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Ross Watson Agriculture

Phone: +61 428 658 704

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10.02.2022 St Johns Wort is spreading like a wild-fire. My SJW post from yesterday has been well received and seen as timely information. Thank you for your support in spreading my post from yesterday. Followers have confirmed the serious SJW issue this year. Attached here is a map we produced in 1994 when I rewrote the StJohns Wort Agfact when I was the District Agronomist at Scone , with my friend and (retired) colleague Dr Malcolm Campbell , Senior Research Agronomist based at Ora...nge. Malcolm did an immense amount of research into SJW. We were a great team. The map highlights the extent of the problem and the known hotspots and looming problem districts. This was based on the best estimates by District Agromists and Weeds Officers , of SJW at the time. Looking at this map today, I can see the problem areas have got worse. There are several district that have entered the SJW problem districts and several districts have gone up in severity of infestation. I welcome your input for your area. The 1994 map was scary enough , but today’s map will probably be horrifying!

04.02.2022 As the Agronomist that has the most experience with St Johns Wort (SJW), I rate SJW as the No1 invasive weed and threat , for grazing country. It is rarely a problem on arable areas. Throughout NSW, SJW is classified as plant a General Biosecurity Risk, requiring landholders to prevent, eliminate or minimise its spread, as much as practicable Some regions have more specific requirements. Authorities realised several years ago that SJW was beyond enforcing eradication notices ...Continue reading

24.01.2022 These European Climate models, which have to date shown a very good reliability are indicating a VERY WET trend from now until into December for us. The attached images are just snapshots of this ongoing rain system that appears to be going to become a regular feature, over the next 6 weeks. If correct again, there will be winners and losers with such an outlook!

24.01.2022 FOR PRIVATE SALE . SCONE. NSW. Our 2012 John Deere 6330 Premium Tractor , 110 HP with IVT transmission , fitted with John Deere 673 SL loader and JD bucket . This is an excellent quality tractor. Always shedded and well maintained. Aways regularly and fully serviced by dealer, immaculate condition inside and out. Excellent order mechanically. Tyres good. This is the Premium series JD tractor with premium light package, 3 rear remotes, 3rd function on loader, premium seat, h...as Topcon GPS fitted , Two Way and Radio Unit. Tractor fully serviced at 6000 hrs. Has 6240 hrs on now. Rare opportunity to find tractor of this quality and specs. The first to see is likely to buy. Please contact 0428 658704 or PM if you are genuinely interested. See more

22.01.2022 Clovers and other pasture legumes are the engine room of our pasture systems. With improved seasonal conditions after several years of consecutive drought, now and the next 2 months, when these clovers are strongly evident and flowering , will be a valuable time to assess what sub clovers, medics and other pasture legumes have survived and persisted on your farm or district. Many varieties, particularly Sub Clovers can be readily identifying by specific leaf markings, flower markings and stem features. Knowing what varieties are persisting and producing is invaluable information. Success leaves clues!

21.01.2022 Such great silage making conditions! Our Farm Services team have been out making high quality and high density round bale, oats plus ryegrass silage with our John Deere 6135R and Krone CV 150 XC Baler and Wrapper all in one machine - punching out another big load of bales! Our Krone Baler produces even, high density bales, which is so critical (as seen across this paddock). They are immediately wrapped in 6 layers of quality silage plastic, as they come out of the baler. Such an efficient, one man operation!

20.01.2022 Another BEFORE and AFTER pasture development project that our Farm Services Division has undertaken and completed for a client near Scone over the last 2 months. Paddock had a serious stone issue in otherwise good soil. Area was cropped in 2019 for initial weed clean up. Then fallow sprayed during late 2019 and early 2020. Area cultivated, rock raked and rock picked. Then left to allow final germination before sowing. New weeds were sprayed 7 days before sowing, new pasture sown. Uniform, dense, clean and stone free pasture now establishing. Exciting to see what a transformation can be achieved by adopting a sound agronomic and farm development program!

20.01.2022 We are proud to support the 2021 Scone Charity Rodeo at the magnificent White Park Arena with our specialist Arena Drag and John Deere 6135 R tractor servicing the arena surface for all the rodeo events tonight. Some 4000 people from near and far are here tonight to enjoy one of the best and most professional rodeo events in Australia. Congratulations to Jade Smith and his Committee for their professional organisation. The crowd tonight have been waiting for this annual event all year! A great night!

