Sisters Creek farmer Michael Nichols harvested his Hyola canola crop on January 11 and it was assessed on a weighbridge at Impact Fertiliser’s depot and stored on-farm.

Mr Nichols said the crop could be attributed to a mild end to the season.

“Because it was a mild spring and summer, the pods could mature and didn’t dry out and fall off due to heat stress,” he said.

He said while Sisters Creek received a record 2150mm of rainfall in 2016 (the average is 1200mm), the wet season hindered rather than helped the crop.

“We planted the canola on April 27 and up to the beginning of May it only had 150mm, so it basically got two metres of rain after that.

“Considering last year our 970 went 5.8t/ha with three times less rain, I think 1200mm could have been the magic number this season.”

The crop stripped 52.52 tonnes off 8.5 hectares and is the farm’s fourth canola harvest.

The effort could also see him take the number four spot in the world, though no official records are kept.

In 2015, leading UK agriculture publication Farmers Weekly reported that UK farmer Steve Tuer grew a canola crop that yielded an unheard of 7.2t/ha. 

That year it also reported that UK grower Tim Lamyman hit 6.7t/ha and New Zealand’s Chris Dennison reached 6.31t/ha.

Mr Nichols farms with wife Rochelle and children Ronan, Jack, Jordan, Max and Isabelle.

The farm is also home to Nichols Poultry, run by his brother Tristan, and Hillfarm Preserves, run by production manager Kurin Luttmer.  His mother Carolyn recently retired from the preserves business.

Their cropping program consists of mustard seed, poppies, potatoes, onions, wheat and canola over six rotations of 30ha across 180ha of their arable land for cash and to go into the preserves.

The six rotations reduce disease and weed burdens on farm, and the soil always works better after the canola due to its root structure.”

The closing of a vegetable processing plant in the state prompted the family to diversify and invest in canola oil.

“The oil business is ticking along nicely.  We’re providing chickens with canola meal and the cold pressed canola oil is going mostly to the Japanese catering market, as they prefer the GM-free status.

“We go through about 120 tonnes of seed a year and produce roughly 50,000 litres of oil.”

This year the Mr Nichols said he will again plant Hyola 970CL, hoping for another magic number.