A recently-completed NQ Dry Tropics project focused on cane farms in the Lower Burdekin has shown that productivity and environmental benefits can go hand-in-hand.

The Queensland Government-funded Landscape Resilience project used monitoring techniques to provide farmers located around Horseshoe Lagoon, Giru, with detailed information on how much water was leaving their farms and what nutrients it contained. This helped them identify areas where they could amend their irrigation and nutrient practices to gain efficiencies in their farming systems.

Lisa Pulman (NQ Dry Tropics) and Dennis Stubbs (BBIFMAC) conduct water quality testing with the Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Trailer

The project also helped farmers better understand how their farms are connected to local wetlands and the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. When nutrient-rich tail water leaves the farm, it can promote weed growth downstream, reducing wetlands’ ability to filter out nutrients and sediment before they reach the Reef.

NQ Dry Tropics Project Officer, Lisa Pulman, said the project was particularly significant because Horseshoe Lagoon, like many shallow coastal wetlands, flows into the internationally-important coastal wetlands of Bowling Green Bay.

“Horseshoe Lagoon is an essential water source for the community, as well as birds and fish. It also acts as a filter, absorbing nutrients and sediment to improve the quality of water that flows out of it,” Ms Pulman said.

“Weed outbreaks in waterways and wetlands can reduce bird and fish habitat, and can become a haven for crop-damaging pests such as coots and pigs,’’ she added.

Participating cane farmer Robert Stockham had been experimenting with green trash blanketing as an alternative to burning cane. The monitoring data he received confirmed his belief that this method kept more nitrogen on his farm after rain and irrigation events – which can benefit productivity.  

He said:  “We can only do the best we can with what we’ve got. We need real life data, not assumptions, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing here.”

“The water samples and data from the monitoring are also beneficial for my record keeping and if my farm can contribute to the greater whole and add facts, then that’s a good thing too.” he said.

NQ Dry Tropics delivered the project in partnership with Burdekin Bowen Integrated Floodplain Management Advisory Committee Inc (BBIFMAC).

BBIFMAC Project Manager, Arwen Rickert said:  “We worked with farmers to carry out tail water runoff monitoring from surface water and deep drainage on sections of their individual farms, as well as real-time water quality monitoring of the water entering Horseshoe Lagoon via drainage channels.

‘’The goal was to provide farmers with monitoring data collected from their own farm to help with their irrigation and nitrogen management decisions, and at the same time gain an understanding of the quality of water entering Horseshoe Lagoon, Ms Rickert said.

Improving Coastal Wetland Ecosystems Through Improved Understanding of Best Irrigation Management Practice in the Lower Burdekin 2016-2017” (Landscape Resilience) was funded through the Queensland Government’s Regional Natural Resource Management Investment Program.

To find out more about the Landscape Resilience project contact Laura Dunstan on 4799 3500  or email laura.dunstan@nqdrytropics.com.au

Main photo: (L) Burdekin cane farmer Robert Stockham; (R) Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Trailer.