Australia Wheat, Canola Harvest Conditions Good, Improving
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, November 3 (World Weather Inc.) – Wet conditions in October slowed winter wheat, barley and canola maturation and harvest progress in much of Victoria and southern New South Wales. Some of the wet weather reduced crop conditions and quality. However, recent weeks 
of drying and warming have helped to improve crop maturation and harvest conditions and another week to ten days of similar conditions will continue to firm up the ground and promote better field working conditions. Queensland and eastern New South Wales, in the meantime, will see periods of timely rain through the end of next week benefiting a portion of the summer crop region.
Southeastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, and much of Victoria reported rain during the past week. Moisture totals for the seven-day period ending this morning ranged from 0.25 to 0.75 inches most often with several locations in northeastern New South Wales receiving 1.50 to 3.50 inches of rain. Pockets in Victoria also received up to 1.90 inches of moisture. Other areas in Queensland and New South Wales did not receive enough rain to counter evaporation. South and Western Australia only reported light rain keeping those areas mostly dry.
Soil moisture is rated adequate in much of Victoria into southern and eastern New South Wales due to the recent precipitation. A few pockets in northeastern New South Wales are abundantly to excessively wet. The ground was saturated 
over a much larger region in October keeping many producers from getting into their fields in a timely manner. The wet biased conditions in wheat, barley and canola production areas may have resulted in the development of wet weather disease and some quality decline pressure on the mature grain.
Winter wheat and barley maturation and harvest conditions were mostly favorable in recent weeks for South Australia and Western Australia. Both production areas were not as wet as Victoria and southern New South Wales. Maturation and harvesting advanced swiftly in most locations.
Coarse grain, oilseed, and cotton planting got off to an aggressive start in Queensland and northern New South Wales in October. Several waves of rain promoted adequate moisture for favorable crop establishment. The lack of rain in more recent 
weeks gradually dried the soil. Many areas have a shortage of moisture and would benefit from more rain in the near future.
Victoria, southern New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia will receive little rain through the end of next week. The rain that does fall will be too light to counter evaporation. The ground will continue to firm and harvesting will advance swiftly in most locations.
Scattered showers will produce varying amounts of rain in Queensland today and Friday morning. After a brief period of dryness over the weekend, alternating periods of rain and sunshine will evolve in Queensland into portions of northern and eastern New South Wales next week. Moisture totals through next Thursday morning will range from a trace to 1.00 inch with local amounts over 1.50 inches in northern sections of Queensland’s production region. The rain will not be enough to significantly bolster soil moisture.
Temperatures will trend near to slightly above average across Australia during the coming week. Greater rainfall will be needed later this month for the best establishment and growth conditions in much of Queensland and New South Wales.
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