RECENT rain has offered up plenty of hope to the region's cropping farmers, but it has also brought with it fresh challenges.
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Pests have infested some cereal and broadleaf crops due to the recent rain, leaving farmers busy spraying out the unwanted diseases.
Gunnedah agronomist Matt Roseby said while some pests had caused trouble, farmers were still grateful for the rain.
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"The rain has been very warmly welcomed but it has stirred a few other things up," Mr Roseby said.
"We need the rain, you can't grow things in dust and everyone's just really grateful we got that rain.
"There's been a lot of spraying done between showers of rain to get fungicides out, which is about all you can do.
"From here, we will just be trying to grow the best crop we can and adapt to the conditions."
Despite some areas receiving large rainfall totals recently, Mr Roseby said it was "a slow crawl out of drought" for many others.
"What we are seeing is that despite all of the rain we've had recently, a lot of soil profiles still haven't been filled," he said.
"I think that just goes to show how dry it was over the past few years and how much of an impact the drought had on cropping farmers.
"All we can really hope for from here is to get some more of this steady soaking rain.
"The fact it has been steady and not flooding rain has really helped top soil improve for the long-term."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
