The 2024 season in pictures part 4

We continue to collect images from the 2024 season, if you have some images that show something unusual (good, bad or ugly) for 2024, please keep sending them in. They can be anonymous if you prefer.

Here’s an update on the GRDC Legume extension project trial at Long’s farm, near Marble Range. This site had 120 mm of rainfall in June, which would have normally resulted in waterlogging and death of lentils and beans, but the soil amelioration (spread with 5 t/ha of lime then deep ripped, spaded and rolled in early 2024) seems to have done its job.

Above: The lower EP RiskWi$e discussion group session at the GRDC Legume extension trial site at Long’s, Marble Range, on 23 September 2024. Photo credit: Jake Giles, EPAG Research.

In a sobering contrast, here are some pictures from the Cowell area taken this week. It is still quite amazing how much farmers have been able to grow given the decile 1 rainfall this season.

Above: Franklin Harbour Ag Bureau visited a site at Miltalie (between Cowell and Mangalo) that had been ameliorated in early 2024 with a Lienert ripper with inclusion plates, to overcome a compaction layer. Sown with Thunder lentils on 15 April, and germinated 6 weeks later. The ripped areas germinated earlier than the non-ripped areas. The farmer soil tested the paddock prior to ripping, and so managed to avoid disturbing areas of sodic soil. Photo: Rowena Norris.

Above: The GRDC Effective control of brome grass in the southern and western cropping zones project trial site at Jarad Schiller’s, Cowell. Photo: Rowena Norris, AIR EP.

Above: Franklin Harbour Ag Bureau inspecting the GRDC NVT trial site at Mitchellville. Photo: Brett Klau, Rural Business Support.

Above: Miltalie from the air. Photo: Rowena Norris, AIR EP.