STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 : SOLUTIONS FOR LIVING LANDSCAPES
Improving water quality leaving cane farms
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 : SOLUTIONS FOR LIVING LANDSCAPES
Improving water quality leaving cane farms
Nutrient runoff from cane farms reduces the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef , and may be linked to outbreaks of crown of thorns starfish . This year NQ Dry Tropics continued supporting Burdekin cane farmers to improve irrigation and nutrient efficiency — boosting profitability while benefiting water quality to the reef .
This work was delivered under the following projects :
• Lower Burdekin Water Quality Program funded by the partnership between the Australian Government ’ s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation .
• Precision Ag Project ’ Making GPS Work for You ’ funded by the Australian Government ’ s Reef Trust .
• Lower Burdekin Smart Irrigation Project funded by Lion Corporate through the Great Barrier Reef Foundation .
• Burdekin Repeated Tenders project funded by the Australian Government ’ s Reef Trust .
( Below ): Grower Christian Lago has improved spraying efficiency .
Contracted 107 farmers to deliver nutrient and irrigation efficiencies across a total of
19,975ha
Provided
2100 hrs of extension via 165
visits to cane farms
Supported cane farmers to improve profitability while preventing
3400kg
of dissolved inorganic nitrogen impacting the reef
Supported cane farmers to develop
142
management plans
12 NQ Dry Tropics