After what has been shaping up as a very good season across parts of the Mallee, Mother Nature has thrown in another reminder that nothing is guaranteed until the crop is actually in the bin.
I caught up with Rosco this week for another crop update, and while things are still looking very good overall, the finish has become a little more complicated than expected.
His barley has been hit with fungal rust, something he says they don’t normally have much trouble with.
They are now spraying the crop with fungicide, but there has been another hurdle... chemical has been in short supply, meaning they are around a couple of weeks later getting onto the paddock than they would have liked.
The hope is that they have caught it early enough to avoid any major yield penalty.
The rust is quite easy to see, with the barley leaves covered in yellow and orange spotting.
The fungicide should provide around three weeks of protection, hopefully enough to preserve some green leaf area while the crop finishes filling grain.
Warmer weather should also start working in their favour by helping knock the rust around.
Frost has had a crack as well
Rust isn’t the only thing the barley has had to deal with.
Some earlier frost damage is now showing up in the barley heads.
You can see it in the photo, with some of the developing grains towards the top of the head turning white where the frost has caused the grain to abort.
Rosco believes that particular damage probably came from a frost around two or three weeks ago.
There was another frost this week, although it is still too early to know whether that one has caused any further damage.
It is another one of those frustrating parts of farming, you can have plenty of rain, a great looking crop and everything heading in the right direction, then a cold morning comes along at exactly the wrong time.
Does the crop need any more rain?
Probably not much.
Rosco reckons most of the crop now has enough moisture to finish, although some of the lighter sandy country could still benefit from another little drink.
A lot will depend on how quickly the heat arrives.
If we suddenly get a week of temperatures around 30 degrees, those lighter soils could dry out pretty quickly and another rain would certainly help.
For most of the crop though, attention has now turned from wanting rain to simply getting it safely through the final few weeks.
So, has the season suddenly turned bad?
No.
And that was probably the most important part of the conversation.
When I asked Rosco whether the rust and frost had changed the outlook from a good season into a potentially bad one, his answer was pretty straightforward.
The wheat is still looking amazing, and despite the rust and some frost damage, the barley itself is still looking really good.
There could certainly be a bit of yield knocked around in places, but at this stage there is nothing suggesting the season has fallen apart.
It is simply another reminder of an old farming saying Rosco summed up perfectly:
“You don’t have it until it’s in the bin.”
After the season Mallee farmers have had so far, there is still plenty to be positive about.
The crops are there. The potential is there.
Now they just need Mother Nature to behave herself for a few more weeks.