Horsham crop 2007/08
Photos supplied by Felicity Pritchard, Oilseeds Development Officer
The 2007 Horsham crop is at Longerenong College, 16 km NW of Horsham. Photos taken 2 May 2007 at sowing
Variety: Tornado TT
Sowing rate: 4.4 kg/ha
Sowing depth: estimated about 25 mm.
Subsoil moisture at sampling (3 weeks before sowing): 71 mm Rainfall on the weekend before sowing: 70 mm Available soil nitrate at sampling: 336 kg/ha (extremely high); plus estimate of 47 kg/ha of nitrate from mineralisation will also become available during the growing season.
Cultivation: The paddock grew vetch last year and was ridged ("stripped") last year during drought to prevent wind erosion. Last week, it was lightly cultivated in order to even out the soil surface in preparation for sowing. The crop was sown on 2 May 2007 with a Flexicoil airseeder with coil packers. Adjustments were made during sowing as some of the outermost points were sowing at a shallower depth. It was immediately sprayed with trifluralin at 1.5 L/ha (weed control) and Lorsban 1 L/ha (grey false wireworm control) and prickle chained to incorporate on the same day. The perimeter of the paddock will be sprayed with endosulfan as a border spray to prevent redlegged earthmite.
Paddock historyThe soil type is an alkaline grey self-mulching cracking clay and 60 kg/ha MAP was applied at sowing. (No other fertiliser was used).
8 August - The crop is now at the green bud stage, although some individual plants are flowering. The crop is looking great, with at least 90% ground cover. Only 3.4 mm of rain has fallen for August. We had a severe frost on Saturday, but otherwise, temperatures have been mild.