A DECISION to double-crop chickpeas behind sorghum looks set to pay dividends for Springsure farmer Graham Lloyd.
Mr Lloyd, along with his wife Helen and mother-in-law Diana Newman, operates 2000-hectare property Canopus Park in the Springsure district, and 2000ha property Venus Downs at Rolleston.
Thanks to their varying country, they are able to operate a mixed cropping and cattle enterprise.
As part of their winter cropping rotation, on Canopus Park they planted 800ha of PBA Pistol and Kyabra chickpeas, 300ha of Gregory wheat, as well as 200ha of Petrel wheat and Comet oats for forage.
Due to the dry weather conditions, they have been unable to plant on Venus Downs.
Mr Lloyd said spring crops were not frequently grown in the Springsure area, but thanks to 394mm of rain and, as a result, a full profile of soil moisture, they planted 480ha of sorghum in early October 2014. The crop was harvested in January and February, yielding 3.5 tonnes/ha.
On the back of some good early rain, they made the decision to double-crop and planted chickpeas from April 25 to 27.
It was the first time the Lloyds have double-cropped on the property, and the chickpeas were planted using a Flexi-Coil planter on 50cm row spacings and at a rate of 50kg/ha.
“We were very lucky to get enough rain to pull that crop off and to have enough to go again,” Mr Lloyd said.
The Gregory and forage wheat were also planted at a rate of 50kg/ha, while the oats were planted at 25kg/ha in mid-April.
Mr Lloyd said they had not received rain during the past two months and had been relying on subsoil moisture. However, he said they could not complain, having received 421mm for the year so far.
They are also EU-accredited beef producers and join Black Simmental bulls with their crossbred breeders.
Finished cattle are turned off at 330kg to 340kg dressed weight.
Bullocks are currently grazing on the forage crops and Mr Lloyd was excited by the strong prices the beef industry was receiving. High prices for chickpeas and solid wheat returns have also buoyed spirits.
The Lloyds expect to start harvesting in late September and early October.
Soil tests are regularly conducted after harvest to determine what elements are deficient so they can be “topped up” prior to the next planting opportunity.
Mr Lloyd has been an agent for 33 years to augment farm income, and said many producers were enduring a “soul-destroying” drought.
He said although the season at Canopus Park had been “rosy”, they were in the very small minority.
“A lot of our friends, farmers and other graziers out there are doing it tough, and hopefully they get some rain shortly to break the season.”
