Mixed amounts of rainfall throughout Parkes and surrounds over the past few weeks has resulted in different implications for farmers in our area, who have been making the tricky decision on whether or not to dry sow their paddocks in order to get the crops in on time.

Some decided to go for it, with others hanging fire for a few more days. Rain is predicted for this week and if it does, this gamble will hopefully pay off. After the predicted rains any crops already in will flourish and we expect a flurry of activity as all those who chose not to dry sow move into action to put their crops in too. Ongoing GRDC-funded research is examining how dry seeding interacts with soil type and location to influence wheat yield at the paddock and farm scale.

CSIRO modelling in Western Australia suggests that over time and at the whole-farm scale, dry seeding can deliver yield benefits of up to 35% compared with waiting to wet sow after the season break. In seasons with late opening rains, the modelling, which covered wheat growing sites, found that dry sowing brought forward the sowing date of the last paddock sown compared with wet-sown programs. However, dry sowing led to more of the crop flowering earlier and at the same time the modelling found that this increased frost risk slightly in some areas. On the positive side, the earlier flowering time significantly reduced the risk of heat stress during grain fill.

Dry-sown farms produced an average of 350kg/ha less yield than the water-limited benchmark and the wet-sown cropping programs produced an average of 960kg/ha less. The average yield difference between an entire farm dry-sown and a farm sown with no dry seeding ranged from a 0.5t/ha increase to a 0.2t/ha loss. Modelled yield increases were highest for large cropping programs where up to a third of the total crop was dry sown on heavier soils and in lower-rainfall areas.

Early seeding benefits
A sowing-date trial established in 2014 at the Cunderdin site of the Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association (WANTFA) provided a popular field-day backdrop to discuss the risks and benefits of early sowing on wheat yield and flowering date. While the results were specific to the 2014 season, which was characterised by above-average growing-season rainfall (particularly in April and May) and no major frost events, the simple experiment was an excellent (and clearly visible) demonstration of the impact of early sowing across a cropping program. Mace wheat (sown at 60kg/ha) and IH30RR canola (sown at 3kg/ha) were sown at approximately three-day intervals starting on 29 April and finishing on 1 July (a total of 24 sowing dates).

This information was written by Dr Andrew Fletcher and Dr David Minkey and more information can be found on the website www.grdc.com.au

Do you have an eye for bargains? Want to spend your weekend shopping for items steeped in history, from traditional collectables to antiques? Then keep your diary free on Saturday 9th April as Landmark Langlands Hanlon will be conducting an antique, furniture and collectable sale at the Parkes Showground. Items will be available for viewing from 9am and the sale will commence from 10am.

On offer for vintage fans will be a variety of antique and collectable items for the men and women in the family, including a Yamaha Virago motor bike, Lister engines, antique tools and shearing equipment. Also up for grabs if you’re in need of items for the house are dining suites, lounges, porcelain dolls and assorted knick-knacks. If you would like to find out more about this sale visit Landmark Langlands Hanlon’s website at www.langlandshanlon.com.au or for more information speak to the team by calling the office on 6862 2362.

To ensure the safest, most efficient planting season possible, tuning up farm machinery can be as important as scouting for weeds, tilling the soil or other spring field operations, a Purdue Extension specialist says. Robert Stwalley, assistant clinical professor of agricultural and biological engineering, urged producers to get a jump start on vehicle maintenance. “Early preparation for spring planting is time well-invested,” he said. Stwalley offered these tips for keeping farm machinery in good working order:

Clean the equipment: Wash machinery thoroughly with soap and water to remove dirt, chemical build-up, excess grease and plant material. Stwalley noted that some experts even recommend washing machinery between operations in different fields to reduce the chance of chemical or biological contamination from one field to the next. While washing the equipment, farmers should note any necessary repairs or parts that need to be replaced.

Verify functionality: Stwalley said producers should disassemble, clean, inspect and refurbish all seed distribution components on their equipment. He advised making sure each assembly is functioning properly before re-installing it on the planter. “Seed delivery mechanisms, fertilizer applicators, herbicide nozzles and insecticide distributors are delicate pieces of equipment that perform critical operations during planting season,” he said. “Work across each row and through all applicators on the planter, and treat seed metering and dispensing assemblies as if they were a high-performance carburettor or delicate pocket watch.”

Calibrate the machine: Each dispensing apparatus on each row must be calibrated. To do this, producers will need to engage all of the distribution mechanisms and run the machine through a calibration course at operational speed. The next step is to count the number of seeds dropped or measure the weight of the dispensed material. This
process will help producers determine how to adjust the machine to achieve proper distribution during planting.

Verify the correct operation of all planter sensors: Stwalley recommends verifying the proper operation of each row’s monitoring system and replacing any malfunctioning components. “Modern planting equipment is filled with electronics,” he said. “Precision agriculture requires massive amounts of data, and only good data is worth collecting.”

