Farming systems and production management
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Research outcomes: Growers and harvesters benefit from the ongoing research in productivity improvement, production management and agronomical techniques. Developed technologies and management practices that enhance productivity and demonstrate a high rate of return on investment.
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Item Overcoming barriers to controlled traffic adoption : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2007) Aylward, CAt the commencement of this project, the available solutions for keeping harvesting traffic centred on wider row spacings while adequately filling cane bins are not effective. This was due to unsuitable harvester elevator design, which results in a larger proportion of the field area being compacted, defeating the purpose of controlled traffic farming. The issue of getting cane into bins in wider row spacings is more problematic than was currently recognised by those promoting the adoption of CTFS in the sugar industry. The existing harvester elevator suits 1.5m row spacings. Simply extending the whole elevator is too expensive and increases weight, as do bolt on elevator extensions, which reduces harvester stability on uneven fields, being a major safety issue. This problem has plagued several of our group members and visitors from other areas such as Maryborough, have nominated this safety issue as a major reason growers will not adopt wider row spacings. Several of our group members (in a harvesting Co-op) have spent $5000 repairing slews, bearings, pivot points etc due to the additional wear and tear caused by the weight of a bolt on conveyor. Other group members have reported reduced bin weights which have raised concerns for mill transport scheduling staff. In 2004, three of our group members trialled powered paddles on their harvesters. All successfully overcame the weight and stability issues, they were cheap to construct, they were effective in allowing machinery to remain centred in the interspace, thus minimising compacted area, and they were effective at maintaining suitable bin weights in both wide row spacings (CT) and narrow (1.5m) row spacings of farms in conversion to CTFS. However, because of different elevator designs on the different harvesters, only one paddle operated successfully, the other two increased cane losses through recirculation and also through the secondary extractor. Group members realised we need assistance from experienced harvester engineers to successfully over come these problems. SRDC funding was sought to assist with these costs. This project aimed to continue work commenced by group members in 2004 harvest season.Item Improved harvesting efficiency in farming systems : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2007) Tabone, BThe aim of the project was to achieve more efficient harvesting within our group. We monitored the harvesting effort for each paddock to determine the levels of paddock efficiency and increase awareness of the results. The results from two seasons are as different as the weather conditions during the growing and the harvest. It can be noted the through put during both years in both crop configurations is less in the 2006 season. The 2006 season had a damp start and a very wet middle and a dry end (thank goodness) As a result, more engine hours per ton were required to harvest the crop. Wet field conditions and lower bin weights, equates to more trips for the haul outs realising a small increase in fuel consumption. The work efficiency is the relationship between total engine hours and total elevator hours expressed as a percentage. The elevator was running 5% longer while harvesting twin rows in 2006 which indicates a slower forward speed during cutting. To reward on farm efficiency, a new payment system needed to be formulated to achieve a harvester price differential. The payment system most widely accepted is the hourly rate as can be monitored easily and ratified by the growers. The growers would also get an instant benefit from any on farm improvements they made such as pipe crossings making hauls shorter and haul road improvements. Also, conditions change each year which makes it difficult to adopt any other formula which would be as indicative or relative to each situation.Item Incentive price harvesting signals versus traditional payment system : SRA Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2007) Girgenti, AIs to help farmers with the transition from the traditional way that they have paid for their cane to be harvested to an incentive pricing system that related to their farm layout and the management of the cane harvested on their farms. To promote the economic benefits to a farmer by offering an incentive payment system that would encourage them to improve conditions for the harvest as well as the hauling. To increase the awareness of the environmental benefits of how they manage their farm for harvesting. This also means a willingness to try innovative ideas that save both stakeholders money without sacrificing soil health. To improve the farmer/harvester relationship by making our business more transparent to the cost of harvesting. It was also allow farmers to have greater control on the cost of harvesting under an incentive pricing system.p farmers with the transition from the traditional way that they have paid for their cane to be harvested to an incentive pricing system that related to their farm layout and the management of the cane harvested on their farms. To promote the economic benefits to a farmer by offering an incentive payment system that would encourage them to improve conditions for the harvest as well as the hauling. To increase the awareness of the environmental benefits of how they manage their farm for harvesting. This also