Only the last couple of crops remain to be harvested due to slow, cool conditions after dessication that is keeping things moist, otherwise the season is finished. This has been a season well worth remembering for the Highlands.
The release of Crystal commercially last season and the status of sorghum, sunflower and maize values along with the persistence of Feathertop Rhodes Grass, led new growers to mungbeans this season. Only a few irrigated spring crops were attempted which copped the harsh heat that started spring and received the rain as the harvest began.
Summer planting started with relatively low soil moisture as winter crops had finished in tough conditions and fallow ground had gained minimal moisture throughout the cooler months and disappeared with the onslaught of spring heat. Dryland Growers in the southern areas got started early in January with adequate planting rain. Dryland growers north of the Capricorn Hwy planted later than anticipated as they waited for rain with some being planted as late as March. Overall the growing conditions were favourable for all plantings. Yields and quality have not been area specific and it is well noted that the variety Crystal performed well on varying soils.
The highlight for this area is the above average yields and remarkable quality. Current high values for mungbeans will lead even more new growers into planting next season. This along with the “Low Risk” Crystal variety will lift Australian Mungbean tonnages in the coming seasons.
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The 2009 - 2010 summer planted mungbean season is almost over in Southern Queensland. Mungbeans have been the preferred option in most cases this year over sorghum, due to very late planting rain and poor sorghum returns. The concentration of mungbean planting in Southern Queensland was between 10th to the 31st of January this year with some growers electing to plant well into February as the market began to rally.
Yields for Mungbeans in Southern Queensland have averaged 1.1 t / ha. There have been a few fortunate growers who have yielded over 2 t /ha and some less fortunate who have yielded just 0.3 t / ha. There have been very few crop failures this year due to dry conditions. Record floods during the early part of the year in southern Queensland have accounted for some losses in mungbean production.
Quality has been mixed with most growers delivering low processing quality. There have been a couple of reasons for this. Rainfall events have prolonged flowering or caused reflowering to occur. This has created quality problems with uneven maturity at time of desiccation.
The mungbean season this year should be complete by the end of June 2010. Growers are showing keen interest in planting mungbeans in spring and summer to capitalise on good returns.
Northern NSW (Western slopes & plains) & Central NSW
Harvest has now all but wound up with only a few late planted crops to come off. This season has been one of contrasts for northern NSW with some growers close to the border and also patches around Gunnedah receiving good rain –and crops to go with, but others in the middle only getting marginal rainfall and below average crops.
Quality was in the main really good, with Crystal we have received over 50% of deliveries off the January plant as No 1 quality with some very low grading losses. The later crops have struggled with dry down issues and this has caused a difficult harvest and some dulling of samples. Mind you nowhere near as bad as harvesting Sorghum in June!!
The AMA accredited seed also shone out as the best option also with good establishment and excellent disease resistance.
With the exceptional demand prices have seen great returns for most growers. With new crop numbers currently hovering between 800-900MD for the spring plant there is sure to be strong enquiry for 2011 crop.