AgLife – January 31, 2024 edition

January 31, 2024

Looking good The final ingredients to finish this year’s grape season are sunlight and warmth, as harvest is set to begin in March. Montara Wines general manager James Stapleton is hopeful the weather conditions will lead to a high-yielding year for winemakers.

Story, page 23. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

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BY ABBY WALTER

rain farmers across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians are not slowing down in the post-harvest period as summer weed spraying programs enter full swing, while they keep an eye on market prices.

Grain Producers Australia southern grower director Andrew Weidemann, a Rupanyup farmer, said rain during December and January meant there was moisture in the soil ahead of planting 2024 crops.

“It certainly puts us in good stead for the coming months, although it’s been frustrating for some farmers,” he said.

“There are some who had a later start in certain areas due to greener crops and some crops damaged by the weather.

“We’ve been spraying almost as soon as the headers stopped — in some cases, we started spraying summer weeds before the headers stopped — and I think most farmers in the area are probably similar.

“Humid weather led to quite quick weed growth in paddocks, so where the sheep can’t contain them, for those who have stock, it’s going to be a spray program that continues for a while.”

Mr Weidemann said there would likely be a high turnover of chemicals for summer weed control, but the ex-

FINAL STRETCH: Alex Rees harvests wheat at his family farm in Telangatuk East as the season ended across the Wimmera earlier this month.

Picture: KAREN REES

pense could be outweighed by yields at year’s end.

He said rain totals above 20 millimetres, which areas across the region experienced throughout December and January, allowed moisture to be banked in soil.

“Less than 20mm generally gets transpired off the top before it has time to soak in,” he said.

“I have been talking to a few farmers with soil probes and they have nearly a full profile of moisture in some areas.

“That bodes well for another good crop potential this year.

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all about trying to make it work at the other end, too.”

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported Australian export prices, as of January 18, had declined between 10 and 28 percent compared to the same time last year.

Milling wheat exported at $449 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $428 a tonne and feed barley exported at $372 a tonne.

Canola exported at $745 a tonne and experienced the largest annual change.

Market Check chief executive Nick Crundall said more farmers were storing grain on-farm or keeping it in the

system at the end of harvest, rather than selling it, due to declining prices.

Mr Crundall said harvest pressure and no buying appetite meant wheat had dropped about $30 a tonne since the beginning of the season.

“The crop, especially in Victoria, came off better than expected and at the same time, global wheat markets are lacking any real demand and the domestic consumers have also bought what they need for the next month or so,” he said.

“China was a big story going into the Christmas break. They bought a lot of wheat off Australia and the United States, which had everyone

very excited. They’ve gone quiet, so the question is when they come back.

“We know they have a lot of demand but at the moment they are reluctant to be in the market.”

Mr Crundall said barley had also fallen to a similar tune of $30 a tonne.

“Barley had a great story going for it in the fact the northern NSW and Queensland crop was particularly poor with an El Nino meant there was a lot of domestic demand,” he said.

“China was also paying, so it was all looking very rosy for barley.

“China is not buying now and we had a lot of summer rain the market wasn’t anticipating, so the northern feed market has been crushed.

“At the same time, we have been going through harvest and the Aussie dollar is kicking so all these things together have weakened the barley market.”

Mr Crundall said the worst price drop had occurred in the canola market, after a string of years of high yields and historically high prices.

He said Europe, which is Australia’s largest export destination, had access to more canola and conflict in the Red Sea meant offshore markets were weak.

“The canola markets are just clinging onto $600 a tonne which is about $200 lower than it was at harvest last year so it’s been a very disappointing year,” he said.

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Past and present V

BY ABBY WALTER

ictoria’s longest-running field days event will mark an important milestone this year.

The Wimmera Machinery Field Days began 60 years ago and is returning for another blockbuster intstalment.

The three-day event, at the Wimmera Events Centre at Longerenong from March 6 to 8, is an agriculture showcase attracting about 8500 people and 300 exhibitors annually.

Wimmera Machinery Field Days manager Vanessa Lenehan said the event was approaching quickly.

“The team came back after Christmas, got back into work and the days seem to fly by — so all of a sudden, it’s almost field days’ time,” she said.

“We have a little bit of room left for exhibitors, but we are going better than at the same time last year.

“We’ve had a lot more interest and there’s a really positive vibe at the site.”

Mrs Lenehan said organisers were embracing the history of the 60th anniversary.

“We have some Sandy Creek Clydesdales getting around, so they will do some demonstrations on harnessing and unharnessing the horses,” she said.

“They will have a cart that you can hitch a ride on and get around the field days, too.

