RECORD July rainfall through Central Queensland has shored up crop prospects in that region and will push up already bulging national crop estimates.
Graham Spackman, of Spackman Iker Ag Consulting, Emerald, said the rainfall, over 100mm in many parts of the CQ cropping belt, was virtually unprecedented.
“I was speaking to one farmer with extensive family rainfall records and the last time he could find any sort of rain like this in July was in 1933,” Mr Spackman said.
Maurie Conway, of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) in Emerald agreed the rain was a rare event, saying 1984 was the last time the region had a similar rainfall event.
“There was over 100mm on the CQ Highlands, grading down to around 60-80mm in the Dawson River catchment,” Mr Conway said.
Unlike in coastal CQ, where the rain has caused extensive flooding in towns such as Yeppoon and damaged the pineapple crop, in the cropping belt the rain has been welcomed.
“It has just been a nice steady rain, obviously with four or five inches (100-125mm) there is some localised flooding, but only on the low lying areas,” Mr Conway said.
He said the rain had set up a huge chickpea crop.
“Normally you would say planting is done by the end of June in this part of the world, but guys will even consider planting chickpeas now if they can get onto paddocks and they have seed.”
“There is obviously a yield penalty for planting later, but given the good moisture it is not such a risky proposition.”
Mr Spackman said he doubted there would be further plantings, given how late it would be before paddocks are dry enough for growers to get tractors on to plant.
However, he said the rain would bolster the yields of existing crops markedly.
Mr Conway said the chickpea plant in CQ could now be as much as 200,000 hectares, compared with an average plant of around 60,000ha.
“Chickpeas can yield around the same as wheat and they are four times the price so you can see why growers are choosing chickpeas.”
Although chickpea prices are expected to fall from highs well above $1000 a tonne, Mr Conway said CQ producers had an advantage over other Australian growers.
“We harvest first so we get first crack at the prices each year.”
He anticipated yields will be above average based on stored moisture, saying the July rain has doubled yield potential.
“Before the rain you’d estimate crops would go a tonne to the hectare, you could now reasonably expect 2t/ha providing there is not an outbreak of fungal disease associated with the wet conditions.”
Although wheat acreages have been cut in favour of higher value chickpea crops, Mr Conway said the yield boost would be similar.
“We could now expect to see wheat crops around 2.5t/ha. The area is normally 200-250,000ha, we expect less than that this year given farmers have substituted into chickpeas.”
The major problem from here will be with fungal disease in the chickpeas.
“Usually we don’t have to worry about botrytis grey mould or ascochyta, but they could be a factor this year.”
Mr Spackman said growers were concerned about the onset of fungal disease.
“From here on in, from a chickpea perspective we would probably not like to see a lot of rain just to cut out the threat of those fungal diseases causing damage.”
For those unwilling to take a risk on a late season chickpea plant, Mr Conway said normally unfavoured spring cropping could be considered.
“We don’t normally do spring sorghum, but this might be the year some people have a go, while mung beans are another option for spring planting – spring crop is generally a higher risk option but the season is set up to suit.”