Jeff Cantamessa is investigating mill by-products under Project CaNE’s ‘Clear As Mud’ Program.
‘Clear As Mud’ demonstrations aim to gain insight into how new application methods can improve profitability and productivity for growers, as well as improve water quality outcomes in the local area.
Want to know more? Contact HCPSL on (07) 4776 1808 to speak to a Project CaNE Team member.
Visual storytelling: Kim Kleidon
Last week HCPSL Board members Gino Zatta and Greg Erkilla and HCPSL Company Manager Lawrence Di Bella visited research facilities, machinery manufacturers and other industries to investigate new technologies and equipment that could be used by HCPSL and the Herbert cane industry.
The group ventured in cotton and grain country visiting HCPSL Extension Officer- Ellie McVeigh, who now resides near Dalby with her partner James Formosa. Ellie continues to work for HCPSL on Project CaNE and Cultivate Farms projects, delivering nutrient management plans for Herbert growers and supporting other activities in which the company is undertaking.
The group got to view firsthand Swarm Farm’s robotic driverless spray units which operate on the cotton farm in which James is employed. The group also got to review other grain and cotton technologies and operations during the visit.
On the way to Dalby and Toowoomba the group visited the Metagen labs and process facilities in Gatton. At this site the HCPSL team met with Dr Anthony Young (University of Queensland lecturer and scientist) and Shane Fitzgerald (owner/ Director of Metagen) and his team to review the LSB RSD testing lab and general company operations.
The HCPSL team also visited Gessner in Toowoomba to investigate small billet planters that could possibly be used to plant HCPSL approved seed plots into the future. At this stage HCPSL is still considering what machinery options it may use to plant its Approved Seed plots into the future given labour shortages and the requirement to plant hot water treated cane.
When back in Brisbane, the HCPSL team visit Drs. Clair Bolton and Chuong Ngo at SRA Indooroopilly to view firsthand the SRA RSD and tissue culture labs. The tissue culture propagation process was a real eye opener for both Greg and Gino. From one sugarcane meristem many tissue culture plants can be generated for industry use. HCPSL obtains annually tissue culture plants from SRA for Herbert growers to propagate on their own farms.
The final visit for the team was to meet with Dr. Weijin Wang (Queensland government soil scientist) at Queensland government’s Ecoscience Precinct in Brisbane. The team discussed opportunities to work together in the future and visit the largest soils and water laboratory in the southern hemisphere. HCPSL has had a long working relationship with Dr. Weijin Wang, working jointly on projects to better understand nitrogen loss pathways, cover crops and enhanced efficiency fertilisers. Dr Wang’s team does the research, with HCPSL Extension Agronomy staff taking the research and making practical outcomes on the ground for local farmers.
The 3-day trip was informative, thought provoking and will greatly assist HCPSL drive its operations and the local industry forward into the future.
Last month, the HCPSL Project Catalyst & Project Cane teams hosted two EM Mapping workshops. The workshops aimed at ‘Getting the most out of Your Map’ by providing growers with a better understanding for the EM data collection, map interpretation and how they can utilise maps effectively with guidance from their agronomic advisor.
Growers enjoyed the practical approach of the workshop as they worked through two case study scenarios that dealt with different block conditions identified through EM mapping and strategic soil testing. The case studies demonstrated the value of EM mapping for cost savings when selecting soil test sites and applying amendments.
EM Mapping is offered as a Fee for Service by HCPSL. For further information visit the HCPSL website https://hcpsl.com/farm-management/precision-agriculture/ Or contact the HCPSL office (07) 4776 1808
The Soil CRC (for High Performance Soils) was established in 2017 to give farmers the knowledge and tools they need to make decisions on extremely complex soil management issues. It bridges the gap between soil science and farm management, ensuring that soil performance is increased not just in the short term, but in the long term. The Soil CRC brings together an elite group of industry partners, with 39 Participants, with the Australian Government contributing $39.5 million, $19.1 million from other partners and $107.7 million in-kind contributions, over a 10-year period.
The Soil CRC (for High Performance Soils) held its first annual conference since COVID-19 lockdowns, in Adelaide last week. HCPSL Company Manager- Lawrence Di Bella attended the conference with partners and associates from across Australia and New Zealand present.