18.01.2022 We are undertaking some very unique research on herbicide tank mixes for potential use on seedling Lucerne/Alfalfa. We are evaluating 22 herbicide combinations, looking at combinations of broadleaf herbicides with grass selective herbicides for single pass broadleaf weed and annual grass control in young lucerne. We will be scoring the trial over the next few months for effects/damage on the young lucerne, as well as the control levels on several common broadleaf weeds and annual winter grasses. Our field research program is an integral part of our business which ultimately provides leading edge information to our clients. We also love doing this type of trial work!

15.01.2022 HAY FOR SALE We have good to prime Lucerne hay and some lucerne + grass mix available. Made under perfect conditions in early 2021 from Feb to April. No rain or weather damage. Baled and shedded the same night to preserve good colour. Price range $10 to $16 per bale plus GST. Grab loaded. Located near Scone. Call 0428 658704

15.01.2022 We advised and set up many clients to take advantage of this above average rainfall pattern of the last 3 to 6 months, to establish sub tropical / summer pastures. This was the perfect summer to establish these productive and persistent pastures. The following picture profile is part of a major pasture project we undertook this year for the Bragg family operations at Rossgole and Cambria south west of Scone, establishing a series of paddocks to Digit Grass based pastures. As I have promoted over the last 30 years, these summer pastures, play a vital role in our pasture systems not only for quality summer grazing but also they deliver, greater drought ready pastures !

15.01.2022 Saffron Thistles are one of our first responders after drought impacts on pastures. Saffron Thistles are bigger and denser than seen in most years due to the good season and drought weakened pastures trying to recover. Well timed slashing at the green bud to first 10 % yellow flower appearance is one management option on advanced infestations which will deliver excellent reduction in seed set. Slashing effectively mulches this massive volume of plant material back to the ground to rebuild carbon and organic matter, which will eventually give benefits to the pastures and soil. Slashing also allows full stock and vehicle access and more rapid pasture recovery. Our Farm Services Division was east of Scone yesterday with our John Deere and Schulte Slasher attacking a solid crop of Saffron’s with great results.

15.01.2022 As they say the making is in the raking. Modern rotary hay rakes provide gentle, uniform raking that produce even and fluffy windrows to provide good air flow and even drying. Rotary rakes are far superior to the old side delivery rakes. Here is a video of our JD tractor with Krone 710/26T twin rotary rake, which can do 2 single rows for initial raking or put 2 into one or put 4 into 1 if needed, when it is near ready for baling. Current conditions, with high daily humidity are not the best for hay drying, but the the fluffy, even windrows formed by these modern rotary rakes help to maximise drying. The quicker hay is dried down the better the quality, the less bleaching, the better leaf retention and the less weather risk you run. All which mean higher returns.

13.01.2022 What does this tell you ? Hopefully a whole lot ! Grass pastures or forage crops showing massive responses to added nutrients from urine and dung, as shown here, tell you the following. * the pasture or crop is grossly deficient in Nitrogen ( and possibly Nitrogen+ Potassium ) as urine and dung patches load the soil with high levels of Nitrogen and Potassium. In most soils in our area Nitrogen is the major nutrient response. * the pasture or crop needs a decent hit of high ni...trogen based fertiliser to correct this deficiency. * this plant response shows the potential feed you could have grown with the same amount of rain. * remember the rainfall on the entire paddock was the same, so the extra pasture or crop growth showing , which can easily be 2-10 fold higher is feed potential you have lost ! The well fertilised patches have grown often 10-50 kg pasture Dry matter DM per mm of rainfall where as the poor area failed to respond to rainfall and typically only grows 2-5 kg DM/mm of rain. Having poor fertility pastures or crops can keep you in drought like feed conditions . Fertiliser can be more important than rainfall. * unfertilised pastures fail to respond to rain, because they can’t respond because they are starving for nutrients. Note the lack of growth of the yellow deficient areas. * unfertilised pastures becoming grossly deficient within a year or two of their sowing , and then continue to decline in vigour, groundcover and persistence, resulting in the ultimate decline or loss of the pasture. I see this far too often . Good pastures literally starved to death. * unfertilised pastures and crops struggle to be productive or profitable. You can’t afford to operate with starving crops or pastures. * feed quality , energy , protein and mineral content are significantly lower, which all mean poor animal weight gains and low production per hectare. This all means less $ in your pocket! * nutrient deficient crops and pastures are far more susceptible to diseases and insects. I have seen many deficient forages and pastures grasses this year and they are also severely infected with leaf rusts while the high nutrient cow patches are deep green, healthy and no rust. Rusts indicates a better fertiliser program needed. * a soil testing program is required to accurately assess the complete nutrient profile of the paddock to see how the other key nutrient nutrients eg Phosphorus, Potassium , Sulphur and trace elements like Molybdenum, Zinc and Copper are at desired levels to ensure added Nitrogen can be efficiently converted and nutritionally balanced. * some agronomic advice should be sought to help you correct such pasture and crop deficiencies. See more

