LOSING 400ha of his best wheat crops to frost has not been easy for southern NSW grower Nick Ennis.

The frost, on October 8, caused a complete loss in the lower-lying wheat crops, forcing him to cut them for hay.

Mr Ennis manages the Howlong property, Oakbank, for owners Hilton and Marjorie Nicholas.

"The weather didn't seem that cold at the time and the canola and triticale weren't affected," he said.

"But our best wheat crops were a 100 per cent loss.

"We have stacked the hay in large, square bales and will sacrifice the top layer to the weather, with the rest to be sold."

Even so, all was not lost, with wheat crops growing on the higher, undulating country escaping damage.

In fact, a crop of ventura has won the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW southern region dryland wheat crop competition.

Sown into a wheat stubble on May 14, the ventura enjoyed a season of little disease pressure.

Mr Ennis used a Gason ScariTill airseeder fitted with a 2cm auto guidance system, knife points and press wheels on a 333mm row spacing.

Pre-sowing, he sprayed one litre/ha of Roundup, 2.5 litres/ha of Boxer Gold and 35g/ha of Logran.

The crop was inter-row sown at 75kg/ha with 70kg/ha of MAP at a depth of 3cm.

It emerged at 750 tillers a square metre.

Post-emergent, the crop received an application of Axial at 300ml/ha and Velocity at 550ml/ha for ryegrass and radish control.

A nitrogen analysis revealed nitrate levels were adequate, so there was no top-dressing.

Growing-season rainfall totalled 345mm.

"The crops looked terrific all year with the best having potential yields of over six tonnes/ha before the frost," Mr Ennis said.

He said sowing into retained stubble with stored soil moisture, weed control and the paddock's elevation helped the ventura finish well.

Ventura and gregory wheat have been sown with hawkeye and kosciuszko triticale and three clearfield hybrid and two triazine-tolerant canola varieties.

Mr Ennis has sold the canola straight off the header and is storing wheat for physical and forward sales ($220/tonne).

"A good percentage of the crop is hedged with physical and forward positions," he said.

"We will do OK out of swaps this year."