A Hellfire wheat crop recently harvested on a farm at Emerald that is in its 3rd year of Best Farming Systems program has yielded exceptionally well despite it being a very low rainfall growing season.

The paddock has had the Best Farming products applied for the previous two crops which were – wheat in 2021, oats in 2022 that was cut for hay in September and an application of TM Ag and Fulvic Plus were applied to the paddock in September to assist in the breakdown of the oat crop stubble by increasing the activation of the native decomposer fungi and bacteria.

TM Ag & Fulvic Plus were applied to the paddock the following autumn with a knockdown herbicide prior to sowing. The Hellfire seed was treated with TM Germination, and the crop was sown in the first week of May with a moisture profile of just 80cm. The crop was sown earlier than the farm manager would have liked, however the decision was made to sow early to capitalise on the soil moisture availability and the wheat germinated well. An application of TM Ag and Fulvic Plus were applied in crop with 3kg/ha of Best Foliar Fertiliser.

During the growing season only 37mm of in crop rain was received.

The crop was harvested on 1st October 2023 and averaged 3.6t/ha and peaked at 5t/ha in some areas with 1% screenings, 80 Test Weight and 11% Protein. This is an outstanding achievement in such a dry year and demonstrates the resilience of a crop when it is supported by its indigenous soil microbiology that is activated by TM Ag and has facilitated the crop to access nutrients via the soil microbes and from a larger root mass and improved soil structure. The crop was also able access moisture from the soil and from the atmosphere via the native leaf microbes that efficiently harvest dews that can be as much as 1 -2mm of moisture each evening.

Best Farming Systems treated Hellfire crop at Emerald photos taken in August