means a willingness to try innovative ideas that save both stakeholders money without sacrificing soil health. To improve the farmer/harvester relationship by making our business more transparent to the cost of harvesting. It was also allow farmers to have greater control on the cost of harvesting under an incentive pricing system.Item Implementing zero-till planting systems in the NSW sugar industry(2007) Munro, A; Ensbey, NThe project ‘Implementing Zero-Tillage Planting Systems in the NSW Sugar Industry’ aimed to introduce a direct drill billet planter to plant extensive areas of trial and commercial cane in the three mill areas of NSW. A group of NSW cane farmers called the NSW farming systems group wanted to evaluate the commercial viability of direct drill billet planters and a Hodge dual row double disc billet planter was purchased. Trial sites were established in the Condong, Broadwater and Harwood mill areas comparing zero-till planted cane with cane planted into conventionally tilled ground. These trials aimed to compare the economics of both systems and to demonstrate the robustness of a zero-tillage farming system. Nine months after planting, biomass sampling took place at the tillage trial that was established on Woodford Island. Yield results indicated no significant differences between the two systems. An economic analysis indicates that a net return of $2627/ha for a zerotillage farming system compared to $2506/ha for the conventional farming system. This equates to a $121/ha saving when adopting the reduced input system. These figures do not take into account labour savings and soil health benefits that are associated with the zero-tillage planting system. Over the past two years 23 growers across the three NSW mill areas have used the Hodge to plant a total of 210 hectares of both trial and commercial areas of cane. It is estimated that up to 200 hectares will be planted with the Hodge in 2007 demonstrating that the system is gaining momentum every year.Item Implementation of improved sugarcane farming systems in the Clare area, Burdekin District, North Queensland : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project Final report(2007) Hatch, PThe MIG was interested to quantify the benefits of moving from their current 1.52m row configuration to a row configuration that better matches tractors, harvesters and haulage equipment using GPS technology. As a result of conducting this project, the MIG has confidence that preformed beds will improve their long term sustainability and profitability by reducing input costs compared to the current system, at least for the plant crop. In particular, significant opportunities to reduce: •land preparation costs, from $265/ha in the conventional practice down to $131/ha, •general growing costs, from $209/ha down to $108/ha, and •irrigation costs, from $394/ha down to approximately $305/ha, appear to exist. In total, differences of at least $300/ha saving can be made by moving from the conventional system to the preformed mound system (see Appendix 1 for more detail). As a result, all members of MIG have moved over to planting into preformed beds; however some members of MIG prefer 1.52m singles over duals on 2.0m centres. The group recognises that during the course of the project, several errors were made with the trial design; in particular there was no planting of the 1.52m conventional practice with the mound planted systems, no replication of treatments, and fertiliser rates were not the same in each treatment. This has been a great learning experience for the group, which is now better placed to conduct future on-farm research.Item Precision farming with controlled traffic and GPS guidance system : SRA Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2007) Vassallo, C; Vassallo, GAfter working with the Central Region new farming system grower group we decided to take the system to the next level and implement GPS guidance and precision. Our aim was to overcome the problems associated with converting from 1.5 metres conventional to 1.83 meters controlled traffic using GPS guidance, bed forming, minimum tillage, break crops and converting existing equipment to the new system. Some equipment needed to be invented as we proceeded with the new system. The learning from the project was that the 1.83m controlled traffic system needs to be established in a conventional way, rather than preformed beds. The cane needs to be planted deep into the soil, rather than on mounds to establish the stool deep in the soil, into the moisture zone. GPS guidance is of great assistance to establish true control traffic farming.Item Validation of fibre cropping in rotation with sugar cane by Mackay Fibre Producers : SRA Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2008) Muscat, JThe ultimate aim of this project was to investigate the feasibility of improving the profitability, sustainability, and robustness of the sugar industry in the central region through the incorporation of fibre rotation crops. MFP (Mackay Fibre Producers) and its partners have investigate production and processing systems of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) in the central region. Through out the life of this project the group members have been enthusiastic in relation to answering the many questions that are attributed from these new crop options. The local and whole sugar industry community have also been keen to keep abreast of the findings of this project. Fibre cropping in rotation with sugar cane has been extremely successful with a number of key finding emerging, one of the key finding is Sunn Hemp which is a new legume rotational crop option, its traits like root knot nematode resistance, its drought tolerance, it high bio-mass and nitrogen fix and short cropping cycle all attribute to its ability to become a real legume cropping