplified with minimum operator work.

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PAGE 4—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

grains and harvest

Dookie work on track ork is on schedule at GrainCorp’s W Dookie receival site, the company’s Yarrawonga area manager Paul White

said last week.

Dookie is categorised by GrainCorp as a ‘primary site’. ‘‘It’s all about improving site efficiency,’’ Mr White said.

The upgrade includes a new weighbridge and relocation of the grain-sampling hut and road changes to improve throughput and turnaround.

Local growers will be invited to a meeting on Thursday, October 30, to hear all about the upgrades and how they will work at a practical level. ‘‘The work is expected to be finished next week but will be well and truly finished by the grower meeting,’’ Mr White said.

He said the work under way now was preplanned before the company announced other refurbishments as part of its Project Regeneration program, a $200 million transformation of GrainCorp’s storage and logistics network. ‘‘Representing the single largest capital investment in rail loading capability in the company’s history, Project Regeneration will deliver a more efficient and reliable network for all customers, unlocking lower transport rates and higher grain prices for growers across the network,’’ the company said when the project was announced this winter.

While Dookie has ‘primary site’ status — which the company classes as having direct rail to port access — the Dookie line has not been maintained for at least five years and V/Line said in July when Project Regeneration was announced that there had not been enough grain destined for the ports to justify fixing it.

Support for conferences he Grains Research and Development T Corporation is recognised around the globe for its investment in pioneering grains-related

research, development and extension.

What it is perhaps less widely known for is its extensive support of organisations which run conferences that directly benefit the Australian grains industry.

GRDC communication manager Kylie Dunstan said each year GRDC provided sponsorship assistance to numerous and varied organisations which aim to inform and up-skill grains industry stakeholders. ‘‘In recent years, the GRDC has supported a broad range of events, from precision agriculture symposiums, farmer health conferences, fertiliser and milling forums, to sustainable food summits, women’s agronomy workshops and cereal chemistry conferences,’’ Ms Dunstan said. ‘‘The GRDC recognises the importance and value of such events and activities, which are designed to develop the skills and capacity of many people within our industry. ‘‘We are also well aware that for many of the organisations conducting these events, financial support is essential.’’

To ease the financial burden, GRDC offers two rounds of funding annually.

Application closing dates are the last Wednesday of October and the first Wednesday of April in each calendar year (regardless of the date the conference will be held). Applicants have until October 29 to finalise this year’s applications.

Applicants will be notified of the decision within six weeks of the application closing date.

Wheat growing on the outskirts of Dookie within sight of the GrainCorp receival depot, which is being upgraded in time for harvest.

Picture: Cathy Walker

➤ For more information, phone Maressa Carey on (02) 6166 4500 or email maressa.carey@grdc.com.au or visit http://grdc.com.au/Apply/Conference-Awards

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‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014—PAGE 5

grains and harvest

Gaffy’s Hire have the equipment for the job…

New ways to market grain

Gaffy’s Tractor Hire have New Holland and John Deere tractors ranging from 110 hp to 200 hp with loaders available up to 140 hp.

By Cathy Walker

G

rain growers routinely use agronomists and other specialist advisers during the planning and growing process to make sure they harvest a premium product.

So Brad Knight sees it as a natural fit that they may also call on an expert when it comes to marketing their grain.

His company, GeoCommodities, has offices in Bendigo, Horsham and Wagga Wagga and the relatively new business was established to meet a perceived need in the graingrowing community. ‘‘We have all had years in the industry and the company was established to help people sell their grain as opposed to buying it from them,’’ Mr Knight said. ‘‘The major (grain) buyers have been reducing their presence in rural areas and where there may once have been one or two people in large regional areas there has been a lot of centralisation to the capital cities.’’

He said GeoCommodities was a full-service business, working with farmers on the ‘‘when’’ and ‘‘how’’ decisions but going beyond that for some clients to help with freight and movement of grain. ‘‘Farmers used to go into the local silo and deliver it; now there is much more grain managed on farm,’’ Mr Knight said, explaining how that throws up other issues such as the logistics of running trucks to Melbourne and booking the grain in. ‘‘People come to us in a variety of circumstances, no farmer magically appears. ‘‘It might be they are getting bigger or they’ve had a site closure and it

Self-propelled Massey Ferguson Swather, this machine has two fronts, one is a 30-foot windrower front with side knives for cutting through canola crops even if tangled and can deliver the crop to the left or right side of the front or in the centre.

