News and Reports

With current fertiliser prices, it is essential, now more than ever, that your fertiliser blend and rate is matched to crop requirements. Taking a soil sample ensures you are not over or under applying specific crop nutrients. By taking a soil sample, a HCPSL agronomist can provide you with tailored nutrition advice, ensuring adequate crop Read more…

As part of Project CaNE’s ‘Clear As Mud’ Demonstration Program, growers across the Herbert have had the opportunity to assess various mill mud application rates and methods on their farms. At one of the sites, the project team is investigating the sub-surface application of mill mud. Sub-surface applications can provide benefits to the grower, as Read more…

During August, the Project CaNE team began to harvest Demonstration sites. HCPSL staff member, Bailey Kilpatrick captured these photos whist assisting the harvester crew at one of the various demos sites across the Herbert. The team looks forward to sharing results and findings from these demonstrations with growers in the future. This demonstration site is Read more…

To conclude Project CaNE’s Back to Basics Virtual series, the team has put together some key take away messages from each of the episodes. By creating these videos the Project CaNE team hope growers across the Herbert can access information in an easy-to-understand, convenient format. HCPSL aims to continually improve and adapt the way we Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 8: The Nitrogen Cycle In the final episode of the Back to Basics series, HCPSL Extension Agronomist Ellie McVeigh explains the Nitrogen Cycle. Throughout the video, the various stages and forms of nitrogen are discussed. Ellie highlights what processes must occur for nitrogen to be available to your sugarcane Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 7: What is gypsum? In this week’s Back to Basics video, HCPSL Extension Agronomist, Adam Royle covers ‘What is Gypsum?’. Following on from last week’s episode, he explains the difference between gypsum and other ameliorants. Adam also discusses how gypsum works to ameliorate sodic soils. As always, if you Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 6: What are soil ameliorants? This week Adam Royle, HCPSL Extension Agronomist, talks about soil ameliorants. He explains what ameliorant options are available and how they differ. Throughout this episode, Adam discusses lime, gypsum, and mill-by products as common forms of ameliorants in the Herbert. Adam touches on some Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 5: How to do a pH test in the field Following on from last week’s episode, HCPSL Extension Agronomist Adam Royle demonstrates how to conduct a soil pH test in the field. Adam highlights situations that it may be useful to conduct your own field pH test. Make sure Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 4: What is pH? In this week’s Back to Basics video, HCPSL Extension Agronomist Adam Royle chats about soil pH. Throughout the video Adam unpacks what causes low soil pH, why a low pH is problematic to crop growth and how to improve your soil pH. On a few Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 3: What is soil CEC, and why is it important? In this episode, HCPSL Extension Agronomist Adam Royle explains Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). He discusses the importance of being aware of your soils CEC, and what factors determine the CEC. Finally, Adam explains how CEC levels impact your lime Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 2: What is Soil Texture? In this video, HCPSL Extension Agronomist Ellie McVeigh discusses soil texture. Ellie provides a basic overview of soil texture, and how texture impacts nutrient & water holding capacity. Finally, the video covers how to conduct a ‘Ribbon Test’ in the field. Links to the Read more…

Back to Basics Virtual Series Episode 1: Soils of the Herbert with Dr. Andrew Wood Dr. Andrew Wood has been involved in the Australian Sugar Industry since the early 1980’s, working for CSR in the Herbert district. Andrew initiated a detailed soil mapping and analysis program, eventually covering over 50 000ha of the Herbert. Additionally, Read more…

Over the past few years, HCPSL has offered various Back to Basics Workshops to Herbert Growers. This year, as part of Project CaNE, the team has created a Back to Basics Virtual series. The Back to Basics Virtual series will cover a range of topics, focusing on soil properties, nutrition, and ameliorants. Each topic will Read more…

Recently, the Soil Science Society of America Journal published an article on controlled-release fertilisers. If you’re interested in finding out more about controlled-release fertilisers, view the article via the link below.

Last week, Project CaNE and Dr Andrew Wood delivered a series of 3 workshops across the district. The workshops covered key soil properties including – soil texture, soil CEC, pH, liming, Organic Carbon and Nitrogen. The aim of these interactive workshops was to give growers a practical understanding of how these properties influenced their fertiliser Read more…

As part of the Clear As Mud™ Program, HCPSL and Project CaNE™ invite you to:

MILL BY-PRODUCT DEMO SITE INFORMATION SESSION

Monday 29th November 2021

Project CaNE™ is offering growers the opportunity to develop a whole farm nutrient CaNE Plan™. Based on Six Easy Steps, CaNE Plan™ is an easy to use, paper-based nutrient management and record keeping tool that is reef regulation compliant and can be used towards BMP accreditation. Free to eligible growers, Project CaNE™ agronomists are looking Read more…