Thanks to support from John Deere, Kondinin Group has engaged Dr David Stephens from Agrometeorology Australia to produce these maps for Kondinin Group members for the 2020 cropping season.

 

Yield prediction as at 21 September, 2020 according to Dr Stephens:

Despite above average rainfall forecasts for spring, crop yield rankings fell over much of the country over the last month with a dry finish to August and dry start to September.

The northern wheatbelt of Western Australia, Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, central Victoria and south-east Queensland took the heaviest hit to rankings after a dry start to spring.

Substantial rainfall systems "piggybacked' over South Australia and Victoria with heavy rains inland around the end of August.

The bumper crop in New South Wales has tapered, although patchy storms just after this map was produced will have topped up soil moisture supplies pointing to high expected yields.

If the majority of forecasting models had been correct, we should have seen bumper yields across Australia after an excellent start in April and May in most areas.

However it would seem the season has only delivered this outcome in New South Wales.

Farming Ahead will continue to publish these monthly maps along with Dr Stephens' insights, thanks to support from John Deere.