“It ties in with the theme of revisiting things from past eras.”

Mrs Lenehan said there were some changes to the line-up of attractions this year while existing elements would continue to expand.

“Our country lifestyle area is full. We have

put a lot of work into targeting exhibitors and we’ve had to rearrange quite a few things, which is exciting,” she said.

“We’re getting some of the favourites back again, too.

“The snake pit is always very popular with students and children, and we have the animal nursery and the train also coming back as well as Rev It Up Racing with the racing simulator.

“We also have something new with laser tag this year, which will be a bit of fun for any children who come along.”

Mrs Lenehan said a farm biosecurity hub was a new addition to the agriculture exhibitors.

“It’s an initiative that was brought to our attention by the Victorian Farmers Federation, as biosecurity and security is an increasing problem for farmers around the area,” she said.

“Victoria Police, Victorian Farmers Federation, Agriculture Victoria and private exhibitors who do security cameras and other devices are forming the farm biosecurity hub in the Alan Heard Pavilion.

“For anyone who has issues or wants to learn more, it’s a one-stop place to discuss it together. It’s exciting and keeps the field days relevant as well.”

Exhibitors wanting to attend the field days are encouraged to phone the office on 5384 7210 or email info@wimmerafielddays.com. au Tickets are available online at wimmerafield days.com.au • The Weekly Advertiser will produce a special edition of AgLife on February 28, providing patrons with a guide to the event.

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POTENTIAL: Montara Wines general manager James Stapleton is hoping warm February weather will ensure a good grape harvest this season.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Vineyards prepare for March harvest Vineyard owners are hoping for a ‘true summer’ February this season to finish off what has been a wet season for grapes.

Montara Wines general manager James Stapleton said he did not know, yet, how the season would turn out.

“It was meant to be a hot, dry year, an El Niño year, but so far it has almost been the opposite; the amount of rain we have had has caught us a little bit by surprise,” he said.

“Provided the heat and sun and warmth comes in February, we’re in a pretty good position to have a robust vintage.

“The vines are looking healthy. They have had plenty of water and there are plenty

of fruit bunches. If we get heat, warmth and sunlight between now and harvest, I think it will turn out to be a high-yielding year.”

Mr Stapleton said too much rain and not enough sunlight could lead to disease.

“We are making sure we are staying on top of our spraying program,” he said.

“We’re also trying to stay on top of pruning, to bring the foliage under control. You don’t want too much of the nutrients going into the foliage at this time of year, it’s all about getting it concentrated into the fruit bunches.”

Mr Stapleton said international market changes had encour-

aged the business to diversify.

“We’re pretty blessed with the view out here – it’s a bonus we make terrific wine,” he said.

“We’ve added some glamping and tiny homes to add another revenue stream.

“We’re also trying to get our backyard in order and doubling down on our relationships with traders within 100 kilometres of Ararat.

“They are all loyal customers who have supported us. They are the bread and butter of the business.”

Mr Stapleton said in a good year, Montara Wines would produce about 60,000 bottles of wine.

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one of us like having to admit to making a mistake.

My latest was in an interview with a UK-based Black Sea grains analyst, Mike Lee. I began our Country Today interview on the current situation for grain growers in Ukraine by saying: “It’s been nearly a year since Russia invaded Ukraine.”

He interrupted.

“Well no, actually it’s two years,” Mr Lee said.

I was embarrassed and staggered all at once.

How could we be two years into the conflict?

Why are we hearing so little about it?

And from Country Today’s perspective, what impact is it having on one of the largest wheat-exporting areas in the globe?

To put it into perspective, Ukraine produces more than three times the amount of wheat produced in Australia.

During the first year of the conflict, according to Mr Lee, and despite direct attacks on farms and machinery, land mines, and missiles, Ukraine’s farmers planted about 70 percent of their spring crops —

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including corn, sunflower, soy and barley.

Most of Ukraine’s wheat was planted in October, so that was in the ground before the Russian invasion.

Back then, Mr Lee said: “If the war stopped tomorrow, it will take years before Ukraine’s agriculture and grain exporters get back to pre-war levels.”

Two years on and he has a different and rather poignant view.

“I think I’m a bit more optimistic. You have the areas where the military activity is taking place, you have large areas that have been mined, and, obviously, that’s going to take time to repair — but fundamentally, the farming systems are still in place, the infrastructure is there,” he said.

“There have been some attacks on grain storage facilities but I think farming would be fully operational if the war was to stop.”

The Russian invasion, as it sits today, has taken over a portion

of land in the east of Ukraine so it’s about 10 percent, but in the west and central Ukraine, farming is still operational.

