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 |
| 1st | Mt Irving Farming Co | Oakey | Pacific MR Taurus | 8641kg/ha |
| 2nd | Mt Irving Farming Co | Oakey | Pacific Sterling | 8610kg/ha |
| MAIZE | ||||
| 1st | Meljosh Farming | Nobby | Pac624 | 6129 kg/ha |
| 2nd | Meljosh Farming | Nobby | Pac440 | 5482 kg/ha |
| 3rd | Meljosh Farming | Nobby | Pac343 | 5458 kg/ha |
| COTTON | bales/ha | |||
| 1st | Pallathorpe Enterprises | Macalister | – | 10 |
| 2nd | McVeigh Partnership | Dalby | – | 9.60 |
| 3rd | Graincott Farming Co | Dalby | – | 9.20 |
| IRRIGATED | ||||
| LEGUMES | kg/ha | |||
| 1st – Champion | RDS Farming | Nobby | A6785 | 4722 |
| 2nd – Reserve Champion | RDS Farming | Nobby | A6785 | 4434 |
| SORGHUM | ||||
| 1st | RDS Farming | Nobby | Pacific Sentinel | 8090 |
| 2nd | RDS Farming | Nobby | Pacific Sentinel | 7918 |
| FIBRE CROPS | bales/ha | |||
| 1st | RDS Farming | Nobby | – | 12.5 |
| 2nd | Pastoral Properties | Warra | – | 12.3 |
| 3rd | Wamara Farming | Cecil Plains | – | 11.3 |
| BARLEY, WHEAT, TRITICALE, CANARY, CHICKPEAS | kg/ha | |||
| 1st | Arcadia Rural | Kingsthorpe | Fandaga | 7548 |
| FIELD WHEAT | ||||
| Placing | Entrant | Show society | Variety | Points |
| 1st | IA & LA Muir | Millmerran | Borlaug | 174.70 |
| 2nd | Girraween Farming | Oakey | Leverage | 164.15 |
| FIELD BARLEY | ||||
| Placing | Entrant | Show society | Variety | Points |
| 1st | Pallathorpe Enterprises | – | Yeti | 163.40 |
| 2nd | Scott & Fiona Clark | – | LaPerouse | 158.50 |
Table 1: RASQ Irrigated, Dryland and Field Wheat and Barley 2025 Crop Competition results.
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