Rain slows harvest in SA

Monday, November 05, 2007

Harvest is set to restart in earnest from next week in South Australia after rain brought reaping to a halt in many areas.
Earlier-sown crops are generally performing better than late-sown, which have been particularly affected by the dry finish.

Rural Solutions SA sustainable agriculture systems consultant, Chris McDonough, Loxton, said harvest had just started in the Riverland and Mallee.

"A few farmers started to take-off barley last week," he said.

"But then the rain came and put a bit of a dampener on it, so they'll be starting up again this week.

"From all reports, the barley already reapt has been below-average but looking better than expected."

Mr McDonough said crops were faring better on sandy, loam soils, rather than heavier ones, and that earlier sown crops were performing better.

"From Waikerie through to Loxton harvest is just starting up, and by the end of the week or next week should start in earnest," he said.

"Around Lameroo/Pinnaroo it's a bit later, it's probably a few weeks until it starts in earnest, but some of the pulse crops are starting to be reapt.

"Some areas from Swan Reach to Waikerie will be worse off, with lower rainfall they're going to struggle a bit.

"There will be some that will be well below 50pc of average yields, but a lot of Mallee will be between 50pc below to average."

Landmark agronomist Mick Broad, Cummins, said harvest started in the past week on the Lower Eyre Peninsula.

"There's been a few peas reapt," he said.

"Peas are yielding between 0.8 to 2 tonnes a hectare, with most about 1-1.2 t/ha.

"There's been a little bit of barley reapt but the weather has slowed everyone up."

Mr Broad said most barley crops were looking to be about 2t/ha, or better.

"I'd suggest disease has porbably been at an all-time low this year," he said.

Minnipa Agriculture Centre senior extension agronomist Neil Cordon said harvest started on the upper EP more than a fortnight ago.

"While there are not a lot of pulses or alternate crops grown on upper EP, for anyone who has pulse crops, generally most of that harvest has been completed," he said.

Barley was also nearing completion.

"I'd say we're about a third of the way through harvest," Mr Cordon said.

SOURCE: Extract from Stock Journal, SA, November 1 issue.