A CROP doesn’t grow on luck, but on good management, according to Paul Parker, the judge of the 2018 Suncorp Bank/Agricultural Societies Council Dryland Field Wheat competition.
He was speaking after assessing a crop of Lancer wheat at Trundle which had won the local show competition to become a finalist in the state’s Western Region judging on Tuesday.
The paddock of 240 hectares was one of several totalling 1000ha of Scott Goodsell and family’s 6000ha winter crop rotations at Kybah, in the Numalla district this year.
The wheat was sown on April 28 after 50 millimetres of rain on April 20 and part of a six-year continual cropping rotation following lupins last year, wheat before that and canola three years before.
Seed sowing rates were at 50kg/ha with 70kg/ha of Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) in 30 centimetre spacings following a herbicide spray of treflan, avadex, ester-roundup mix.
More rain of 21mm fell on June 27.
Mr Parker said the crop was “just incredible” for the year and had been fortunate to get a rain at the right time.
“But I always maintain that you don’t grow a crop on luck. You grow a crop on good management and if you happen to get a fall of rain at the right time, it will enhance your management.
“So this is excellent management.”
As far as trueness-to-type and purity, Mr Parker said the crop was very even.
“When you look across it you’ll see an odd tall plant, which is due to the semi-dwarf gene. You see more in a good year but in a tighter season there are less.”
Disease-wise, he said there was quite a bit of crown rot, but it would not have a major impact on yield.
“But I see there’s still quite a bit of wheat stubble from two years ago and an emerging seedling only has to make contact with diseased stubble to transfer the disease. Crown rot is a disease of dry years.
Mr Goodsell said he hoped for a 2.5 tonne/ha yield.
The competition judging began last week in the Northern Region with four crops and continued this week with nine crops covering the Western Region from Trundle south to Lockhart
On Tuesday and Wednesday November 6-7, the judging team will cover the Central Region from Cowra, Wellington to Tamworth, then the Southern Region taking in Harden, Young, Wallendbeen, Henty and The Rock on November 13-14.
