We were shocked the soil moisture had depleted so much in August, though most farmers had 60mm rainfall.
One Blighty group member’s dry wheat Sunmaster crop at 50 per cent head emergence had better than 50 per cent soil moisture to 50cm, compared to previously having 25 per cent moisture in early August.
The 50cm to 75cm depth was no ball crumbly soil with only 25 per cent soil moisture.
This crop was a light to moderate biomass crop.
It had army worm leaf damage and was to be sprayed.
The other dryland Sunmaster wheat at 25cm to 85cm soil depth had 100 per cent soil moisture at the start of August.
Last week, at the booting awns stage, 0-35cm was crumbly ball soil with 50 per cent moisture, 35-45cm ball and ribbon had 100 per cent moisture and the 45-65cm depth was crumbly no ball with 25 per cent moisture.
This crop was a moderate to high biomass crop that had really used up the moisture.
A thick Neo end of booting awns emerging barley crop that was crumbly soil with less than 50 per cent moisture at 0-30cm, and at 30-60cm ball and ribbon had 100 per cent soil moisture in early August, had the same 0-30cm crumbly ball 50 per cent moisture but at 30-65cm there was no balling, just soil fragments and 25 per cent soil moisture.
The high biomass has sucked out most of the soil moisture.
This crop is at the start of the most sensitive moisture stress stage and needs a good 25mm ASAP.
Two watered up crops - a PY412C canola and Samira faba bean crop - were both at the key moisture sensitive flowering stage. The PY412C had been flowering for seven weeks at the time.
Both crops’ soil moisture was 100 per cent ball and ribbon to 100cm. They should not need irrigating for another 2-3 weeks.
Given the drop in soil moisture, it’s no surprise many farmers are watering wheat and canola, and probably barley, on off quota water.
The Berrigan host dryland Shotgun wheat crop with 50 per cent head emerged was also at a critical moisture stress stage.
In early August, this crop had 100 per cent soil moisture from 20-70cm, and crumbly soil 70-100cm had less than 50 per cent soil moisture.
After 63mm in August, the soil moisture was better with 0-90cm ball and ribbon at 100 per cent soil moisture and 90-95cm ball only 50 per cent soil moisture.
This crop is a low to moderate biomass crop with less soil moisture demand. It was to be sprayed for stripe rust.
We assessed the soil moisture of a high biomass, great looking Scepter crop for comparison to the south of Berrigan.
For 0-45cm it was ball only, and 45-55cm crumbly with 25 per cent soil moisture.
Beyond 55cm the soil was too loose to bring up with the auger. Again, this crop needs 25mm ASAP.
Unfortunately, we had no dryland canola crops available.
• John Lacy is an independent agriculture consultant based in Finley. His columns are based on available data and farmer feedback gathered through local discussion group events and networks.
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