The Hamilton family at Moora scratched in some Maximus barley last week and planned to make a slow and steady start on its lupin and canola programs this week.
Jim Hamilton, his wife Davina and parents Neville and Lyn will sow a total 2400 hectares of crop this season, comprising of 1000ha of Calibre and Zen wheat; 750ha of Raptor TruFlex (TF) and Trophy TT canola; 300ha of Maximus barley; 150ha of Jurien lupins; and 200ha of oats for hay.
Jim Hamilton said it was dry and their clay soils were as hard as concrete.
The Hamilton property has received only 17 millimetres of rain since the end of last season, with 5mm falling in February and 12mm recorded in the gauge in March.
"It is a pretty similar start to the season as we had last year, when we got 15mm at the start of April and were late to get underway with seeding," Mr Hamilton said.
"We didn't start planting until May 1, when typically we would go a week before that.
"Then the growing season rain was well below average.
"We got about 180mm for the year and the 10-year average is 380mm.
"In the past five years, we have had two really wet growing seasons and three really dry.
"Surprisingly, the grain quality in 2023 was OK, even though yields were down on the long-term average."
Mr Hamilton said it was nerve-wracking that there was no rain forecast for at least the next 16 days.
He said they needed to get going getting the crop in the ground, but would take it nice and slowly.
"We will tick along with lupins on lighter country and canola on lighter gravel/sands," he said.
"We will be able to seed into the clay but it will use more fuel and be hard on the points."
The Hamiltons are using an 18-metre Equalizer seeder bar with a Simplicity three-way tank that can handle liquid.
Flexi-N is being banded at a high rate and a compound fertiliser is going in with the seed.
"We are now just waiting for rain and we can only watch and see what happens," Mr Hamilton said.
"We have been considered a fairly reliable rainfall region historically, but the past five years have been highly variable.
"Last year was the driest year in 20 years."
