THE season has been kind so far to Kendall and Kate Dowley, Tabulam Park, who have experienced just the right amount of moisture to kick along their crop of Desi Hattrick chickpeas.
With 105 hectares planted in deep alluvial soil along the banks of the Upper Clarence the cereal and pulse producers are concentrating on keeping asochyta blight and botrytis grey mould under control.
Excellent planting rain in early June provided a good start to the crop, with 98 per cent germination and minor falls of 20 to 30 millimetres have come at the right time.
If all goes to plan they expect 3t/ha up from last year’s 2.5t/ha when 140mm of rain fell between leaf fall and harvest. To separate 2pc grey-moulded peas they bought a colour sorter which paid for itself before harvest was complete.