SA - Burdekin WQIP Cane Implementation Plan Irrigation_FINAL 080319 (1) | Page 59

Table 6.5 . Paddock to Reef program adoption data for irrigation management in the Lower Burdekin showing the representative proportions of responses from growers . Data based on benchmarking exercise for 2016- 17 . Rows in bold highlight the greatest proportions for each question . Source : DAF , Paddock to Reef Management Practice Adoption Program Area , October 2018 . Note – WQ risk and weightings to be checked .

40 % Do you normally use a green cane trash blanket ? High No 98 % 97 % Moderate On Ratoons only 1 % 3 %

Mod-Low / Low Cane trash blanket is retained , including as fallow cover after final ratoon .

20 % Which best describes how machinery traffic is managed on your farm ?

Lowest

All machines and implements including harvesters and haul outs operate on the same wheel spacings , AND under GPS guidance .

Mod-low Machines and implements used for bed forming , tillage , planting , spraying all operates on the same wheel spacing under GPS guidance . Harvesters and haul outs are on the same wheel spacings as other equipment , without GPS guidance .

Mod Machines and implements used for bed forming , tillage , planting , spraying all operate on the same wheel spacings . Harvesters and haul outs operate on different wheel spacings to other equipment .

High

There are several different wheel spacings for machines and implements What is your current row width ?

1 % 0 %

0 % 0 %

12 % 2 %

88 % 98 %

Less than 1.6 m 56 % 90 % 1.6 - 1.79m 30 % 5 % 1.8 - 2.0m 6 % 5 % More than 2.0 m 8 % 0 % What proportion of your plant cane is usually re-plant cane ? 10 % 20 %

20 % Which best describes your normal fallow management ? High Bare fallow 25 % 23 %

Weedy or grassy fallow 54 % 64 % Moderate Retain trash blanket and control any weeds with herbicides 1 % 0 %

Fallow period of more than 8 months with multiple break crops .

20 % How do you normally prepare land for planting of cane ?

5 % 3 %

Lower Burdekin / Don

While it has been established that at least 97 per cent of the sugarcane area is irrigated using conventional furrow irrigation systems , there is a lack of data on how efficiently these irrigation systems are operating .

44