Looking good in Kalannie

Crops have jumped out of the ground near Kalannie this year.

Travis and Carmen Stanley, who farm with Travis’ parents Ian and Robyn and brother Clint and his wife Morwenna, put in 15,000 hectares this season, comprising 85 per cent wheat and 5 per cent each of Tanami canola, Stirling barley and oats.

“We did a fair bit of dry seeding and had good opening rains, so the crop is looking unreal, ” Travis said.

About 115mm of rain has been recorded on the farm for the year so far.

“We have been spraying grass weeds and will move onto broadleaf weeds soon, ” Travis said.

Travis said if another good soaking rain occured soon, he may give crops a boost with a nitrogen application.

“We put 20 litres per hectare of Flexi-N down the tube and 50kg/ha of Agstar Extra over everything, ” he said.

“Soil tests showed there was a lot of stored nitrogen in the soil, but if we get 30mm to 40mm of rain we might put on more. We grow wheat on wheat and it takes a lot out of the soil.”

Despite having to supplementary feed livestock over summer, Travis said the family’s 6000 Merino ewes were looking great.

“They struggled a bit in the summer, so we supplemented their feed, ” he said. “There is a bit of green feed available but we will probably keep feeding them via the lick feeders because they are lambing, ” he said.

Travis said they were trying to get their lambing percentage up, because it was below-average last year. “It’s usually about 85 to 90 per cent, but last year it was down a bit, ” he said.