HCPSL and its sister organisation Burdekin Productivity Services signed up to become Associates of the Soil CRC, with both organisations being the only sugarcane industry groups involved. Eight universities, 21 Farming Groups and other community groups from across the country were represented and are involved in the Soil CRC, tackling issues that drive industry sustainability, productivity, and profitability.
HCPSL is involved in following projects funded by the CRC Soils:
Note: Those projects reviewed by HCPSL Company Manager during the conference proceedings indicated by a *.
A number of the projects have been completed, some mid-life and some just commencing.
University staff and students are working hard on issues specific to the Herbert cane industry. Some of the notable projects that are delivering outcomes are:
This project will determine how soil performance and profitability are affected by increased crop diversity in rotational systems in both broadacre grains and sugarcane industries. The project will investigate the potential for plant-based solutions to improve soil performance through rhizosphere modification.
After the conference, Lawrence Di Bella (HCPSL Company Manager), visited the Hart Farming Group and South Australia No-Till Farmers Association (SANTFA) to review business operations and work undertaken.
The learnings of the conference and field visits will be implemented by HCPSL over the next few months and years. We can learn a great deal and address issues our industry experiences by ‘looking over the fence’ to other agriculture industries.
For more information on the Soil CRC go to https://soilcrc.com.au
My name is Ethan Waters, I am in my 4th year for a double bachelor’s in electrical engineering and data science. I am currently conducting my honours thesis with the goal of detecting RSD with the satellite sentinel-2. I am in the process of developing a free prototype program that will inform farmers which of their blocks likely contain RSD. This will allow them to make more informed decisions to prevent the spread of RSD, increasing yield and profits for farmers. The benefit of using large scale imaging with a satellite is the ability to analyse an entire farm for RSD at the same time, rather than relying on a limited number of samples. Therefore, this will provide a more accurate indication of whether a block contains RSD than sample testing.
Sentinel-2 is a multispectral satellite which captures the reflectance of different waves, including those that cannot be seen with the human eye. A number of different vegetation indices will be calculated for each satellite image and used as an input to an algorithm I develop. I am specifically interested in vegetation indices that look at moisture and water retention of plant matter, given that RSD reduces water retention.
Demonstrating a successful prototype would provide strong grounds to apply for a number of grants and investments into sugarcane research to identify and prevent disease. This will help growers in the industry increase yield and profits.
HCPSL staff will be contacting growers over the next few days asking for permission for Ethan (JCU student) and HCPSL staff to access your farm data to undertake this study. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
If Ethan is successful in identifying RSD using satellite imagery, it will greatly assist growers better understand and manage the disease.
For more information on the project contact Ethan Waters on 0435 626 685.
Download a copy of Press Release below.
Recently HCPSL has made a significant investment, with the installation of a new GPS base station to its community network. The new base station will operate on frequency 466.1000. Like all HCPSL base stations in its network, it has been surveyed in for transferability between other base stations when operating across the district.
The new installation is part of a strategy to improve GPS base station signal across the Herbert cane growing region.
During HCPSL’s recent Strategic Planning process (conducted in late 2021 and early 2022), HCPSL members identified the GPS network as critical to farm operations in the district and requested the company to continue to provide this service to its membership. The HCPSL Board recently approved its 2022-23 budget, with further upgrades and maintenance of the GPS network approved to be undertaken over the next few months.
For more information concerning the HCPSL GPS base station network please contact the HCPSL Manager.
Herbert growers are invited to express their interest in Project Catalyst’s Practice Change and Grower Support Program in 2022.
This program offers growers a chance to be involved with innovative practices, agronomic advice, demonstration trials and grower information sessions. Participating growers will receive agronomic support to evaluate their current farming system and identify and adopt two farming practice changes.
As part of the program eligible growers will receive, free of charge, a full-scale nutrient management plan. They will also have access to a number of tools, services and opportunities over the course of the program.
Growers interested in participating should contact HCPSL on 47761808, Megan Zahmel 0447 317 102 mzahmel@hcpsl.com.au or Bethany Donker 0490 077 176 bdonker@hcpsl.com.au.
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181 Fairford Road, |
| Ingham Queensland 4850 | |
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07 4776 1808 |
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