Using Less To Grow More

Local Farmers Use ‘Precision Agriculture’ To Save Money And The Reef

Across the Whitsunday and Mackay regions, local sugarcane growers are getting on board with water quality programs that utilise Precision Agriculture to improve their farm productivity and water quality.

Precision Agriculture uses advanced technologies to better inform farm management decisions. This allows variations within a crop to be identified and managed accordingly rather than treating the crop as a consistent unit.  

Precision Agriculture can lead to more effective application of inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation water which reduces both cost to the farmer and environmental impact.

The Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program (MWWQP) is one of ten water quality regional programs funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation that work together with local organisations and landholders to deliver on-ground projects.

Farmacist’s project Point of Difference (P.O.D), focuses on educating a broader population of growers in the Precision Agriculture approach to nutrient applications on sugarcane farms.

Growers are supported to utilise a range of technologies to provide detailed spatial data of their land, including GPS satellite mapping, Electromagnetic Mapping, satellite yield mapping and elevation data. This allows growers to get a more precise understanding of variables such as soil condition and constraints on their property, which is central to managing crop yields, and nutrient and chemical applications.

Working with experienced agronomists, growers then develop a fertilising program specific to their property. The use of variable rate applicators allows farmers to tailor the amount of fertiliser applied based on intra paddock variability such as soil types which can require different fertiliser rates.  

Growers are also eligible for major grants, which so far in the project have been utilised to build variable rate applicators, upgrade GPS technology, and fund various hydraulic conversions of fertiliser boxes allowing variable rates to be applied.

Utilising Precision Agriculture has multiple potential benefits for both the farmer and the Great Barrier Reef. Reducing inputs and increasing uptake efficiency, means less runoff and improved water quality.

Agronomist, Zoe Eager, from Farmacist has been encouraged by local uptake.

“All my interactions with growers have shown that they recognise the benefits of integrating Precision Agriculture practices and want to adopt these practices on their farm.”

“My favourite feedback I get from growers is ‘why didn’t I do this sooner?’’

For more information on any of the projects involved in the MWWQP or Farmacist’s Project P.O.D please visit reefcatchments.com.au.

The MWWQP and Famacist Project P.O.D is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef foundation.

Contributed with thanks to Reef Catchments.

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Growers are eligible for major grants which can fund machinery conversions

New technology promotes ‘Precision Agriculture’

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