The other front is a 16-foot mower conditions front. What sets it apart from the rest are its five steel roller that condition the stalk and crimp every inch and a half for a much quicker drying time.

Both machines also have auto steer. Also comes with driver.

Our on-farm storage solution products are quality made, cost effective and easy to use. For sale or hire.

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Brad Knight gave a detailed presentation at a business update for growers in Mulwala last month. opens up a whole different market. ‘‘Basically if you want a hand, we are here to do it.’’

In a presentation to the Grains Research and Development farm business update in Mulwala recently, Mr Knight said over the long run, a business that was prepared to stretch out the marketing window — purely by weight of probability due to the nature of pricing — had a greater chance of seeing above or well above prices in that time.

Mr Knight said GeoCommodities worked

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on a retainer with many clients, or charged brokerage fees with others depending on their needs. ‘‘It’s not handing over control, it’s having an expert to help make those decisions.’’

The company also has several feedlots and a big dairy operation that it sources grain for. ‘‘It’s good: every day is different,’’ Mr Knight said.

Prepare yourself for this coming hay, fruit and harvest season

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Following the successful Women in Australian Agriculture forum in Melbourne earlier this month, Emerald Grain hosted a second day specifically for female growers and women in the grain industry. It was held at the Melbourne Port Terminal and included a tour of the port and sessions from grain marketing, quality and safety experts who explained the many facets of the grain industry from farm gate to end user.

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PAGE 6—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

grains and harvest

Built tough for Aussie farms ustomer feedback C and independent evaluation by Kondinin

Group’s Farming Ahead research report have consistently recognised overall build quality and strength, and easy clean-out as highlights of the Davimac range of Chaser Bins manufactured at Molong, NSW. Davimac’s hydraulicallydriven 405 mm cross auger, with durable 6 mm flighting and the absence of a centre bearing, together with a three-year warranty, have added to the widespread appeal of these efficient machines.

They consistently rank in the top bracket of chaser bins.

Customer support and back-up service also rate highly with Davimac’s growing customer base.

Constant product improvement — such as the addition of a bin breather now standard across the range to make unloading easier — also demonstrates how Davimac has responded to the real world everyday needs of grain growers.

The company says even before this development, fast and easy unloading was a feature of these

The Davimac 25 tonne chaser bin ready for the upcoming harvest. chaser bins.

And at a time when biosecurity and quality assurance have become watch words, easy cleanout also adds to the Davimac bins’ appeal. For

broadacre grain growers and contractors they’re unsurpassed.

There are four models with both single and dual axle bins, offering capacities from 18 tonnes

up to 35 tonnes.

All boast robust construction and a durable quality finish; chassis are constructed using 10 mm and 16 mm plate and heavy duty 10-stud axles.

A clean internal design and a full length clean-out door ensure crop hygiene.

Davimac chaser bins allow loading and unloading ‘on the go’ aided by high capacity discharge

augers and a low 3.3 m side height.

Established in 1982 and still family-owned, Davimac has carved out a sound and growing market position with its chaser bins, plus direct drills, disc planters, small seed boxes and a pasture seeder.

The company’s growth has always been based on traditional solid Australian engineering and construction, and machines that are straightforward and reliable to operate. ‘‘The Davimac range is a perfect fit in every farm’s fleet because it delivers the well designed, fieldproven reliable equipment our farmers want at Australian-built competitive pricing,’’ the company said. ‘‘And with quality Australian-built equipment supplied and backed by strong local dealers, customer support and service is right at hand — there’s no need to wait for service from a distant supplier.’’ ➤ For more information phone Shannon McNab at Davimac on (02) 6366 8584.

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‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014—PAGE 7

grains and harvest

Emerald Grain grain classifier Roxi Cooke and project leader Toby Edwards checking out the Elmore site’s new weighbridge.

Elmore almost ready

merald Grain’s $3 million E upgrade of its Elmore grain storage and receival

site is well under way and will be completed by the time harvest comes around.

Site manager Kane Dempster said construction had progressed well and growers will notice the difference in turnaround times when they deliver this harvest. ‘‘The new weighbridge is under construction, and the existing one is being upgraded,’’ Mr Dempster said.