“But there are still some issues with supplies of inputs and sale of produce and, of course, there’s still military activity taking place all over the country,” Mr Lee said.

“Farmers being farmers, they have a tendency just to go farming whatever the conditions.

“Despite all the adversities, disadvantages and problems, farming has continued — albeit, under extreme circumstances.”

In fact, the weather favoured the farmers and yields from last year’s harvest were strong, despite the lack of inputs such as fertiliser.

But that hasn’t translated into profits.

Russia has cashed in on Ukraine’s productivity.

“The big problem has more to do with cash flow… We have an issue on whose balance sheet the grain sits in,” Mr Lee said.

“In the occupied regions of Ukraine, there’s still grain coming out of there, it just ends up on the Russian balance sheet.”

It gives a whole new perspective on the often quoted, ‘farmers are very resilient’.

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HISTORY: A 1949 Model D John Deere pulls a 1938 Big E Harvester at Paul Schilling’s Katyil property to harvest a paddock of wheat. While farmers across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians were using large, modern equipment during the 2023-24 harvest season, one Wimmera farmer took a step back in time. Mr Schilling used a 74-year-old tractor to pull an 85-year-old harvester to harvest a paddock of wheat in mid-January. The crop made about 20 bags an acre.

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RESILIENCE: Nikki and Adrian Coastworth, of Wycheproof, whose family was interviewed for both iterations of Birchip Cropping Group’s ‘Over the Fence’.

Stories of resilience

B

irchip Cropping Crop has launched the second generation of ‘Over the Fence’ — a book exploring drought resilience from farmers’ perspectives.

Farmers participated in a series of weekly interviews, which were compiled for the publication.

Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub north-west node leader Grace Hosking said the book was one of the cropping group’s initiatives with the Victorian drought hub.

“BCG is proud to present the second generation of Over the Fence viewed through the lens of drought resilience,” she said.

“The series seeks to capture pearls of wisdom derived from lived experiences, share information and inspire innovative approaches to proactive risk mitigation.

“Additionally, the series puts a spotlight on the diverse business profiles thriving in the region, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of our local communities.

“BCG thanks all interviewees for their selfless participation in Over the Fence and the photographers who captured the magnificence of the landscape and people of north-west Victoria.”

‘Over the Fence’ first occurred in 2005 and 2006 when BCG compiled a series of weekly interviews and en-

gaged farmers and individuals working within the industry, to facilitate discussions on various topics.

The series, initiated during drought, aimed to foster connections among people and share information.

In 2023, BCG supported farmers through the Federal Government Future Drought Fund initiative.

The fund provided a platform for localised consultation, planning and project trial opportunities, forming crucial partnerships with grower groups such as BCG to enhance drought resilience.

‘Over the Fence’ is free and people can access a copy by calling the BCG office on 5492 2787.

Disease management and growing pulses are two of many topics on the agenda for Birchip Cropping Group’s annual Trials Review Day. Birchip Cropping Group, BCG, senior extension manager Kelly Angel said the event offered members a chance to connect, meet new people and catch-up with other farmers, researchers, agronomists and industry representatives from across the region.

Agriculture Victoria research scientist Dr Hari Dadu will speak about his approach to disease management in cereal crops.

“Good crop disease management will be required in 2024 due to the early summer rain and potential disease risk in south-east Victoria,” he said.

“I’ll be discussing the importance of off-season and in-crop strategies to manage cereal diseases during 2024.

“This will include the advantages of removing green bridge by midMarch, the use of a cereal disease guide to select better varieties and the importance of paddock selection.

“I’ll also highlight the status of fungicide resistance in Victoria and detail the strategies to slow the fungicide resistance development and protect their longevity.”

Dr Dadu will also discuss the results of 2023 Agriculture Victoria trials, which showed significant yield losses due to disease despite a dry spring.

Agriculture Victoria senior research agronomist Jason Brand will speak about growing pulses on variable soil types, new lentil varieties, disease ratings, frost tolerance,

yields and the new field pea release APB Bondi.

He said he would discuss Agriculture Victoria and BCG research undertaken on variable soils.

“I’ll reflect on some of the results from Gerang and Pyramid Hill,” he said.

“The results from Gerang really highlighted the yield stability that crops like faba beans compared with all other pulses in this west Wimmera zone have on the variable sand and duplex soil types, but there is hope for other pulses as constraints are addressed through agronomic and breeding solutions.

“Similar observations were made at Pyramid Hill with constrained clay soil — sodic, saline at depth — highlighting future opportunities for lentils and peas in this region.”

