Best times for sowing in the Markham Valley

Abstract

Rain-grown cropping enterprises are an important feature of agriculture in the Markham and Ramu Valleys. On those soils which are well drained during the wet season, the sowing of crops can be timed to coincide with optimum soil moisture conditions during growth, and suitably dry weather at harvest time. Climatically optimum sowing dates are suggested for dryland rice, grain sorghum, maize and peanuts at a number of locations in the valley.