The Muster- Howard Clarke: Crops Are Going Well

Howard Clarke looks at a trying growth season, although he says crops are looking pretty good all thing considered.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to the muster. Thanks for South and Rural
Support Trust in conjunction with Community Trusts South. We're talking
to various people in the rural sector regarding mindset after
a weather event. This afternoon. We're talking from an agronomist's viewpoint,
how a clerk of advanced agricultures on the line to
give a bit of perspective on the season that we've
seen and what to respect heading through into the silly

(00:30):
season as such, which is December. How a good afternoon,
always good to chat.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Good afternoon, Andy, Right.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
So I suppose we look back on the last month
down here in the Deep South, and yeah, the spraying's
been behind schedules, spreading in the likes. It's just been
one of those city scenarios we've been lumped.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
With, right it is. The spring's been slow and frustrating
getting things done. In the early part of the spring,
groundwork was wet and also in the arable space or
sprang off paddocks, just the wind has made it very
difficult to keep up to date. And then of course

(01:11):
we've had the event, which with the trees and the
infrastructure damaged, really really hard to fathom how it had
just how many trees are down and how much damage
was done in a very short time. But be fair,
I think things of the urgent stuff has been cleared

(01:33):
and farms about just operating it. But it will take
a very long time to clean up the mess. But
as far as the actual operations of the farms going,
most of it that most of it's back up and running,
and as far as crops and that sort of thing going,
they're trying to get what's needed done. And again with

(01:53):
the wind, it's a matter of the timings and adjusting
the timings if you get high. Just to keep things right.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Well, that's a big thing. I suppose getting your spraying
dates to line up so you're getting the chemical on
the padic when you need to have. You found there's
been to quite a few issues trying to make things
working due to the weather or we're just fortunate that
it was the middle of October and now when we've
got the crops going on the ground as such.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Like to the beach, we were having some people looking
at chopping and changing because they thought they were getting late.
But the weather's sort of settled down now and it's
people are getting things done and it's about just doing
things properly, even if you are a little bit behind,

(02:39):
rather than trying to take shortcuts and you always pay
for them in the end.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
When you say shortcuts as such, just what do you
mean by that? Exactly?

Speaker 2 (02:47):
How it Sometimes you cut out a spray here, or
you'd cut out a pass the air of cultivation, or
you might be going to cultivate and then you say,
we'll just direct drill it now and try and catch
up some time. But for direct drilling to work properly,
there's a you've got to do everything right to achieve

(03:08):
a good result. So it's it's about doing things right
to get the results.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
And time management as well, especially with spray, Like you're
hearing stories of people doing the spray on the pad
acts at like three am in the morning, because that's
when it's the calmest. But for a situation, they'll for
a set time frame. Anyway, it's about just having to
do what you need to to get it done right.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
It is it is, and but it's just we just
got to deal with what's in front of you really
and try and do the best you can.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
Now. As far as the crops in general, though, how
are they looking from your perspective. Just around the province well.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
In the arable space, the winter crops looking very good.
There's been a week bit more suptoria disease in it
with the wet weather, but we're in programs so that's
under control as long as we don't get too far
behind with the actual spray timings. But yeah, the arable

(04:11):
crops are looking good and the spring sown ones we're
held up a bit with sial conditions and wetness in
various places, but they're coming through now good. And I
think most of the spring crop spring arable crops will
have been sown by now, and it's people are getting

(04:31):
into the well are they been sowing beat for a
while and there and now into the bressacres for winter
feat crops.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
As far as putting brassacas in the ground, we'll touch
on this. Does it matter if it's not in by
a set date, because once upon a time the rule
of some was the Gorse show you had to have
them in the ground.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
But I think if you lived in central South and
it was the in Vcago show.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Or the Vcargo show with here you go, you had
seven or eight days grace. But I mean, what we've
seen over the past couple of seasons, is crops going
in the ground as late as gen it's still getting
good yields, yes, you have.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
It's often about getting the right varieties and cultivars and
crop pipe all the time. And certainly some soon, some
species soon in January will perform very well. Maybe not
as bit earlier as sowing, but certainly will perform well.

(05:26):
And yeah, it's but again it's still making sure you
do your cultivation and your inputs correctly to get the
best out of them.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Are you hearing of many people looking at doing grass
wintering this upcoming season?

Speaker 2 (05:41):
I think I think there seems to be a trend
for more of that every year. This is significant areas
out there being done this way. Now, that said, we've
still got significant areas of beat done in the ground
and brassica is starting to go or going in the
ground now.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
So the key messaging, I suppose, how it is just
do your due diligence if you've got any concerns, right, correct, Yeah,
pretty much, so we'll leave it there, Howard, thanks very
much for your time. As always, you're up there and
ken Iry this afternoon. Lastly, ground conditions and Canterbary. How
are they looking? Is at Northwest is a waver the show.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
It's blowing and it's going to get rough for the
flight home, but that's the way it is. Their crops
are progressing well. They had a slow start to the
season two, but yeah, their crops are progressing well now
and looking good.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Good on your how. It'd always appreciate your time on
the muster.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Safe travels, no problem, thanks, Andy.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
How a clerk of Advanced Agriculture of course. What's the
South and Real Support Trust in conjunction with Community Trust
South talking about farming mindset tomorrow on the program, Minister
Mark Patterson on the show Simon Stakes is up next
from Environment Southland and before the end of the hour,
Lucky Dudden Nobod