‘‘At the same time we are improving drainage, completing road works and building new bunkers. Most bunker walls are up already. ‘‘We have increased the number of drive-over stackers to five, compared to two last year. ‘‘We have retained core staff from last season and have recruited extra for harvest. Staff training has already commenced. ‘‘We’re looking forward to

throwing the gates open and showing off the new site at harvest.’’

Mr Dempster said Emerald Grain would host a dinner meeting for growers delivering to the site at Elmore Football Club at 6 pm on Tuesday, October 21.

The meeting will cover: ➤ Site segregations and opening hours. ➤ Site equipment. ➤ Truck mass limit rules and safety.

➤ A grain marketing update for buyers at the site, including SQP Grain.

Mr Dempster said all growers were welcome to come along and ask any questions they had about the site. ‘‘Most growers around this area have had a good finish to the season and are faring much better than the rest of the state,’’ he said. ➤ To RSVP for the site meeting, phone Katie at SQP Grain on 5329 2000 or email klindkvist@sqpgrain.com.au

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PAGE 8—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

grains and harvest

Taking on a big job

By Geoff Adams

yper-yielding feed grain cereals, grain H defects in barley, weed seed control, herbicide resistance, nitrogen management,

T

he Gall family from Goorambat has taken a fleet of CASE IH headers north to tackle the start of the harvesting season.

Sam Gall has started work on the open plains in the Mungindi district near the NSW-Queensland border where the paddocks are as big as some northern Victorian farms.

He was about to tackle a chickpea crop last week, about 1000 km from home, on a Case 8230, when Country News spoke to him. ‘‘This is our fourth year up here and it’s been pretty dry,’’ Mr Gall said. ‘‘One farmer told us he’d had only 240 mm for the year, so it’s been lean.’’

Mr Gall likes the 8230 header for its ease of operation.

He puts the auto steer to good use and the cabin is climate controlled for the 10 to 15-hour days he expects to put in during the season. ‘‘We’re pretty happy with the job they do. I don’t think we would be interested in buying anything else.’’

The 8230, the second largest in the flagship range of combines, came from O’Connors in Shepparton.

With a big 15 m front end

Projects target grain issues

The Case harvesters operated by the Gall family on the job in northern NSW. and a bin comfortably handling 10 tonne of wheat, the 8230 can get through a large crop in good time.

It also offers an ASS yield

monitor system so the operator can record and watch moisture levels and yield weights without stopping.

The machine runs with a four-speed hydrostatic gearbox and is powered by a CASE IH FPT 12.9 litre engine, rated at 450 horsepower.

soil constraints and frost management — these are among the many southern cropping region issues set be addressed through a suite of new projects to be funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Through its 2015-16 External Investment Plan, GRDC is seeking research partners to undertake a range of programs aimed at providing growers with the technologies and practices they require for their businesses to remain profitable.

GRDC Southern Regional Panel chair Keith Pengilley said proposed projects are designed to address on-farm constraints which impact on productivity, input costs and margins and to also capture new market opportunities. ‘‘The 2015-16 External Investment Plan will address identified gaps in research, development and extension, and it will complement the GRDC’s previous and existing investments in RD&E,’’ Mr Pengilley said.

He said some of the projects listed in the investment plan were specific to the southern cropping region (Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and central and southern NSW) while others were more broad but had relevance and application to southern cropping systems.

The areas being targeted in the External Investment Plan have been identified as priorities through an extensive consultation process in which the Southern Regional Panel has played an important role.

Projects specific to the southern cropping region include: ➤ Harvest weed seed control. ➤ Nutrition in medium to high-yielding irrigated systems. ➤ Managing legume and fertiliser nitrogen. ➤ Southern region agribusiness trial extension networks.

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‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014—PAGE 9

grains and harvest

Herbicide resistance studied n investigation into the increasing A incidence of herbicide resistance in broadleaf weeds in the Victorian

Wimmera-Mallee region has delivered fresh insights into the extent of resistance in wild radish and options for its management.

A Grains Research and Development Corporation ‘fast track’ project, instigated by the GRDC’s Southern Regional Cropping Solutions Networks and conducted by BCG (formerly Birchip Cropping Group), has found populations of wild radish are changing in their level of resistance.

This change is particularly evident with Group I and B herbicides which are now only effective in controlling 50 per cent of the targeted wild radish populations in the areas surveyed in the Wimmera-Mallee.

