WHILE the Macquarie Valley canola harvest has been labelled as a standout, wheat on the other hand has been a mixed bag.
That's how Muldoon Patten Ag Consulting co-director Campbell Muldoon, Narromine, has called the 2020 winter crop harvest.
"Canola has been a stand-out crop this year with the best average yield we've ever had in this valley," he said.
"I've had reports of averages more than three tonne per hectare and the odd crop yield of 4t/ha which we have never seen before as far as I know."
However, Mr Muldoon said the wheat harvest, which looked most promising, had ended as a mixed bag.
"There's been some outstanding results with yields up to 7t/ha, however I'm hearing averages of between 3.5t/ha to 4t/ha being more the norm," he said.
Frost, particularly towards the end of September, lodging from storms and lack of good September rain to finish off, are three reasons for some disappointment, according to Mr Muldoon.
Out Nyngan way Stuart and Sue Barclay's harvest at Kilbirnie is close to 90 per cent finished and a quick calculation of his Flanker wheat crop suggests yields between 3.6t/ha up to a high of 7t/ha-plus.
One paddock won the local wheat show competition and became a zone finalist in the Agricultural Societies Council/Suncorp Bank dryland field wheat competition which is currently being judged.
"We've had mostly APH1 gradings although one paddock which was under-sown to lucerne, so had less fertiliser, has gone H2," Mr Barclay said.
Another zone finalist crop of 140ha Lancer wheat of Andrew Campbell, Beanbah, Coonamble, won the Coonamble Show Society competition with a 5.8t/ha estimated yield.
The Watson family grew 4500ha of wheat and 2000ha of chickpeas this season and estimates their wheat yield average at between 4.5t/ha to 4.8t/ha.
Wheat crop yields in the Condobolin district have also been good, averaging around the 3t/ha mark.