Southern crops appear to be thriving but still need rain

Southern NSW and Victorian crops are thriving. But there is still frost risk and many growers need more rain.

Cropping farmers are now looking to the sky for spring rain to finish off crops throughout Victoria and southern NSW.

Elders Bendigo agronomist Josh McLeod said crops generally looked good in his area and had benefited from rainfall in June and July.

“There is still good stored soil moisture, but crops are now looking for spring rain to get through flowering and into the grain-fill stage, hopefully avoiding frosts,” he said.

Going into seeding this year most growers expectation was for an average result.

“So if we can achieve that, then most growers will be pleased,” he said.

Craig Henderson on his property at Berriwillock in Victoria. Picture: David Geraghty

Victorian Farmers Federation grains council president Craig Henderson said crops in his region near Warracknabeal would be looking for an inch or 25mm of rain in the next month.

He said soil moisture was still good, but there was also the concern of late-season frosts.

On the flip side, the warmer weather this week also brought the threat of hot, windy conditions, which were damaging to crops, too.

“We don’t need the rain yet, but we will; I can see the (soil) moisture probes are starting to draw from half of a metre down to three-quarters of a metre down,” he said.

“There’s still quite a bit of soil moisture, and a late top-up rain would help with recent urea applications, too,” he said.

Due to the challenges in sourcing urea this season, there have been late applications.

Mr Henderson said some of these farmers had yet to receive rain since applying urea.

To the north, daytime temperatures increased in the Riverina and southern NSW were well above 20 degrees this week.