While many Central Queensland growers opted to plant early this year, one Theodore farmer said the decision to plant in mid-August has not paid dividends.
Dawson Valley Cotton Growers Association vice president Andrew French, Nandina, Theodore, was forced to re-plant 100ha due to high insect pressure.
Mr French has 125ha of corn and 220ha of cotton planted this season. He started planting on August 15 but said the early planted crop failed and had to be re-planted last month.
He said the season was proving to be a struggle for some local growers.
“It’s been challenging, we’ve had really high mirid pressure, and fair bit of early season fruit lost through mirid pressure,” he said.
”The early cotton especially had cold nights and heavy mired pressure, and there has been heavy heliothisis pressure as well.”
Meanwhile in the St George and Dirranbandi regions, Cotton Australia regional manager Jane Hill, Goorarooman, Nindigully, said growers had planted more cotton than expected – with the Dirranbandi region up almost 50 per cent from last year with 12,000 ha planted.
Ms Hill said the majority of growers in those regions had finished planting with only those who were waiting to get cereal crops off, still to get cotton in the ground.
“So far it has been pretty ideal, we had a very hot week which might have brought irrigation on a bit early but not too much,” she said.
She said St George would see between 19,000ha and 20,000ha of cotton planted, which is significantly more than last season.
Cotton Australia regional manager for the MacIntyre Valley Rebecca Fing agreed with Mr French, and said local growers were seeing more insects than would be ideal.
“Insect pressure has been really high due to the favourable winter conditions,” she said.
Ms Fing said crop growth had initially been slow due to unseasonably cool conditions but noted crops were responding well now that temperatures had warmed up.
She said approximately 35,000ha of irrigated cotton had been planted in the region, alongside 15,000ha of dryland cotton.
The cotton growing season got off to a rough start on the Darling Downs, due to the cooler climatic conditions.
According to Dalby-based agronomist, Jordan McDonald, Elders, some growers were forced to re-plant due to root conditions.
Sucking insects also caused a major problem in the region.
"As of a week ago, farmers have now got a number of sprays done, and with the warmer weather, the crops are starting to improve," Mr McDonald said.
Kelly Butterworth
Rockhampton-based journalist covering all things ag.
Rockhampton-based journalist covering all things ag.
