Jordan Mulholland and family hoping for high yields at Timmering

Northern Victorian irrigators are happy with the harvest outlook, as some estimate wheat yields of 8 tonnes per hectare.

Irrigated crops near Echuca are set to exceed expectations when headers enter the paddocks in a few weeks.

Jordan Mulholland, his dad Lindsay, and brother Blake farm at Timmering and grow wheat, canola, vetch, and clover.

Around 80 per cent of their exclusively cropping operation is under flood irrigation, and they are expecting some handy yields.

Jordan said the crop of Calibre wheat was set to yield well when harvested in a couple of weeks.

“It is starting to lodge a little bit on the headlands, but we think it will do well,” he said.

“It’s an Australian standard hard wheat, and it’s going along well after a double break in the season and plenty of water.”

Jordan estimated the wheat would yield 8 tonnes/ha.

Jordan Mulholland at Timmering pictured with his irrigated wheat crop. Picture: Zoe Phillips

After unseasonably wet conditions in October last year, he said farmers in his area were looking for a better outcome in 2023.

He said some of the paddocks had been washed out by heavy rainfall last year.

Meanwhile, irrigated clover, which would ultimately be cut for silage, was performing well, too.

Irrigated crops are shaping up well at Timmering this season. Picture: Zoe Phillips

“The second cut of our Persian clover is coming up this week,” he said.

“In all, we are pretty happy with how things are going for us,” he said.

Jordan said he had already completed around 30ha of contract harvesting in the region, and it was promising to see how well the crops were doing.

The dryland canola on his property had already been windrowed, and Jordan was expecting to begin harvesting it this week. The canola was estimated to yield 2.5tonnes/ha to 2.7tonnes/ha.

“The canola is looking good after a failed crop from being too wet last year,” he said.

Plenty of stored nitrogen was in the soil to help boost yields.