option for the sugar cane cycle. Another finding is the effect that Kenaf has to address packametra spores in the soil in a normal Kenaf cropping cycle. The science of why this effect happens, is a research question still to be answered, the evidence that MFP group has compiled is that in two different trial sites in different years there was a significant reduction in packamtrea spore counts. One of the important findings is the economic impact that fibre crops have on the following cane crops, there is a significant improvement in gross margins and will impact positively on growers bottom line. When developing a new crop option in any industry there are many challengers to over come and this has been no difference in the case of fibre crops. For a new crop option the agronomics are important and will determine the cost of production, this is coupled with the yield achieved as both of these aspects are important for the future viability of that crop option. Marketing of that particular crop option also plays a significant role to its future viability, in the case of the Fibre crops, marketing will play an important role to its sustainability and its future role in the sugar industry.Item Nutrient management from variable rate technology in a control traffic system by the Oakenden Grower Group : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2008) Muscat, JThe aim of the project is to determine the benefits of nutrient management system in a controlled traffic farming enterprise in an environmentally sustainable manner. The project will determine the cost benefits by comparing the conventional nutrient application to variable rate application. It will determine the difference between narrow chute planting and wide chute planting. The project will compare different legumes and the impact on the following cane crop. Oakenden Grower Group has documented a fact sheet to enable growers some insight when choosing a GPS system in a question and answer style information sheet. The Oakenden Grower group was keen to understand the economic impact of these trails which are highlighted in the trial results.Item Utilising available technology to better manage yield variability within blocks : SRA Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2008) Blackburn, LThe specific aim of this project was to gain information on the different layers of information collected at a block level to allow site specific crop management. The Blackburn Brothers have also investigated the farm economic within the fallow period by introducing fallow options like peanuts. Blackburn Brothers have collected a number of different layers of information such as: Satellite imagery, EM Mapping “soil”, Yield Mapping, soil analysis and leaf analysis, from the information collected, management of the nutrient applied, the gross margins achieved, all have allowed for better decision making that have improved the bottom line. A replicated strip trial site was established and determined that there was no significant difference between the peanut fallow and bare fallow in the plant cane crop while the economics determined that the peanut fallow achieved $1147.22 per hectare more than the bare fallow. Within these two treatments two nitrogen rates were utilised 45kg / ha and 150 kg / ha with no significant difference achieved. The results achieved by utilising available technology to better manage yield variability within blocks has been adopted over the total farming area (470 ha) by the confidence achieved by conducting this project. The group has also now undertaken that complete record keeping will be utilised and this will lead to better management decisions to be made at a block level.Item Optimising benefits of GPS integration into controlled traffic farming (CTF) system : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report(2008) Deguara, GThe modification of the haulout has been completed and been in operation for the 2007 harvesting season. The aim of the project was to primarily reduce the compacted area on the ends of the rows during the turning around phase of harvesting. The secondary aspect was to greatly improve the manoeuvrability of the unit and allow for reverse filling of the haulout by only having to keep the tractor straight. A second hand McLean 14tonne elevating bin was chosen for the modification. The original tandem suspension was removed to allow the chassis to be trimmed up to allow room for the ball race bearings to fit. EHS Manufacturing was commissioned to fabricate the two individual subframes to house the BPW air bag suspensions. EHS also constructed the trailer mounting plates which were welded to the chassis. A ram mounted to the chassis was used to turn the front axle with a tie rod to make the rear axle turn. Hyteco Hydraulics, based in Brisbane, was commissioned to design the electronics and hydraulics to make the unit functional. An EPIC controller, in conjunction with two potentiometers was used to use the angle at the hitch to steer the rear axles as required. Also when reverse on the tractor is selected the system steers the unit so it stays in line with the tractor. A trial, with the assistance of BSES and MAPS was set up to demonstrate and evaluate the unit. A fallow paddock was marked out to represent two metre beds. Measurements were taken off a controlled width headland turning in as if the field was being harvested. A significant reduction in the compacted area was noticed. Local farmers, contractors, BSES and MAPS staff were invited to a field day at the trial site. EHS staff also observed the demonstration and steering is now available as an optional extra on new haulout units. The modification has been successful in that all the aims have been achieved and in the long term the project has demonstrated that it will be a necessary tool in the move to a zero till farm.