13.01.2022 Checking more client pastures this week. Another example of the standard of our pasture establishment programs. This new phalaris based pasture was sown 8 May 2020, and it's progressing very well at just 7 weeks since sowing... it’s where we want to be. We want our new pastures to be dense, show uniform establishment, show a good balance of sown grasses and legumes which are healthy in colour and vigour, and virtually free of weeds and pasture pests, like this one.

12.01.2022 Good news announced this week, for farming operations and businesses , looking to update tractors, farming equipment and other capital items. The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced that the Australian Government has extended the Instant Asset Write Off allowance for the purchase business assets costing less than $150,000 ex GST (or less than $165,000 GST incl), for businesses with an annual turnover of less than $500 million, has NOW been extended for 6 months until 31st De...Continue reading

11.01.2022 We provide experienced and independent agronomic advice and professional farm contracting services, to plan and implement many pasture development projects. This is one of our perennial summer pasture projects over recent months. This was a 70 acre paddock, north of Scone, in the Upper Hunter Region of NSW. Having a agronomic program and plan in place was critical. This summer season was an excellent opportunity to establish these productive and persistent summer pastures, which will remain so for decades ahead.

11.01.2022 A long day but a good day spent preparing and maintaining the arena surface at Hunter Valley Cutting Horse Club’s One day show at the Scone Equine Centre with our JD tractor and Kiser Arena Drag. This is the first Cutting Horse Show run in NSW this year, under new Covid Protocols. All events were strongly supported by Pro, Non Pro, Amateur and Youth Competitors. Cutting horse enthusiasts have been hanging out for a show! The HVCHC, which is a strong and active club which is recognised for running one of the best Regional Shows. Another one almost completed as the Open Final is being run. now. Well done all!

11.01.2022 Here’s an example of one of our many pasture development projects we have undertaken for local clients of Adam & Gilly Brooks at Middlebrook, who have now established one of best boutique horse agistment farms in the district. This was a previously very degraded, weedy native pasture on gravelly ridge soil, which now supports immaculate and productive kikuyu and Rhodes grass pastures for their horse agistment clients. Shows what can be achieved when you seek our experienced and professional agronomic advice and farm services.

09.01.2022 The biological control of Patersons Curse , is now one of the great success stories in biological weed control in Australia. Full credit to the great research work of CSIRO back in the early 1980-1990’s , in collaboration with State Depts of Ag and dedicated producers. The successful biological control of Patersons Curse has been building and spreading significantly over the last 20 years. There was 1000’s upon 1000’s of acres of good grazing land that were always smothered ...in Paterson Curse, in the Upper Hunter and much of central & southern NSW as well as Victoria, only 25 -30 years ago. Today , it is hard to find a really bad paddock of Patersons Curse anywhere now. The bio agents are around and they will find it. Back in the mid 1990’s in my role as District Agronomist at Scone , I undertook the first initial releases of biological agents for Paterson Curse. It is great to see many district paddocks now benefitting from that work. Today I was out working with Barry Sampson , Bio Weed Guru , on a location east of Scone, assessing the strong biological agent activity on a once dense paddock of Patersons Curse. Today it’s only about 20% of infestation it once was. Spring is a good time to see bio agent damage and activity. The strong combination of the Crown Weevil and the Flea Beetle is doing the bulk of the control in this area and most regions now . Other bio agents such as the Root Weevil , the Leaf Miner and the Flower Weevil tend to play a lesser role .The bio agent’s are now widespread and well established on most farms now. Look for weak, dying and blackened plants now. The days of Patersons Curse as a significant weed are now numbered. Great to find the bio agents rebuilding and surviving the drought too. Unfortunately not all bio control programs are always as successful as this one has proved to be.

