Soybeans are a staple in the rotation for the Richards’ at Nobby. Photo: RDS Farming

TWO STANDOUT soybean crops have earned Nobby-based RDS Farming both the champion and reserve champion titles in the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland’s (RASQ) annual crop competition.

Located between Toowoomba and Warwick in the Darling Downs, RDS Farming is operated by husband-and-wife Matt and Emma Richards and Matt’s father, Alan.

In addition to the Richards’ soybean crop taking top honours overall and in the irrigated legumes class, the operation claimed first and second in the irrigated sorghum category, and first in irrigated cotton.

The champion crop, A6785 variety, yielded 4.722 tonnes per hectare with the reserve champion entry, also a A6785, coming in just lower at 4.434t/ha.

The Richards’ irrigated cotton topped the pack at 12.5 bales per hectare, 0.2b/ha stronger than second placed Rhys Herbert from Pastoral Properties at Warra.

The Nobby growers’ winning two irrigated sorghum crops were both the Pacific Sentinel variety and yielded 8.09t/ha and 7.918t/ha.

Matt Richards said this was the second time RDS Farming had entered the RASQ Crop Competition, but the first time they had entered an irrigated soybean crop.

“If you don’t enter you don’t know,” Mr Richards said.

RDS Farming runs a diverse rotation across its 600ha, growing irrigated cotton, soybeans and sorghum in summer, and wheat, barley, canola and pickling onions in winter.

“We are pretty lucky here…that we have such a good climate that we can grow most things.”

Competition chair Andrew Speed said the results highlighted RDS Farming’s strength as standout performers in both grain and cotton production.

“They must have some nice land and are good operators,” Mr Speed said.

While entries were down on previous years, Mr Speed said the competition organisers were thankful for the ongoing support it received from Show Societies in the region, seed company representatives and the Darling Downs Cotton Growers Association.

He said the involvement of these groups had helped attract entries and supported the continued running of the competition.

DRYLAND
SORGHUM	Entrant	Location	Variety	Yield kg/ha
1^st	Mt Irving Farming Co	Oakey	Pacific MR Taurus	8641kg/ha
2^nd	Mt Irving Farming Co	Oakey	Pacific Sterling	8610kg/ha
MAIZE
1^st	Meljosh Farming	Nobby	Pac624	6129 kg/ha
2^nd	Meljosh Farming	Nobby	Pac440	5482 kg/ha
3^rd	Meljosh Farming	Nobby	Pac343	5458 kg/ha
COTTON				bales/ha
1^st	Pallathorpe Enterprises	Macalister	–	10
2^nd	McVeigh Partnership	Dalby	–	9.60
3^rd	Graincott Farming Co	Dalby	–	9.20
IRRIGATED
LEGUMES				kg/ha
1^st – Champion	RDS Farming	Nobby	A6785	4722
2^nd– Reserve Champion	RDS Farming	Nobby	A6785	4434
SORGHUM
1^st	RDS Farming	Nobby	Pacific Sentinel	8090
2^nd	RDS Farming	Nobby	Pacific Sentinel	7918
FIBRE CROPS				bales/ha
1^st	RDS Farming	Nobby	–	12.5
2^nd	Pastoral Properties	Warra	–	12.3
3^rd	Wamara Farming	Cecil Plains	–	11.3
BARLEY, WHEAT, TRITICALE, CANARY, CHICKPEAS				kg/ha
1^st	Arcadia Rural	Kingsthorpe	Fandaga	7548
FIELD WHEAT
Placing	Entrant	Show society	Variety	Points
1st	IA & LA Muir	Millmerran	Borlaug	174.70
2^nd	Girraween Farming	Oakey	Leverage	164.15
FIELD BARLEY
Placing	Entrant	Show society	Variety	Points
1st	Pallathorpe Enterprises	–	Yeti	163.40
2^nd	Scott & Fiona Clark	–	LaPerouse	158.50

Table 1: RASQ Irrigated, Dryland and Field Wheat and Barley 2025 Crop Competition results.

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