Despite no in-crop rainfall since it was planted in late June, Luke and Sophie Bradley’s wheat crop is not looking too bad. The central Queensland growers are used to “turning over” some grain, despite the dry conditions.
The family, which includes Luke’s parents Peter and Kerrie, farm 5300 hectares at Springsure near Emerald. Average annual rainfall is meant to be 603 millimetres, but the past four years has seen them record their worst 12, 24, 36 and 48 months in a 132-year record-keeping history.
As a way of spreading geographical reach, reducing climate risk and boosting financial security, the family bought a former dairy and pastures property two years ago and have recently taken over its management. Located on the coast, it is about 400 kilometres east of their dryland grain and cattle base.
“We will redevelop the property into an irrigated cropping operation for corn and mungbeans – crops that are more of a financial risk in Springsure,” Luke says.
Luke likens the ability to crop at the new 400ha property to running cattle – both help spread risk and improve cashflow.
“The new farm will allow us to make the most of another farming system. It should help our cash flow because we have water security there.”
He has spent time mulling over where the business could go since completing a Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship and tour in 2017. The GRDC-sponsored scholar set out to explore precision agriculture and how to best use available data to manage variability.
“For us, that variability is water, yet it’s the one we have least control over. We need to be flexible to deal with our seasons to decrease risks both environmentally and financially. We have the ability to treat areas differently and the equipment and technology to do that. We just need to make it simple and worthwhile.”
Meeting and learning from Dr Bob Stewart at West Texas A&M University on his Nuffield tour opened up Luke’s thinking about water use efficiency (WUE). Dr Stewart leads the university’s Dryland Agriculture Institute.
Dr Stewart taught him to think about how water is turned into grain. “I thought I knew everything about water and WUE until I went to Texas and met Bob,” Luke says.
Back in Queensland, Luke is starting to build a farming system that offers a long-term WUE goal. It has seen him move from wider rows to narrower ones within his controlled-traffic farming system. “That should see us grow more biomass in the plants and more organic matter in the soil, boosting WUE. We are also looking at different harvest options. We don’t let cattle on-farm now, but it is an option.”
More information: Luke Bradley, 0400 324 441, woolaroo5@bigpond.com
Read more about grower Luke Bradley - knowledge door opens on a slice of cake.