08.01.2022 New Lucerne stands have been sown or establishing now, for the upcoming hay season. In my experience, most new stands, being set up for high quality hay production will require an early weed and insect treatment. There is no reason today to have or accept weedy first cuts of Lucerne. The cost of herbicide treatments to make stands clean is highly profitable and improves the long term productivity and quality of your Lucerne stands. With new herbicide technologies and the a...Continue reading

08.01.2022 Major Rain = Major Weeds !!!! The well above average rainfall of recent months has also promoted well above average weed issues appearing in many pastures. These high densities of broadleaf weeds are going to significantly reduce available feed , water use efficiency of the pasture and pasture recovery into summer and autumn....Continue reading

06.01.2022 Our Lucerne herbicide research program has identified some promising experimental treatments for early post emergent grass and broadleaf weed control in a single pass. We took our early research trial plot research findings to evaluate their performance under commercial field application conditions and equipment. This new Lucerne paddock was being sprayed here on 11th June. Inspection this week, 4 weeks after spraying, July 10th are very pleasing. We will undertake further research to refine rates and product combinations.

06.01.2022 What a rainfall blessing this year has been and continues to be with around 400 mm for the last 6 months, January to June 2020. The last 12 months July 2019 to June 2020 has been a very unique seasonal period. The 6 months July to December 2019 was the DRIEST July to December on record since 1875 (over 145 years) with only 90 mm in Scone. It is the only July to June period that had the combination of less than 100 mm in the July to December, and 400 mm in following January... to June period over the last 145 years of rainfall records. We are very thankful for the recent rain and happy to accept some more to fully replenish water reserves and flows! It has been a great season so far with regular moderate and even rainfall over the last 6 months. Just what we needed. Climate events like this have occurred before, so they are NOT some new climate phenomena. Other similar events occurred in July to Dec 1888 with only 115 mm, followed by Jan to June 1889 with 330 mm, and July to Dec 1875 with 116 mm, followed by 313 mm in Jan to June 1876. The important role of long term and accurate climate records. There have been several periods during 1900-2020 with very similar to almost identical cumulative rainfall patterns as the recent drought period of 2018-2020. For example, if you look at the cumulative rainfall pattern over the previous 12 month period July 2019-July 2020, then it seems to have very closely followed the cumulative rainfall pattern that occurred in 1982-83 and 2002-03 . If we look at the 2 year period say July 2018 to July 2020, we see the rainfall pattern followed a very similar pattern to 1900-02, 1904-1906 and 1936-37, 1938-1940. Some examples are shown with the attached graphics. There have been other July to June periods with similar rainfall accumulation patterns, with several years through the drier 1900-1940s period, which also experienced several extended dry or drought periods as well as some better rainfall periods, like now. Although we have had wetter January to June periods with recording of 650-700 mm, the 400 mm we have had so far, is in the top 25% of wettest starts to the year. The long term average is 330 mm for January to June. There have been combinations of July to December and January to June with greater difference in actual rainfall for each of these periods, but all these years were generally better seasons to start with over that entire July to June 12 month period. The July 2019 to June 2020 period has been such a contrast in seasons ! We are grateful for the rainfall we continue to receive and enjoy.

05.01.2022 Annual Medics are prolific and knee deep in many pasture areas of the Upper Hunter, as well as NW and Central NSW. They have shown their strong post drought recovery ability due to their high hardseed content which survives droughts and their rapid spring growth to help pasture recovery. In many areas they are dominant and presenting bloat issues. Medics, were introduced during early settlement and several varieties eg Burr Medic , are widely naturalised throughout Australia. They prefer medium to heavy textured soils with near neutral to alkaline soil pH ( pH 5.5 to 7.5). There are many new medic lines available with improved aphid tolerance , disease resistance , some SU herbicide tolerance and dry matter production. Medics can be considered in pasture mixes in suitable areas.

04.01.2022 We are recognised as the pasture improvement specialists. Not only do we provide leading agronomic advice on pasture development, but also manage and implement dedicated pasture improvement programs through our farm services division. Pastures receive forward planning and attention to detail at every stage of our successful pasture establishment programs. This is a new, clean, dense and healthy dryland phalaris based pasture near Scone, only 5 weeks after sowing this week. Great year for new perennial pastures! Our rule is that 80% of the success of a new pasture is determined before sowing!

03.01.2022 Team work makes the dream work.

01.01.2022 Silage making season is getting into full swing. With one of the best seasons in a very long time, with prolific spring crop and pasture growth, there is a great opportunity to conserve some of this surplus feed as high quality round bale silage for another time. Well made silage bales will provide good feed for at least 9-12 months. We all know these great seasonal conditions don’t last for ever. A few tips worth sharing on making high quality round bale silage. Grow the ...Continue reading