Liverpool Plains Update 14th November 2005

This is wheat on the Breeza Plain about 5k's east of Curlewis, it was planted early and looks to be suffering badly from stripe rust which has capped yield potential to around 1.8t/ha, grain size is also compromised in the third grain.


Sorghum planting commenced in the first week of November and has progressed rapidly over the last five days. Planting would be around 80% complete on the Liverpool Plains. This is the most advanced sorghum seen across the Breeza Plain, most crops are still around the three leaf stage having only emerged in the last seven day.


This is Lang wheat just south of Spring Ridge, it appears to have some kind of fusarium in it, as had a number of crops examined today, the crown does not appear to be showing signs of crown rot, so you may assume some other fusarium is present, but without testing you cant be sure. Yields look capped at around 2.7t/ha on double cropped country such as this.


Another picture of the head disease, not unlike the fusarium outbreak in 1999.
No black spot is evident on any of the rubbed samples today, surprising given the wet October, possibly the late plant saved a black tip year.


This is some of the earliest barley to be harvested in the Spring Ridge area, the grain size looks good, but the protein maybe high given the golden colour.


Yields on the early plant will be a little lower than the late plant, this crop looks likely to produce around 3.95t/ha


More barley accross the bottom of the Liverpool Plains, around 40k's west of Willow Tree. This area will yield significantly better than the bulk of the plains, some crops viewed today would yield in excess of 6.4t/ha, in this area.


This Gardiner barley, 20k's NW of Spring Ridge is about to be harvested, to date the early barley harvested in this area is expected to malt.
Yields are not great, about 3.95t/ha would pull them up in most cases.


Twenty Kilometres south of Spring Ridge around the Pine Ridge area barley crops are looking very good and starting to turn, harvest is still expected to be the last week of November start, with the bulk of the crop comming off in the first two weeks of December.


This Barley is also close to Pine Ridge, cut worms were sprayed across a lot of the plain over the last week, minimal damage is evident in the crop but some worms are still present and will need to be watched closley to ensure no damage is done.


Yields in the Pine Ridge area look good and averages in excess of 5.4t/ha are likely.


More barley in the Pine Ridge area. This area is often where the bulk of the malt barley off the plains is harvested. The soft finish to date should ensure this trend continues.



Barley on the Breeza Plain, east of Gunnedah is going to out yield the wheat by at least double this year, stripe rust has capped wheat yields. The lack of leaf to fill from is also likely to result in screening problems in some crops.



Net Blotch is evident in almost all late barley crops, some have been sprayed with fungicide to prevent losses. Producers expect to see an increase in small grain as the seed pinches due to a lack of leaf to fill from, in untreated crops.The smudge in this pic is a fly near the lens, around 30% of my pics today were discarded due to flies on the lens.


Arrivato durum is making up a large portion of the durum crop south of Spring Ridge, yields have been up to 25% better than other commercial lines. Arrivato is expected to be dropped in 2008. The black whiskers make it easily identified.



From a distance the Arrivato almost looks like its been weather damaged, a closer look shows the black whiskers are the reason for the off colour tinge.