Harvest is all wrapped up. We finished about 8 December, which is very early for us. No wet weather (as I write in early January, it is 410C here today) and we have had very little rain since the middle of July (about 75mm total, of which only 30mm was effective). This meant that crops came in earlier than expected but yields were also down on the past two years.

Our canola averaged 1.6t/ha; wheat 2.5t/ha (very disappointed, but we are not alone in that regard); and barley 3.7t/ha. We were very wet leading into planting and up to the middle of July, when we were on the verge of water-logging and then the rainfall tap turned off, as often happens in Australia.

It was interesting to look at our yield maps after harvest when we realised that our best performing land was our lighter sandy ridges. However, in most years, these are the poorer yielding areas of our farm. The only explanation I can offer for this is that perhaps these crops didn’t get as badly affected by the water-logging as other parts of the farm.

Wheat production

Australia is estimated to grow about 22 million tonnes of wheat this 2012/13 harvest. I don’t think that will be far off, perhaps just a fraction under. There was a lot of canola planted this year and good prices have meant that this has been the money crop for farmers. But there was significant frosting damage in canola, wheat and barley this year and also in portions of New South Wales. I think we had something like 60 frosts over winter and big ones down to -40C.

New Xerion

We purchased the Claas Xerion that I talked to you about last year and the picture above shows the windrowing configuration that we set up on it.

We reversed the cab, purchased a 41ft twin discharge three-point-linkage front windrower and then made a frame for a 4,000L tank, which we mounted on the front three-point-linkage, and then plumbed a spray-line on the windrower to kill the canola as we windrow it.

This desiccation spray also killed any late weeds that may have escaped our post-emergent weed control (especially ryegrass).

We had a few teething issues with the windrower but, on the whole, we are very happy with the results. I imagine a lot of your rape is desiccated and then direct cut and that may be the path we will end up going down. But given the heat and the storms that we can get here, this is a safer option.

Hot dry Summer forecast

They are forecasting a very hot and dry summer this year for the east coast of Australia. Very little rainfall in spring and summer has meant that there has been very little sorghum and cotton planted on potentially dry land (although the full area has gone in where irrigation will be used).

If it stays dry, our moisture profiles will be very short come planting, which may or may not be the beginning of a proper drought and the challenges that that entails.

Wheat being questioned

It seems that the South Americans are set to churn out a lot of soybeans this year but, given the still burdensome native stock levels, I still think canola will be a big part of the rotation for us in 2013.

Wheat has been very disappointing and I am really questioning its worth. We simply aren’t making the genetic advances in wheat compared with corn, soyabeans and especially canola in Australia.

The northern hemisphere is simply a lot more efficient at producing big wheat yields.

If it stays dry for 2013 planting, I will plant a lot more barley and maybe fallow more land for sorghum. We have 70ha of that crop in this year that it has received about 7mm of rain since planting, so is under some stress. However, it appears to be standing up to the heat reasonably well. It will be an interesting trial this year!