Pessimistic old Hanrahan was famously wrong with his much quoted prediction:
"We’ll all be rooned." (*)

We all haven’t been and, without belittling the tragedy of the current drought, may we point out that many graingrowers have harvested good crops despite low rainfall.

That’s thanks to technology, most notably zero tillage and conservation farming, practices that protect soil and maximise infiltration of the rain that does fall on cropping land.

Queensland agronomist Peter Wylie points out that the 2002 winter cropping season, with its limited rainfall, again highlights the advantages of zero tillage – with its associated stubble retention – and deep sowing equipment that allow farmers to plant at the best time, whether rain has fallen or not.

"Yields of wheat, barley and chickpea, planted deep into moisture in early May, were almost double those of crops planted after rain in early June," Mr Wylie said. "Around Dalby, wheat and barley crops yielded as high as 5t/ha on an early May plant while later planted barley yielded only 2.5/3t/ha, with some poorer crops haying off badly compared to wheat.

"The water use efficiency (WUE) of these recent winter crops was exceptionally high, with about 17kg/ha/mm from crops yielding 3.5t/ha. They used about 210 mm of water, from soil stored moisture and in-crop rain of 60 to 80mm. This is well above our normal targets of 12kg/ha/mm and is a reflection of the early planting, a cool growing season and well timed rain in August."

Mr Wylie said even drier country west of Dalby, still had good winter crop experiences. One paddock of Baxter wheat at Tara yielded 2.6t/ha after being deep planted in mid-May, eight weeks after rain. In crop rainfall was 15mm in early June and 62mm in late August.

In NSW, Jeff Esdaile, former Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) Northern Panel member and long term manager of the University of Sydney’s Livingston Farm at Moree, expressed disappointment that, after 25 years of "banging the drum" about the benefits of conservation farming, significant numbers of grain farmers still use conventional cultivation.

Mr Esdaile said he had seen "some quite fair" crops grown in the difficult 2002 winter season by members of the Walgett Sustainable Agriculture Group.

"They are real slick operators and show that, if everything is done right, it’s possible to survive a drought by real good water management," Mr Esdaile said.

"I don’t think we can drought proof Australia but we can do better than we are doing now." 

(*)
by Australian poet John O'Brien (1878 - 1952)

"We'll all be rooned", said Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
One frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about
Coat collars to the ears,
And talked of stock and crops and drought
As it had done for years.

"It's lookin' crook," said Daniel Croke,
"Bedad it's crook me lad,
But never since the banks went broke
Has seasons been so bad."

"It's dry all right," said young O'Neil,
With which astute remark,
He squatted down upon his heel
And chewed a piece of bark.

And so around the chorus ran,
"It's keepin' dry no doubt."
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out.

"The crops are done, you'll have your work
To save one bag of grain.
From here way out to Back o' Bourke
They're singing out for rain.

"They're singin' out for rain," he said,
"And all the tanks are dry."
The congregation scratched its head
And gazed around the sky.

"There won't be grass, in any case
Enough to feed and ass,
There's not a blade on Casey's place
As I came down to Mass."

"If rain don't come this month," said Dan,
And cleared his throat to speak,
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If rain don't come this week."

A heavy silence seemed to steal
On all at his remark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed a piece of bark.

"We want an inch of rain, we do,"
O'Neil observed at last.
But Croke maintained we wanted two,
To put the danger past.

"If we don't get three inches man,
Or four to break this drought,
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."

In God's good time, down came the rain,
And all the afternoon,
On iron roof and window pane,
It drummed a homely tune.

And through the night it pattered still,
And lightsome, gladsome elves,
On dripping spout and window sill,
Kept talking to themselves.

It pelted, pelted all day long,
A-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song,
Way out to Back o' Bourke.

And every creek a banker ran,
And dams filled overtop.
"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
"If this rain doesn't stop."

And stop it did in God's good time,
And Spring came into fold.
A mantle o'er the hills sublime,
Of green and pink and gold.

And days went by on dancing feet,
With harvest hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat,
Nid-nodding o'er the fence.

And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lad and lass,
Through grass knee deep on Casey's place,
Went riding down to Mass.

While round the church in clothes genteel,
Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed a piece of bark.

"There'll be bush fires for sure, me man,
There will without a doubt.
We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan.
"Before the year is out."