Barley paddocks in the Mallee sown into lentil stubble at left and canola stubble at right are among the few Mallee crops up and away as growers wait for more rain to consolidate the break. Photo: Matt Witney, Dodghun Medlin

GROWERS in South Australia and Victoria are turning their attention to a front due over the weekend which is forecast to bring the rain they are counting on to get this year’s crop started.

In the most encouraging forecast seen in recent months, the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting 10-50mm of rain for all of southern Australia’s cropping regions.

This would be enough to germinate dry-sown crops ahead of the winter solstice on June 21, and growers and agronomists are hopeful a kind spring follows to ensure at least average cereal, pulse, and canola yields.

In SA, higher registrations in the week to 9am today including: Bordertown 18mm; Clare 15mm; Farrell Flat 23mm; Lucindale 17mm; Maitland 10mm; Millicent 21mm; Paskeville 11mm; Pinnaroo 10mm, and Tailem Bend 15mm.

Most of the Eyre Peninsula and Upper North got 5mm or less, and the Murray-Mallee got 10mm or less.

While the rain was greatly appreciated where it fell, Platinum Ag Clare-based agronomist Phil Holmes said most Mid North paddocks will need more to spark germination.

“There might be two paddocks up between Gawler and Jamestown,” Mr Holmes said.

In SA, the lack of fodder for the state as a whole remains its most pressing issue.

With this in mind when dry seeding occurred over recent weeks, Mr Holmes said growers who generally produce a significant amount of hay had already swung more area than normal into fodder.

“Hay is usually a cash crop around here anyway, and there has been a reasonable swing towards hay this year.”

If frost impacts the yield potential or quality outlook for crops, Mr Holmes said further area could be cut for hay.

He said average yield potential for the region’s crops could be expected only if the break came soon, and if the season was entirely favourable from here on in.

In Victoria, AGRIvision Consultants agronomist Craig Muir said the Mallee generally got very little rain out of the latest front.

BoM registrations for the week point to Sea Lake on 8mm and Murrayville on 7mm topping the figures, with the Wimmera faring about the same, but in more places.

“We’re hoping the end of this week might bring us something,” Mr Muir said, adding that most Vic growers have finished sowing, and can do nothing more but wait for the next rain to add water.

“We’d take anything, but 10mm would be the bare minimum we need; it would be nice to have 30, 40 or 50mm over a week.”

The brightest spot in the Mallee is around Tooleybuc on the Murray River, which jagged some rain from the north in autumn.

“At the moment, the majority of the crop is 10 percent of its normal establishment, but outside that band down the Murray, we need a good break.”

“We rely on five or six rainfall events in the growing season, and at the moment, the clock’s ticking;  for the most part, we haven’t seen the first one. “

“If we were to pull an average crop, we’d be happy with that, and there are spots where we can get above-average yields if things go right.”

Mr Muir said cereals have the option to become hay if they have a low yield potential, and if ryegrass proves hard to control in crop, a likely event in the many paddocks which missed an autumn rain to germinate weeds and allow them to be sprayed out ahead of planting.

As with SA, Mr Muir said the chronic shortage of fodder was front of mind, even for those without livestock.

“If anyone in cropping regions has paddocks with potentially enough bulk, and a ryegrass weed issue, they’ll cut for hay.

“If the hay price is good, it’s going to make it an easier decision.”

In southern and central New South Wales, growers are cautiously optimistic about the season consolidating, with patchy rain in recent days buoying that outlook.

NSW registrations in the week to today included: Condobolin 15mm; Lake Cargelligo 11mm; Temora 9mm; West Wyalong 14mm; and Young 20mm.