Source: www.farms.com

Week ending: 23 March 2016
Wool sales were held in a Tues-Wed pattern this week due to the looming Good Friday public holiday. Also of
note was a showcase auction held in the Northern Region with buyers and brokers temporarily relocating to the Sydney Royal Easter Show’s purpose built facility. After a turnaround in sentiment last week, the market continued its rebound at this sale.

Tuesday’s sale started off reasonably tentative with prices up by 5cents in Melbourne, however Sydney and Fremantle gave a more optimistic signal when they finished as much as 15cents dearer. The final day, followed suit and another 10 to 20cents was added to valuations. The 12cent rise in the AWEX-EMI was largely a result of the renewed support in the Merino Fleece sector with competition for the other catalogues less enthusiastic.

The next wool sales will be held after the annual one-week Easter recess and will include a showcase auction at the IWTO conference in the Sydney CBD.

Horse riders, trainers and owners need look no further than Parkes Farm Centre for all their equine needs. Products on offer include a large range of bridles, halters, leads, saddles, riding equipment and grooming products. Parkes Farm Centre are suppliers of Mitavite, Hygain, Omega, Prydes, Ambos and more. Now the weather is cooling down don’t let your horses be cold, choose from 100’s of horse rugs in stock. Parkes Sprayer Barn are also the NSW agents for the Australian made PBL horse floats which have four standard designs; box trailers for domestic use through to tradesman trailers, car carriers, push bike trailers, camper trailers and Tandem axle trailers.

Why the long face? You haven’t been down to your local neighhhbourhood Parkes Sprayer Barn for all your equestrian needs at the corner of Forbes Road and Hartigan Avenue.

In other animal news, Kinellar White Suffolk & Poll Dorset Stud based in Canowindra have taken first place in the Sires Progeny Group at the Sydney Royal Show for 2016. Judge Mark Yates commented on the lambs, which were sired by Depta Grove, “They could have been triplets.” Reserve Champion White Suffolk Ram Sydney Royal Show 2016. The stud also did well in another event, gaining the title of Reserve Champion White Suffolk Ram at the show over the weekend. Well done to all involved.

Need a durable, strong vehicle that will never let you down no matter the terrain? The Colorado 7LT is the ideal car for those that love the rural lifestyle. Available at Broderick Motors Holden, who have been servicing Parkes for over 60 years, this car can be yours for only $44,990 drive away. Plus with the imminent release of 25 exciting models to add to the fantastic range, the team at Holden are more committed than ever to offer fantastic finance and insurance packages to suit all needs. With factory trained technicians with a combined 70 years industry experience, Holden has everything you need under one roof!

Now you’ve got your transport, why not drive over and chat to other workers within the agricultural industry? Landmark Langlands Hanlon is a family owned and operated stock and station agency. The friendly team comprises of Principals Geoff and Renee Rice, Matt Coady, Greg Miller, Cooper Byrnes, Gaye Lees and Margaret Porter. Staff make sure they attend livestock sales twice weekly at the Forbes CWLE as well as Auctions Plus, over the hook and private sales. They also sell rural and residential real estate and conduct clearing and household sales. Geoff and Renee have recently decided to expand into the Central Tablelands Real Estate market and are able to buy and sell livestock out of CTLX. If you’d like to find out more about what the team can do for you, call into the office at 242
Clarinda street or visit the website at www.langlandshanlon.com.au

Want Quality? See Sincock
Sincock LVM is an established Case IH dealership servicing the Condobolin and Parkes districts. The dealership principals, David John ‘DJ’ Sincock, Garry Hopper and Darryl Henley (also known as Dags) all have extensive and varied experience in the agricultural sector.

DJ started his apprenticeship at the age of 17 and later moved to a Service Technician position at a New Holland Dealership. Nowadays, his business is one of the largest header repairs in NSW. Garry, the visionary, has a background in the agricultural and finance industries with varied interests throughout. Darryl Henley grew up on the land and ran his own farming enterprise in the Ungarie district before selling the farm and beginning his career with Case IH. The Sincock service team are equipped with state of the art Iveco service trucks that can provide repairs and maintenance in both the paddock and the workshop (and save you time and money). There is also an experienced staff of Spare Part Interpreters who are happy to assist with your requirements and are even on call after hours for unexpected breakdowns. For more information head over to 138-144 Clarinda Street.

 

Ostini Wool Pty Ltd Weekly Market Update Week ending: 25 February 2016
The largest sale in five weeks saw just under 47,000 bales offered. The larger offering coupled with a stronger exchange rate resulted in a 10-20 cent reduction for most MPG’s on Wednesday, although the better spec types
were less affected and continued to find favour with buyers.

Thursday’s results were less clear; Melbourne and Fremantle continued to trend lower across all microns whilst
Sydney was only a few cents cheaper. Support for the better types in Sydney’s “superfinesale” contributed to the superior result in the northern region. Merino Skirtings recorded minimal movement, with most movements being
in the higher vm types which adjusted their prices lower while best length/low VM were barely affected.

Crossbreds fell 10 to 15 cents with the few 25-micron types the only bright spot for the sale. Merino Cardings tracked sideways for the week, closing at similar prices to last sale. 42,631 bales are currently forecast for next week in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.