BCG research agronomist Simon Craig said Group I and Group B herbicides failed to provide commercially acceptable control (70 per cent reduction) of wild radish populations targeted in the survey. ‘‘It will be inevitable that these populations will be completely resistant in the short-term future,’’ Mr Craig said.

The GRDC, through the RCSN, last year commissioned BCG to conduct regional paddock surveys to highlight first-hand to growers and advisers that resistance was developing. ‘‘Lifting awareness of the increasing level of broadleaf weed resistance is needed in an attempt to delay or prevent its onset,’’ Mr Craig said.

As a result of the now-completed project, the following key messages are being presented to the region’s growers and advisers: ➤ Wild radish seeds have a long dormancy in the soil and can germinate four

to five times a season with sufficient soil moisture. ➤ Best chemical control is achieved if spraying early at the one to two leaf stage of the weed. Growers should not wait for five leaves or more before application. ➤ Some radish plants can shield others from contact with spray so a high water rate is required for best plant coverage. ➤ Research has shown a two-spray strategy is best for high-density radish plants or populations with multiple herbicide resistances. ➤ Growers are urged to rotate herbicide groups applied to plants so the effectiveness of new Group H chemistry can be prolonged. ➤ When collecting seeds for resistance testing, ensure samples are taken from a representative population or samples from suspected plants. Susceptible plants can still be present in the population and can give a false illusion of the resistant status.

During the course of the project, a range of herbicide options for controlling wild radish was applied to commercial paddocks (in strips) where wild radish was problematic.

Mr Craig said wild radish populations and their level of herbicide resistance was increasing across the Wimmera and Mallee cropping regions where growers have commonly selected herbicides according to their ability to control grasses such as ryegrass or brome grass. ‘‘As a consequence, growers have placed less emphasis on rotating their broadleaf herbicide groups, thereby increasing the potential for resistance to develop in weeds such as wild radish, Indian hedge mustard and turnip.’’

Wild radish seeds have a long dormancy in the soil and can germinate four to five times a season with sufficient soil moisture.

PAGE 10—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

grains and harvest

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Under new ownership, the site and nearby rail land will undergo a $3 million redevelopment to transform it into a 120 000-tonne facility with rail out-loading capability.

Emerald Grain managing director John Murray said growers should see the full benefits within the next 12 months. ‘‘Ardlethan is a key growing area for Emerald Grain and we plan to make significant improvements to the site in order to better compete for local grain,’’ Mr Murray said.

Emerald will upgrade the site and improve the facilities and equipment to improve turnaround times. Improvements include bunker and road upgrades as well as new drive-over stackers and weighbridges.

Grain from the site will predominantly be fed to the new grain terminal being built at Port Kembla, of which Emerald Grain is a partner.

Mr Murray said connecting the site to rail in partnership with Qube Holdings would significantly lower the cost of taking grain to port. ‘‘These are savings that can be passed onto the grower — local growers should see a more attractive bid for their grain at Emerald Grain Ardlethan in the future.’’

He said the site’s previous part-owner, Bill Preston, would remain involved in the site as a consultant. ‘‘We have had a great relationship with the previous owners. Mr Preston brings strong local knowledge and has good standing within the community and we are pleased to have retained his involvement in the site,’’ Mr Murray said.

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Jake Olver: 0458 801 856 Bernie Teasdale: 0438 377 303

Flowering canola in some areas missed vital rain but this crop near Tungamah, pictured in mid-September, was in an area that later received rain that will help get it over the line.

Picture: Cathy Walker

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Canola crops tipped to fall

n its latest crop report, IFederation Australian Oilseeds knocked back

its estimates for the 2014 canola harvest due to dry conditions, frosts and TuYV (turnip yellows virus or beet western yellows virus).

It found the poor winter rainfall over much of the growing regions left the crops in need of moisture coming into the critical spring flowering time, and in some areas growers have dodged the bullet.

The rainfall shortfall was particularly acute in the core growing regions of southern NSW, central Victoria and the Wimmera districts in the east, and South Australia.

In some areas, severe frosts have led to loss of cereal crops, and have impaired the flowering potential for canola on already moisture-stressed crops.

Notwithstanding the dry conditions, however, the

report found larger than average areas committed to canola this season will still see a strong tonnage expected to be delivered, albeit from lower yielding crops.

The lower yields, combined with a significant drop in canola prices since planting will temper growers’ plans for area to be sown to canola in 2015.