Other topics will include farmer and adviser experiences, grid sampling at a paddock scale, silicon in wheat and lentils, long coleoptile for moisture management, Rosinweed and Star of Bethlehem management, insects in harvest weed seed control systems, vetch for risk mitigation in dry times, soil microbial indicators, slug and snail management, the latest cereal varieties and protein mapping experiences.

As a member-only event, attendees have first access to the 2023 BCG Season Research Results compendium.

People can visit bcg.org.au to become a member and register for the event.

The event is at the Birchip Leisure Centre on February 23 from 9am to 4pm.

Time for road repair, damage control after storms Summer storms have caused soil erosion on farm roads, tracks and driveways across Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria land management extension officer Clem Sturmfels said the key to controlling damage was drainage.

“Good surface drainage, wide and stable table drains and closely spaced run-offs to direct the water away from the roadway are vital. Additionally, the roadway needs to have stable, well-drained foundations and

a hard-wearing gravel, concrete or bitumen surface,” he said.

Mr Sturmfels said class-one or classtwo materials, a mix of quarry dust and larger aggregate, made for a stable and hard-wearing surface without the need for a surface seal.

“Roadways can be constructed on quite steep slopes using these techniques,” he said.

“A well-built road should only require occasional grading and a top dressing with gravel every few years.

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“Roadways cut into the side of a hill will need regular culverts or other forms of cross drainage. A simple speed hump or roll-over is a cheap and easy way to divert water.

“Wherever possible, roads, tracks and driveways should follow ridgelines to minimise the need for cross drainage.”

Mr Sturmfels said the best way to create good surface drainage was crowning the centre of the road.

The crown needs to be high enough

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said. “If using a rock-lined drain, it’s important to make it wide and deep enough to carry the anticipated flow.

“Run-offs or cut-off drains are used to take water from the table drain to a safe disposal area.

“They should be spaced 50 to 100 metres apart on gently sloping roadways but only 15 to 20 metres apart on steep roads, tracks and driveways.”

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to rapidly shed water away from the centre of the road. An alternative method, commonly used on bush tracks, is to slope the road surface into, or away from the side of a hill.

He said roadside table drains should have a flat base to spread and slow the speed of the water and, ideally, would have a good cover of grass to protect them from erosion.

“A well-established grass table drain can safely carry a similar flow of water to a typical rock-lined drain,” he

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SA & Vic NVT predicted MET yield of lentil varieties (% mean yield) 2020 2021 2022 112 111 126 GIA ThunderA IMI 108 102 113 PBA Jumbo2A 107 109 93 GIA LightningA IMI 97 102 105 PBA KelpieA XT 102 100 102 GIA LeaderA IMI 101 101 100 PBA HurricaneA XT 102 105 94 PBA HighlandA XT 100 100 100 PBA HallmarkA XT Mean Yield (t/ha) 2.22 3.33 3.12 No. of Trials 11 4 11 *Note: 2022 trial results influenced by disease, particularly varieties rated MS or less for BGM

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s January wraps up, Longerenong College is very happy we were able to get the crops harvested, with another year of great yields in line with what others in the area are yielding.

The college says a huge thanks to O’Connors and Case IH for providing a harvester, service and parts support.

Thanks also to our Irish angel in the O’Connors service department, who helped one weekend; and to the Precision Ag team, which is looking at further updates to our technology and the DATA Farm.

Thane Pringle, the college’s new DATA Farm manager, has started to pull out comparisons on varieties to provide back to the farm manager and to seed and chemical suppliers, providing them with local production data.

He is also adding more crop monitoring apps for the agronomy teaching team to utilise in their classes, using our farm data.

UPL has agreed to sponsor Longerenong College at a platinum level for another year.

Having industry involvement in the college provides significant support and is encouraging for the staff, recognising and endorsing the work the college is doing in educating the next generation of agriculture leaders.

With enrolments almost finalised,

95 Nelson Street, Nhill

GIANT: Norton Estate’s Sam Spence said her crop of tomatoes, at Lower Norton near Horsham, had grown very large across the past few weeks, with the heaviest weighing 610 grams. She purchased the unknown variety at a Bacchus Marsh grocer after seeing the impressive size they could reach. The fleshy tomato variety is a late bloomer, producing fruit into the winter months.

CALL 03 5391 2106

Growing skills with Avril Hogan

Longerenong College general manager

we are welcoming our biggest group of first-year students.

We will be running two classes of first-year students undertaking their Certificate IV in Agriculture, and second qualification of a Certificate II in Agriculture, Certificate IV in Wool Classing or Diploma of Applied Agronomy.

