Crops booming: Serpentine crops on track for bumper harvest

Crops have been set up for a bumper harvest at Serpentine. Here’s how the season has played out.

Looking good: Cameron Krahe in Scepter wheat at Serpentine where they have had good rainfall this year, with 350mm for the season so far. Picture: ZOE PHILLIPS

IDEAL  rain at a Serpentine property should set up crops for a bumper harvest this season.

Cameron “Ron’’ Krahe, who works at a 1200ha grain growing property in Serpentine, said crops could finish with the rain they have received through the season, which has been a downpour of 350mm for the year.

“Sowing was exceptional, it was wet and crops had good germination and pre-emergent herbicides worked well,” he said.

“Winter was dry so we didn’t have many pests and diseases and it limited insects.”

Mr Krahe said spring was average for crops.

“Things have been set up well, with wheat, barley and canola looking good,” Mr Krahe said.

Rain for the season reached about decile five for the year, he said.

“Last year was decile three, and we still had good crops,” Mr Krahe said.

For barley crops, Mr Krahe hopes the grain will reach about five to six tonnes a hectare, and expects wheat to hit about five tonnes a hectare.

“Our hybrid canola should get about 2½ to three tonnes a hectare,” he said.

“Crops could finish with the rain that they have got, I don’t think they will run out of moisture.”

However, oats “don’t want any more rain at all”, Mr Krahe said.

And natural disasters would now be the only thing to potentially knock back yield prospects.

Wheelhouse Group agronomist at Bridgewater Andrew Bissett said yields around the area should be above average this year.

“Crops look good, they had a wet start from summer to April,” Mr Bissett said.

“Crops got about 150mm of rain in April which held sowing up a bit, but most growers could continue.”

Mr Bissett said growers had a dry winter, but subsoil moisture kept them going. And for spring, crops have been doused with consistent rain.

“About 40mm fell on crops in September and rain is on track for October,” he said.

“Wheat, barley and oats are looking really good – and canola is still looking like it can get there too.”

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