THE tell-tale signs of an “average at best” season are everywhere on the Dempster farm between Northam and Goomalling.
Despite having received less than 50 millimetres of rain since April, brothers Daniel and Robert Dempster were happy to discuss activities and are trying to make the most of the season.
“It’s been the worst season of my career,” Robert said.
“The lack of rain has really highlighted the variations in soil types and cropping rates.
Last year the Dempsters put 70 per cent of their arable land in crop, with 30pc pasture for livestock.
“This year it’s 50:50,” he said.
This year they have planted wheat, canola, barley and lupins.
“The canola crop is patchy, with staggered germination and the pastures are poor,” Robert said.
“It is going to be an average at best season.”
Daniel said the “coarser textured soils had so far performed better than the finer textured clays due to their lower water holding capacity, allowing a greater proportion of fallen rain available for crops”.
They sowed their oats and vetch crops dry in April.
The Dempsters run 3200 sheep on 4000 hectares of arable land, with 1700 mated to Merino and 1500 to Poll Dorset.
Daniel said his target lambing percentage was 130pc.
“This year between the two farms – Karabein and Adair – with ewes mated to Poll Dorsets, one block averaged 115pc and the other 97pc, with an overall average of 107pc,” he said.
“The higher percentage block lambed at a far lower density.”
Daniel said last year their average wool price was $11.60 per greasy kilogram sweep, including all the pieces.
“Our crossbred lambs averaged $101 per head, with 95pc sold as suckers in September and October,” he said.
“Our Merino wether lambs sold for a $114 average per head, plus $43 each for wool.
“Cull and dry ewes, or mutton, averaged $103 per head.
“The difference in price between our Merino and crossbred lambs was largely due to timing, as spring sales generally have lower price per kilogram carcase weight than autumn sales.”
The Dempster family includes CBH deputy chairman Vern and Amanda on the stud farm Karabein, near Northam, as well as Robert and Jade and Daniel and Emily and their children on the Adair property near Goomalling.
They work together, each having an area to focus on, but usually the roles overlap.
Also on farm the Grains Research and Development Council (GRDC) has funded a soil amelioration trial to assess different soil renovation strategies for their ability to alter crop establishment and ultimately yield.
The GRDC website has a soil amelioration section which explains that “sandplain soils of WA are typically affected by numerous constraints including water repellency, subsoil acidity, subsoil compaction and poor water and nutrient holding capacity”.
“Research conducted in the 1970s and 80s demonstrated that on deep sands and sandy earths in WA, wheat roots could extract water from depths ranging from 1.4 to 2.5 metres,” according to the website.
“The capacity for roots to extract water and nitrogen from such depths is critical on these soil types, which typically have relatively low water holding capacity, and the use of deeper subsoil moisture is critical for grain filling and overall water use.
“Sandplain soil constraints can dramatically reduce the final rooting depth and the effective density of roots in the subsoil.
“Soil amelioration techniques that overcome multiple soil constraints can result in large increases in productivity.
“Soil amelioration approaches typically involve either the strategic application of soil amendments, such as lime, dolomite, gypsum, organic matter or clay-rich subsoil, or the use of deep tillage or, often, a combination of the two.”
At the time of Farm Weekly going to press Daniel said they had received 15mm on the wekened and said it was really going to help things keep going.
