With a cold start to the spring and a short period where it started to get dry sowing off crops and new grass has been later than normal but with the warmer days and good rain that we have had lately conditions have been good for getting crops and new grass started.

There are some key points that need to be remembered when we are looking to establish our crops and new grass. It starts well before we start drilling with knowing what the fertility is in the paddock by getting a fertilizer test and understanding what nutrients the crop needs are. Having a good look at what weeds you have in the paddock and getting them sprayed out, it might even mean that you will need to do a double spray for the hard to kill weeds and grass like Couch and Red Fescue. It is good to remember that it is normally cheaper and easier to get weeds out before the crop goes in than getting them out of the crop.

Keeping an eye on weeds when the crop is in its early stage is very important as it is easier and cheaper to control the weeds when they are small. Keeping an eye on bugs and insects is also very important too as this year we are seeing a lot of damage from Slugs, Cutworm, Grass Grub Beetle and Nysius.

In the cereal crops lately, we are seeing a lot of disease with the muggy days and the rain so very important to keep checking these crops and controlling them as diseases can have a large impact on the finial yield you will get at harvest.