Canola blooms early thanks to mild wet winter

This planting time was within the normal window for canola crops.

Mr Buerckner said temperatures had been about two degrees above average since then, which had created “perfect conditions for crop growth”.

The ideal temperatures have also benefited cereal crops in the region.

This winter has also been wetter than normal, with the June and July monthly rainfall totals for Shepparton being above the mean.

While the wet conditions have boosted the canola crop, the moisture isn’t all good news.

Mr Buerckner said there was currently ‘increased disease pressure’ due to the warm and moist conditions, creating an ideal environment for fungal infections such as blackleg.

While temperatures have been warmer than usual, there have still been frosts through the last week of July which could potentially impact yields.

Sunlight is another important factor with the cloudy skies of the past three weeks potentially causing the crop to produce less seed.

Ky Shapcott of Tatura has about 170 hectares of canola in the ground, which he said “came in two to three weeks ahead of where it would usually be”.

While the crop has seen some blackleg, it has held up well in the mild and wet conditions.

While the only frosts so far have been gentle, a major frost could impact yield, however, Mr Shapcott remains optimistic as “canola is good at recovering”.

Mr Shapcott also has fields of lupins, wheat, barley, oats and lucerne, which have been doing well with only a few wet spots.

“All round, everything’s looking really good,” Mr Shapcott said.