Local growers are facing a mixed start to spring, with crops across the region lagging behind schedule due to a dry and delayed autumn break.

Wangaratta-based Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist Claire Wilson said while the season has presented challenges, there’s still cautious optimism for a strong finish, if the weather plays its part.

“We're probably about two weeks behind to where we're usually sitting in other seasons,” she said.

“That’s probably just because of our delayed start.”

The slow start has had a knock-on effect, particularly for cereal crops.

“We’re starting to see a bit of drought stress coming into the area in terms of our cereals,” Claire said.

“Most people will be having their final fungicide spray on their flag leaf at the moment, just setting themselves up for the best yield potential.”

While some areas like Dookie benefited from early storms, other parts of the region missed out on crucial early autumn moisture.

Despite the slow start, Claire said advances in crop genetics and agronomic practices have helped farmers adapt.

“Twenty years ago, this start probably wouldn’t have worked,” she said.

“But the technology and the breeding genetics through our varieties have really helped us battle the environment and become more resilient."

Disease pressure is also a concern this season, with rust and septoria beginning to appear in isolated pockets.

Claire said some cereal varieties, in terms of disease, are a little bit more susceptible.

“People obviously do need to keep an eye on that and contact their local agronomist if anything pops up.”

Claire said while sclerotinia hasn’t been widespread in pulses or canola, the conditions remain conducive for disease persistence.

“We’re only getting a mil or two of rain here and there, and most of that is happening in the afternoon,” she said.

“That means the leaf remains wet overnight, which creates an environment where disease can persist longer.”

Insect pressure is also expected to rise as temperatures climb.

“With the warmer weather and the winds starting to pick up, we can see a few moth flights getting about,” Claire said.

“That usually means we’ll end up with a couple of eggs, and two to three weeks down the track, we’ll start to see insect pressure coming through.”

Growers are being urged to monitor their crops closely, particularly canola, beans, lupins and lentils.

“These are quite prone to being large hosts to insect populations,” Claire said.

“It’s just about being on top of your management.”

Despite the challenges, Claire remains hopeful.

“We’re not necessarily out of the woods,” she said.

“But we’re just hoping for a nice soft spring, some more rain and when we do get a drop, we’re wanting more than just five mil.

"We want anywhere up to 10 at the moment.”

Claire said beyond immediate challenges, growers are encouraged to adopt a proactive approach to future seasons.

This includes reviewing nitrogen budgets, assessing yields and protein content at harvest, and engaging in early discussions about next year's plans.

"Key considerations include residual product use, rotation strategies and variety selection," Claire said.

"We need to look at being on top of it for next year, so adapting to a more proactive approach.

"This is the prefect time to start planning for next year before we're all exhausted after harvest.

"We can't control the weather, and have to work with the cards we're dealt, so I would encourage farmers to control the controllables."