It's almost crunch time for winter crops in parts of southern NSW with growers considering cutting for hay or silage if significant rain doesn't fall in the next week or two.
Rob Wettenhall farms at Deniliquin and has around 300 hectares of barley in this year.
He said strong winds over the past week had not helped crops that were already struggling to find moisture.
"For our area the next couple of weeks are critical," Mr Wettenhall said.
"The last week we've had lots of wind so moisture from recent rain has disappeared. It's been blowing a gale and it's really hurting the crops."
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Mr Wettenhall explained while usually he could look to irrigation to fill the gap, this year a zero per cent allocation and the temporary water selling for more than $600/megalitre meant that wasn't an option.
"Because we were on zero per cent (general security allocation) last year as well, the price and the availability has caught up to my business," Mr Wettenhall said.
"I don't have much carry over water and I don't think the current water price can justify saving a four tonne (a hectare) crop."
Mr Wettenhall 's agronomist, Adam Dellwo, of Elders Deniliquin, agreed there were two weeks before most growers in his region would need to make some serious decisions.
He said most crops in the region had been able to establish enough biomass to make hay or silage a good Plan B.
"We had a terrific autumn break and a mild winter so I would estimate our crops are up to two weeks earlier than what they would usually be.That creates a frost risk, but it has also allowed us to get a lot of bulk into our crops," Mr Dellwo said.
"We've got crops just starting to push heads out now."
GRDC northern region panel member, Roger Bolte West Wyalong, said that region was also getting to the pointy end of having to make decisions.
"Crops with reasonable biomass but no access to soil moisture, they'll be questions as to where they go," Mr Bolte said.
"Hay prices are historically very high, so there's a ready market.
"If you can get a tonne to the acre of hay you might be a long way better off then getting half a tonne to the acre of grain."
He said he believed the hay market would hold on because there were few crops north of Parkes this season, but acknowledged the operation itself was costly.
"There's only old season hay at the moment and there's virtually none of it around," Mr Bolte said.
"Obviously hay is not as easy and it's an expensive operation for most people (i.e. contractor costs)."
"It's going to come down to biomass, they'll be a number of crops that won't generate enough biomass to make it viable to run to hay."
Brent Morton farms at West Wyalong and said he planted the majority of his 600 hectares of wheat and 400 hectares of barley in early May.
He said the relatively late sowing time meant his crops hadn't had the time to produce enough biomass to cut for hay, however, they could survive for a little longer without a drink.
"My later ones are not as bulky but that's helping them hold on as well, some people went early and grew a lot of bulk but the crops are really starting to hit the wall," Mr Morton said.
"The crops that look alright I'll try and hold onto to for grain but we will need rain in the next 10 days to save them."