The Certificate IV will be taught on Mondays and Tuesdays, wool and agronomy will be taught on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Certificate II on Thursdays and Fridays.

This transparency in scheduling will allow students to choose their qualifications and if they want to work at the same time, it provides them with consistency.

Finally, our new marketing and development co-ordinator Grace Wheaton has redesigned the majority of the college’s promotional material, updated the flow of information to the college’s social media channels, and has designed a beautiful new website, which has just gone live.

Jump online and take a look, at longy.com.au

Events funding to showcase produce The State Government is calling for towns to ‘get creative’ and showcase locally-produced food and drinks.

Agriculture Minister Ros Spence opened the first round of grants under the $1-million Regional Activation Grants Program, inviting tourism boards, food and fibre groups, and regional bodies to apply.

“We’re empowering local producers to promote Victoria’s wonderful variety of locally-sourced food and

drinks and celebrate the unique stories behind every product,” she said.

Grants of up to $70,000 are available to host events showcasing food and beverages in the regions where they are produced.

Events might include farmers’ markets, food and beverage festivals, or collaborative tasting sessions — directly engaging communities with producers.

Businesses involved will also have

their products showcased on the Vic Grown website.

The website serves as a hub, showcasing diverse producer profiles, offering insights into the stories behind products, and helping consumers access produce.

Applications close on February 16 and can be made via agriculture.vic. gov.au/support-and-resources/fundsgrants-programs/vicgrown-regionalactivation-grants

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Stock shelter

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griculture Victoria has called on livestock owners to ensure they provide adequate shelter for livestock when severe weather is forecast in the remaining weeks of summer.

Agriculture Victoria principal veterinary officer Dr Dianne Phillips said localised severe weather has seen a higher number of deaths in vulnerable livestock in some areas of Victoria this season.

“Severe weather can include high winds, concentrated rainfall and-or hail and sudden temperature changes, which can impact livestock — even in the warmer months of summer,” she said.

Dr Phillips said vulnerable groups of livestock were those that were more prone to the effects of exposure.

She said these included recently shorn sheep, livestock with newborns or recently weaned animals, and livestock with parasitism or other underlying diseases associated with weight loss, anaemia or low protein levels.

“Farmers are encouraged to also ensure livestock is up-to-date with routine stock health management requirements, such as drenching and vaccination programs, and to conduct regular inspections, monitoring for and treatment of diseases,” Dr Phillips said.

“This will help your animals stay

95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

healthy and be able to better adapt to changing conditions.

“Cold weather increases an animal’s energy requirement to keep warm.

“As a result, when storms are forecast, additional supplementary feed before the event should be considered.”

Dr Phillips said adequate shelter included paddock shelter belts such as retained vegetation and tree plantings, sheds or other buildings where stock could seek shelter out of the wind, and undercover yards such as those at a shearing shed.

“Isolated paddock trees can provide some shelter for livestock but can also act as a conductor for lightning strikes in a thunderstorm, which, in some circumstances, can lead to sudden death of livestock sheltering underneath the tree,” she said.

More information is available at agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-andanimals/dairy/health-and-welfare/ cattle-shelter-guidelines and via agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-andanimals/sheep/health-and-welfare/ sheep-shelter-guidelines People wanting assistance with livestock losses associated with severe weather can contact their private vet, a local animal health team, or Agriculture Victoria’s customer call centre on 136 186. For emergency assistance, phone the Emergency Animal Disease hotline on 1800 675 888.

BACK IN TIME: Graeme Schilling, Ros Heinrich and Bob Schilling harvest wheat during the 1973-74 season, which wet weather impacted — similarly to the 2023-24 harvest.

Late, wet harvest memories captured After two disrupted and wet harvest years, Wimmera farmer Graeme Schilling found a photograph from harvest 50 years ago, which was also heavily impacted by rain.

Mr Schilling said it was a wet harvest north-west of Rainbow in 1973 and 1974.

He said his harvester was bogged 17 times in one paddock and harvest

finished on duck opening day in 1974, which is traditionally in March or April.

Mr Schilling said the photograph showed Bob Schilling, on a tractor with an International Harvester A84, and Ros Heinrich with a Massey Ferguson harvester helping him out.

Mr Schilling was also operating a Massey Ferguson harvester.

The three headers together formed a width of 44 feet, or 13.4 metres, and travelled at two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half miles an hour, or four to five-and-a-half kilometres an hour.

Mr Schilling said all shot grain harvested was downgraded to feed wheat and accepted by the Australian Wheat Board.

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