Prod180 | Boosting Progress to Reef 2050 Targets

TURNING PRODUCTIVITY AROUND IN THE

MOSSMAN CATCHMENT

THE LITTLE CATCHMENT THAT COULD

16 FEBRUARY 2022

Far North Queensland’s small Mossman basin has its sights set on further improving nutrient use efficiency and productivity, as part of a water quality improvement project funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.

Taking an integrated approach to finding long term solutions, “Mobilising the Mossman and Murray” is being delivered in the Mossman region by Terrain NRM in partnership with Mossman Ag Services, and is building on the success of previous projects to support sugarcane growers in making land management practices to improve productivity and reduce nutrient runoff from farms.

Mossman Ag’s Rebecca McHardie said there has been mill uncertainty in the Mossman region in recent years and along with the high impact of ratoon stunting disease (RSD), local growers are doing well to maintain an average of 75t/ha.

“We hope that the project, known in the Mossman area as Prod180, will boost cane productivity and progress toward Reef 2050 targets,” said Mrs McHardie.

2021 saw one-on-one grower extension continue, whole-of-farm plans updated, as well as a focus on developing clean seed plans with farmers to help combat RSD.

Rebecca McHardie at a shed meeting in Mossman

Mrs McHardie explained that further action includes a water sampling program being implemented at Whyanbeel and Saltwater creeks, to continue building industry knowledge linking farming practices and quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef. The monitoring design and plan was developed by Farmacist, Mossman Ag and local sugarcane growers.

Water sampling has been occurring since September 2021 and results are being provided back to growers at shed meetings.

“Growers are interested to know what’s coming off their farms. Mossman has made good progress to date toward Reef 2050 targets, and awareness raising programs like this help contribute to long term changes that benefit both the industry and the reef,” said Mrs McHardie.

“This sampling work builds on the success of a previous project – Cane to Creek, which sampled in another sub-catchment of Mossman. Growers were happy with the outcomes of that work and were keen to sample new sites through Prod180.”

Gerard Puglisi is a grower in the Whyanbeel catchment and is contracted to sample in big rainfall events, in addition to regular monitoring conducted by Mossman Ag.

“We sample eight different sites. Access can get cut really quickly when it’s wet so it makes sense for us to do the sampling – we can get to the sites on quads or bikes whereas town access would be cut,” said Mr Puglisi.

“We’ve always wanted to know what was leaving the farm – fertiliser’s expensive and no one wants to see it going to waste.”