Local agronomists say much more rain is needed for viable crop yields, with soil profiles too low for planting.

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Hunt Ag Solution's Jim Hunt said between 20-30mm of rainfall was needed for winter crops to be established, but at least 100-150mm was needed to make crops viable.

"It's hard to get [crops] established without sowing rain," Mr Hunt said.

"We need in-crop rain around August and September [because] that's when they start to use most of their water to fill grain, that's the grain-fill period."

Mr Hunt said the last time he received a good amount of in-crop rain for winter crops was in 2016 in Gunnedah, with rainfall "below average ever since".

Pursehouse Rural Gunnedah's agronomist Matt Roseby said he had planted a small amount of winter crop "on the back of the last rainfall event" at the end of March, but more rain was needed.

"This year, we've had the rain for an early break but we're going to need a lot of follow-up rain to get the winter crop in and also through to harvest," Mr Roseby said.

The agronomist said growers were "taking risks" this season by planting wheat barley and faba beans ahead of a decent rainfall.

"The last couple of years of severe drought people are looking for cash flow, they're taking risks they wouldn't normally take for that cash flow ... [by] planting without a full moisture profile," he said.

"It runs a higher risk to be planting because the stored moisture profile isn't full, so you run the risk of running out of moisture in crucial flowering stages, which can be devastating to crop yields."

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