PROTECTING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF :
Reducing nitrogen runoff from cane farms
Excess nutrient runoff from cane farms reduces the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef and has been linked to outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish . This year NQ Dry Tropics continued supporting Burdekin cane farmers to reduce runoff by improving irrigation and nutrient efficiency .
Achievements in 2021-22
Case study :
Damien Michielin
Adopting practices to increase nutrient and irrigation efficiency helped cane farmers boost productivity while preventing 22,200kg
of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen running off-farm and impacting the reef .
Contracted
84 cane farmers to deliver improved practice changes across
13,620ha .
During his first four years participating in the Reef Trust Tenders — Burdekin project , cane grower Damien Michielin dropped his nitrogen application rate by an average of 40 kilograms per hectare without losing production . Sugar content increased , resulting in a higher payment from the mill and he also saved money on fertiliser which has doubled in price in recent months .
Damien reckons the experiment to reduce the amount of fertiliser has been a success ... so far .
“ When I started this , I thought it might work okay at first , then begin to lose production after two or three years ,” Damien said . “ I haven ’ t seen that yet .”
PAGE 18 2021-2022 – NQ DRY TROPICS YEAR IN REVIEW