WET autumn and winter conditions have forced growers in the state's North West to reconsider their spraying and fertiliser options.
Many have turned to aerial sprayers to apply fertiliser because their paddocks have been to wet to enter.
Middlebrook Air Operations manager Dave Maslen said his team's services had been in high demand in recent weeks.
"It's certainly been too wet for a lot of people to get their rigs out so we have been very busy," Mr Maslen told The Land.
"That's because we have just been getting regular rainfall and colder days, so things haven't had much of a chance to dry out.
"I think it's going to be an ongoing thing for sure."
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Based on the Breeza Plains and servicing the Tamworth and Gunnedah regions, Mr Maslen said the regular rainfall had caused growers to consider their application options for urea, spraying and other fertilisers.
"We just really look after our area, but I think it's a pretty well widespread issue," he said.
"The low-lying country on the plains here is particularly wet and while it's not nearly as bad on the slopes, I think it's consistently wet right across the region.
"I know it's not an isolated problem either because from what I've heard growers right across the state are going through the same thing."
The busy winter period comes off the back of a busy summer for pilots, which was dominated by dropping bait to combat the state's mouse plague.
"We were quite busy with mouse baiting but I think the cold weather has certainly slowed them up," Mr Maslen said.
"We haven't done too much of that lately, we have more been focusing on fertilising young crops around the district.
"I think the mice will probably get going again in spring because they love canola and once it's starting to get some seed on it they will go again probably, but who knows?
"If they do kick off again we will be ready, but in the meantime I think we will be busy for a while yet."
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Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