The 2015 crop could be close to 3 million tonnes (20 per cent reduction), the lowest level since 2010.

In southern NSW, conditions have also been very dry, with rainfall in the lead-up to spring being 10 per cent of the August average in the Riverina and 20-50 per cent less in the south-west slopes — two traditionally high yielding districts.

The yield for NSW has been further reduced due to widespread frost damage, especially in early sown crops and those at late flowering to mid-podding.

The western areas have been affected most (west of Newell Hwy) because the crop was earlier and frosts more severe.

Moisture stress in western crops was alleviated in many areas to get crops over the line.

Much of Victoria also experienced a dry August, particularly in the Wimmera and northern districts, but generally the state is faring well, with sub-soil moisture at ‘normal’ levels for this time of year.

Frosts also took their toll during August, particularly in the north.

The impact on canola, given its early stage of maturity, is not as severe as with cereals.

Most forecast models are predicting ‘average’ rainfall conditions in the lead-up to harvest.

Consequently, the yield estimate remains unchanged for the state at 1.75 tonnes/ha.

‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014—PAGE 11

grains and harvest

Calum Peace achieved high yields with a new corn hybrid at Piangil.

Hybrid gives higher yields

40 ha strip of corn A produced an average grain yield of

19.5 tonnes/ha in an excellent result for Calum Peace, at Piangil, on the Murray River north-west of Swan Hill.

Mr Peace achieved the yield with a planting of Pioneer hybrid P1467 in the third week of October 2013 on drip irrigation.

He said the crop was higher than the header at harvest, with each cob producing between 800 and 850 kernels on an estimated population of 90 000 plants/ha.

P1467 was the first hybrid planted and was followed up

by Pioneer hybrid P1070 in the last week of October and Pioneer hybrid P0021 in the first week of November.

Three hybrids were used with different maturities to spread risk, assist with watering across the blocks and to help ensure harvest occurred at a similar time.

Mr Peace said the hybrids were planted at a rate of 95 000 seeds/ha and they had an excellent strike and establishment across all three corn types.

He said they were able to be harvested at the same time with the shorterseason hybrids P1070 and

P0021 drying down very quickly and able to be stripped at low moisture content despite being planted later in the year.

The highest yields were achieved with P1467, with the entire corn crop of 150 ha producing an average of 15 tonnes/ha.

It was the second year corn had been grown on the property and this year’s yields were significantly better than the 12 to 13 tonnes/ha harvested in the previous season. ‘‘It is always good to better yourself each season,’’ Mr Peace said.

The high yields were achieved in spite of some challenges through the year, with cool conditions early in the season and severe heat hitting the crop at flowering in January and again a month later.

Much of the crop was grown on land that had previously been an old dairy farm and had the drip irrigation installed the previous winter.

Mr Peace said they had taken soil samples before planting and provided enough nutrients to grow a 15 tonnes/ha maize crop.

The corn received DAP and zinc at planting and UAE with one per cent zinc

through the tape early in the season.

All of the fertiliser was applied before the eight leaf stage of the crop and this, as well as the earlier planting date and newer corn hybrids, were the main differences between the two years.

Eight Ml/ ha were used across the board on the crop with the drip tape, at 40 mm intervals, providing the option of the equivalent of 12 mm of rainfall with every watering.

Throughout the summer there was just one rainfall event. The 30 mm fall, recorded in November, being the only help the crop received from the sky.

Mr Peace said it was exciting to harvest such a big crop at the end of the season and quite surprising considering the heat at different parts of the year. ‘‘It was good watching the money meter in the header,’’ he said.

The harvested area was baled and then doublecropped into wheat.

Over a 12-month period during 2013 more than 20 tonnes/ha of grain was harvested from the crop and wheat combination.

For all your cropping needs, call Advanced Ag We offer a range of specialised services

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Agronomists: Tony Kelly 0427 311 307 Luke Nagle 0419 320 998 Tim Anderson 0419 896 230 Cameron Pogue 0419 320 925 72 Williams Rd, Shepparton Ph: (03) 5822 4862 www.advancedag.com.au

PAGE 12—‘Grains and Harvest’, October, 2014

SHEPPARTON 212 Numurkah Road Ph: (03) 5821 4555 www.oconnorscaseih.com.au

ECHUCA 43 Sturt Street Ph: (03) 5482 1733 www.echucacih.com