A FRENZY of soybean planting across the north east of NSW is under way this week as growers take advantage of Christmas-New Year rain to fill every inch of available country with a crop promising optimistic prices.
Soybeans already in the ground are looking superb, courtesy of the timely falls, with industry leaders saying the season is shaping up to be the best in five years, although it is early days.
The only negative has been in the Tweed where close to 300 millimetres of torrential rain fell in one hit on the weekend between Christmas and the New Year leaving some soybean and cane paddocks under water for four days.
High temperatures afterwards exacerbated the damage, forcing significant areas of soybean replanting.
Some paddocks were still being drained this week.
Young cane crops in the Tweed were showing signs of stress but for the advanced cane it was beneficial rain, as was the case for cane crops throughout the North Coast.
By the end of the week 95 per cent of about 14,000 hectares of soybeans were expected to be in the ground from Kempsey to the Queensland border, the nation's biggest soybean production region.
With forward contracts for edible beans this week on offer at $700 a tonne, delivered to Darling Downs, Queensland, and crushing beans $600/t, up $50 to $100 on this time last year and already above start-of-season forecasts, the incentive for growing the oilseed is strong.
Agronomist Domonic Hogg, BGA Agriservices at Casino, said the rain was timely for soybeans planted mid to late December that where out of the ground and able to jump away quickly.
The dry spring meant planting was pushed back a month from the typical mid-November start which will mean smaller areas of the early varieties.
Cooler soil temperatures after storms also hindered emergence but when the rain came crops were able to use all of the moisture.
"It puts us well in front of where we were this time last year and means soybeans are off to a great start," Mr Hogg said.
Agronomists and seed suppliers said it was unlikely any extra areas would be planted but it meant everybody had been able to sow what they needed to and that was a terrific position to be in at the end of the first week in January.
Growers reported grub pressure had so far been minimal.
In other North Coast summer crops and pastures, African black beetle is posing some issues with a handful of entire paddocks of millet lost.
Mr Hogg said growers should closely monitor pasture crops such as millet and sorghum, and also corn crops.
"Check for chewing around the base of plants and talk to agronomists about how to treat," he said.
Planting prospects looking up at Yorklea
A RUN of difficult seasons, mostly featuring prolonged wet weather but also excessive dry last year, has meant Northern Rivers grain and oilseed growers Paul and Nicole Fleming are well overdue for a year of above-average yields.
Early prospects, both crop and price-wise, are looking very favourable for this summer's soybeans.
The Flemings have 60ha of Moonbi soybeans for the culinary and seed markets under production at "Carrill", Yorklea, near Casino.
They went in on December 16 on a full moisture profile following storms, four weeks later than ideal, planted on pre-formed beds that were renovated after corn was harvested in August.
A phosphorus and potassium blend was broadcast at 125 kilograms a hectare before bed renovation and the soybeans were direct drilled with 40kg/ha of single super.
A pre-emergent herbicide was banded during planting to prevent weeds in the rows and later in January a weed control with a shielded sprayer will be done.
Mr Fleming has a further 100ha under soybeans on other properties, grown in partnerships, plus some corn.
He hopes for a 3t/ha average at "Carrill".
Shan Goodwin
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
