MONOLA has proved a successful replacement for lupins in Tony Christie's cropping rotation.
The grain grower, from Pleasant Hills, north of Albury, decided to try monola this year after a few disappointing seasons growing lupins.
A high oleic specialty canola oilseed, monola is an alternative to cooking oils containing high levels of saturated fats.
"Monola oil has a lower cholesterol and longer cooking life than canola, and is becoming popular with the swing to healthy living," Mr Christie said.
"I can treat monola the same as triazine-tolerant canola and receive a premium of $45/tonne delivered at Henty."
Mr Christie expects the 50ha of monola to yield 1-1.5 tonnes/ha and his 10ha of canola to go 1 tonne/ha.
A handful of growers around Henty are trying monola this year.
"Neighbours have stripped canola ranging from 0.4 to 1.4 tonnes/ha," Mr Christie said.
Tony, a plumber, and his wife, Denise, took up farming nine years ago on their 488ha property.
This year they have sown ventura and sapphire wheat, with a paddock of ventura taking out the Henty Show Society wheat competition. Judged on potential yield and available water, the crop had a growing-season rainfall of 166mm and a potential yield of 3.5 tonnes/ha.
The wheat was sown on May 6 into a lupin stubble with no stored soil moisture.
The crop was direct drilled with a 27-row Shearer combine fitted with rotary harrows and a tyre roller.
It was sown at 75kg/ha with 70kg/ha of MAP on an 18cm row spacing at a depth of 25-50mm.
"This is our fourth year of drought; we had a dry May followed by good falls in June-July," Mr Christie said.
"Last year the rain cut out in September, followed by high temperatures and that almost killed the crop.
"The harvest was quite small with the canola an absolute failure and we just got our seed back from the lupins.
"This year is a lot different."
The winning ventura finished with 345 heads a square metre.
"There has been frost damage in the wheat, canola and triticale in the district, with some cut for hay," Mr Christie said.
"Harvest started a fortnight early, we normally start at the beginning of December.
"It is not as tough as last year.
"Some people were pleasantly surprised at the yields while others were disappointed, it was a big range."
