THE lack of autumn rain has done little to deter farmers who continue to dry sow.
And at the first sign of crops starting to emerge, farmers remain hopeful of a late autumn break.
The Bureau of Meteorology had predicted a drier-than-average autumn, Swan Hill having recorded only 39.2mm of rain since March.
Fourth-generation farmer Trav McGarry and son Rylee, of Nyarrin Ridge, will finish sowing in the coming days.
They’ve planted 2900 hectares of crop, including barley, wheat, peas and lentils, at their property north-west of Sea Lake.
“It’s dry everywhere at the moment,” Mr McGarry said.
“We’ve had 94mm of rain up until now and 54mm of that was in January.
“I’m still hopeful of a late autumn break but it’s taking a little bit to get here.”
Mr McGarry said there was still good sub-soil moisture down low and some surface moisture on top, but a decent rainfall was needed to ensure the two profiles could meet.
“Last year was the best year we’ve ever had across the board,” he said.
“Big rains from the previous year provided a good moisture portfolio.
“While the moisture is still there, it will take a lot more rain for it to be as good as last year.”
Mr McGarry said one of the major challenges for farmers this year was the thick stubble residue left on paddocks following two consecutive good harvests.
“It’s been a bit of a challenge getting through the thicker, heavier stubble,” he said.
“We did a little bit of burning this year where the stubble was too thick.
“It’s not something we usually do.”
Mr McGarry said it was business as usual for most Mallee farmers who were working around the clock to get their crop in the ground.
“We just keep the wheels turning and get over it, get the crop in and hope for rain,” he said.
“Once you make a decision you don’t second-guess it.
“There’s no looking back – you just have to make everything else work around it.”
