A RECORD 1.6 million hectares of barley is tipped to be planted in WA this season, as market and seasonal conditions prompt growers to replace canola with the well-priced cereal crop.
According to the latest crop report from the Grain Industry Association of WA (GIWA), barley plantings across the grainbelt have risen 5.2 per cent since last month’s estimates, while the area sown to canola has dropped 9.2pc.
The report found the lack of early rain played a significant role in this change, along with gusty conditions in recent weeks which led growers to re-sow wind damaged paddocks.
“Canola is forecast to be down 300,000 hectares from 2017 due to the lack of early rains to ensure a long enough growing season to return a profit,” the report said.
The State’s total crop area estimates have seen a minor reduction of 0.2pc since last month to 8.2m hectares, with most growers wrapping up their seeding programs over the past week. According to the report, it has been a good start to the season for those in Geraldton, west Kwinana, east Kwinana and west Albany port zones, after good general falls over the past few weeks.
These zones are seeing crops out of the ground, which comes as a welcome sight for the several growers who delivered little or no grain last year.
In the Geraldton zone germination has been “good to excellent” across the majority of the region, thanks to several healthy rain events.Hectares planted to lupins have seen a major jump on last year’s area with 180,000ha sown in the zone this year, while barley plantings have also seen a significant increase.
It’s a similar story in the Kwinana zone, where the Midlands region has experienced one of the best breaks to the season in many years.
According to the report, growers west of Dalwallinu received between 25-70 millimetres of rain from late May to a week and a half ago.
Although some areas have reported some wash and wind damage, this has been mostly confined to unanchored stubbles. Paddocks are also looking green in western parts of the Kwinana zone, and while in the eastern parts rainfall has been lower, enough has fallen to trigger crop emergence.
GIWA predicts those who experienced good summer rain and benefitted from subsequent sub-soil moisture in the region are well set up for an average year at the least.
Western parts of the Albany zone are also prepared for a promising season, with most in the region recording between 50-70mm in the past fortnight.
However growers in south eastern parts of the grainbelt have not fared so well, with more rain needed in southern Albany and Esperance zones and the Lakes Region, where rain has been “low to nil” in the past month.
According to the GIWA report growers in the southern Albany zone have suffered a “perfect storm” and remain apprehensive about the season ahead.
“The combination of decaying root systems from rain over harvest, the lack of summer rain for sheep feed, together with increased stock numbers resulting in less standing stubble and unprecedented severe repeat wind events without any significant rainfall, has resulted in buried or wind-blasted emerging seedlings over most of the region,” the report said.
GIWA estimates a quarter of the crop area is yet to be sown in the region, which will result in reduced canola plantings that will be switched for cereals.
Meantime in the Lakes region, few farmers have received more than 12mm since the start of May, resulting in little germination.
“For most growers it’s ‘sit and wait’ for more rain before any weed control or fertilising is carried out,” the report said.
Esperance has also suffered from considerable wind damage and dryness, with several growers forced to re-sow paddocks. The majority of paddocks have been damaged by wind blow, with the worst areas being re-sown to barley, leading to an estimated drop in canola plantings by 15pc.
Subject to rains over the next month the total area to pulse crops is expected to increase.
