It’s the opposite conditions to last year where there was delayed emergence until the late May rain, good rains in June and July and lack of frosts and warmer winter that bolstered crops.
In mid-June the Blighty group 4Y94 CL canola crop, which emerged on April 26, was starting to elongate.
It had an excellent, 95 per cent biomass and the soil moisture using a metal rod was at 70cm.
Last week the main stem flower head was only 35cm high and rod moisture had fallen to 35cm.
This crop has no hope of starting flowering on the ideal date - which is today (July 27).
The start of flowering date is one flower open on the main stem of 50 per cent of plants.
The farmers said they will water as soon as the water is available.
The Berrigan group canola crops are the same.
The good news, after checking last season’s canola flowering dates, is that the start of flowering was late.
The start of flowering for most dryland and irrigated canola crops was between August 7 to 15.
Irrigated crops benefited from off -allocation water in August.
The above average June and July rains resulted in dryland and irrigated crops with good soil moisture at the start of flowering.
The great soil moisture, above average September rain, spring irrigation and cool spring temperatures resulted in record dryland and irrigated canola yields.
With the start of canola flowering imminent, and soil moisture critical at the start of flowering for dryland and irrigation, I suggest you check your soil moisture ASAP.
A spray irrigation of 20mm-25mm will be ideal.
Wheat and barley crops were less affected at Blighty.
A grazed Kittyhawk crop still had 70cm rod moisture.
A dryland two node Planet barley crop still had 50cm-70cm soil moisture, after 70cm in June.
I suggest you check the subsoil moisture of your cereal crops and water if needed in good drainage paddocks.
Hopefully August and September rainfall will be much higher than the July rainfall, and increase subsoil moisture especially for dryland crops.
Higher rainfall will reduce the potential for frosts and moisture stress at the wheat boot to early grain fill stage in late September.
Let’s hope the season turns around to match last season.
~ John Lacy is an independent agricultural consultant based in Finley.
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