Zoning in on wheat’s winners

Northern regional zone judging starts next Monday, October 27, in the Narrabri district and will head north to Moree then south as far

as Nyngan and Narromine by Wednesday.

Competition co-ordinator Tom Dwyer, Forbes, said because crops had ripened quicker in the north, the judging team would start from the top this year.

“The State is divided into four zones and we expect to be working through the Western region from November 10 to 12 which takes in an area from Tullamore to Berrigan,” Mr Dwyer said.

Judging would then move to the Central region for three days from November 17 followed by southern zone on November 25 and 26.

The competition is sponsored by Suncorp Bank, The Land, Hutcheon and Pearce John Deere and the Agricultural Societies Council.

Crops will again be judged by former Department of Primary Industries district agronomist Paul Parker, based at Young, whose keen eye doesn’t miss much in a crop or in the paddock, according to Mr Dwyer.

“Paul is a very astute judge and commendable agronomist – his judgements get right down to the nitty-gritty of farming methods and techniques,” Mr Dwyer said.

At least four crops which have won local show society competitions in each region are included in the judging.

“As well, we have a durum wheat competition which is also keenly contested,” Mr Dwyer said.

In the field wheat section last year, a Gregory crop sown into long fallow paddocks and yielding close to 7t/ha won the State contest for the Browning Family Trust’s Narramine Station, Narromine, after topping

the Northern regional zone.

The Riordan family’s crop of Caparoi variety grown at “Durante”, Piallaway, near Gunnedah, took out the durum wheat competition while the durum grain test section was won with a crop of Jandaroi grown by the Bowler family’s Wheatacres Partnership, “Kemendine”, Bithramere, in the Duri district.

Western zone field wheat winners were Scott and Marney McKenzie, “Inverary”, Hillston, with a crop of Bolac variety while the Wright family of “Rockley”, Morongla, near Cowra, took out the Central region final.

Southern region winners were Tony and Vicki Lehmann, “Hillside”, Illabo, near Junee, with a crop of Wedgetail that was estimated to yield some 5.4t/ha.

While crop entries were still being received in some regions, Mr Dwyer said he thought numbers would remain high this year.

“It was a good autumn and winter; I realise spring heat and winds may be doing some hampering during finishing time, but I’m expecting similar entries as last year which resulted in 450 entries from 45 show societies.”