‘Perfect rain cloud’ has canola crop booming

A paddock of canola in central Victoria at is thriving under near perfect conditions, outshining other crops on the farms.

A single paddock of canola at Neilborough is turning heads, thriving under near-perfect rainfall and outshining other crops on the same farm.

The crop has impressed farmer Rob Mountjoy and has also emerged as a standout for the farm’s agronomist, Josh McLeod of Driscoll Ag at Bendigo.

The 44Y94 Clearfield canola was described as being under a “perfect rain cloud” in June when an extra 12mm of rain arrived.

There was also perfectly timed rainfall on Anzac Day that helped it to receive moisture after sowing.

“Rob is always diligent with his sowing timing, but this is a crop that literally got under one rain cloud, and that has made a hell of a difference compared to the rest of the farm,” Mr McLeod said.

“It just really goes on after that.”

Agronomist Josh McLeod of Driscoll Ag. Pictures: Zoe Phillips

Mr McLeod said the canola was at the full ground cover stage and in comparison, their other crops in the district, even on the same farm, were much further behind.

“There are crops at Colbinabbin that would be weeks behind, and then there are others that are only on the point of emergence,” he said.

Mr Mountjoy said he had just finished some broadleaf weed control and applied the first fungicide to his barley last week.

He said winter crops were ticking along, but that one paddock of canola was a standout.

He is growing wheat, barley, oats for hay, and canola in the winter program.

Nick Mountjoy, 14, and his Kelpie named Snoopy pictured in the canola crop.

The canola was sown on April 12, and Mr Mountjoy said the Anzac Day rainfall was certainly a boost.

Mr Mountjoy recorded 8.5mm of rain in January, 6.5mm in February, 12mm in March, and 32.5mm in April — including 31.5mm on Anzac Day. May brought just 0.5mm, followed by 52mm in June and 22mm so far for July, bringing the total to 134mm for the year to date.

And while the rainfall was welcome, and helped to boost the canola, Mr Mountjoy said overall it was patchy.

A thriving crop of canola at Neilborough.

“There were paddocks just 3km away that didn’t get a spit out of the June rain,” he said.

Despite the variance, Mr Mountjoy said he was counting himself as lucky to be in a region that had soil moisture, and crops were looking “quite good”.

He said it was a stark contrast to some parts of Victoria that were still incredibly dry.