Winter rain relief
Muddy boots a treat for landholders in the state’s southwest
“IT’S bloody amazing,” that’s how grain grower Peter Thompson described the rain he received on his Roma property.
Although Rural Weekly caught up with Mr Thompson over the phone, you could almost hear his smile as he spoke about the recent rainfall.
“We’ve ended up with between 32 and 38mm across the place,” he said.
“We’ve had beautiful, steady rain.” Mr Thompson uses 2000 ha of his 7500 ha property for cropping, and grows wheat, chickpeas and oats during winter. He planted his winter crops in early May. He said this rain was needed for those crops already in the ground to survive.
“We planted wheat and chickpea. That was all deep sown. We had to go anywhere from 125mm to get down to the moisture,’ he said. “The chickpea typically handles deeper sowing better, it’s had a pretty good emergence given the conditions and this rain will help bring the rest of the crop up and even the crop up.
“The wheat is very soil related. In the good soils the wheat is quite even and five to six inches high. But then there are areas that haven’t emerged yet. But this rain should bring the rest up.”
The last rain Mr Thompson received on his property was in February.
He said although this rain is late, it’s not too late.
“Those who haven’t planted have a real dilemma because we’re right at the end of the planting season,” he said.
“Anyone who has dry sown or deep planted will be celebrating.
“For anyone who hasn’t sown it will push them into July, and that’s okay. But they will have to decide whether they go for a late planted winter crop or an early planted spring crop.”
We’ve ended up with between 32 and 38mm across the place. — Peter Thompson