Farming systems and production management

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://elibrary2.sugarresearch.com.au/handle/11079/13844

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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Develop and assess adaptability of different row spacings for harvester fronts : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report
(2007) Linton, J
Cutting different row widths is a piece of cake this season for a Home Hill cane harvester contractor. This project allowed an easy change of harvester front’s widths by the pull of a lever from 1.52m to 1.83m rows, which eliminates the headache of cutting different row spacing on the farms in this group. A change to BSES spirals were also a part of this project - this in conjunction with hydraulically adjustable rams created a robust and easy to operate system to meet all the requirements of the project. The outcome has paved the way to improve adoption of a new farming system, which incorporates minimum tillage, controlled traffic, 1.83m row spacing and reduced inputs to maximize the triple bottom line.
Implementation of improved sugarcane farming systems in the Clare area, Burdekin District, North Queensland : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project Final report
(2007) Hatch, P
The 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.
Evaluating alternative irrigation for a greener future
(2011) Hesp, C
The potential agronomic and environmental benefits of green cane harvesting and trash blanketing, the ongoing issues of nutrients and pesticides threatening the Great Barrier Reef, the rising ground water levels in the area, and water use efficiency issues, prompted the progressive MAFIA grower group to conceptualise a project to trial alternative irrigation systems and compare them with the conventional furrow irrigation system. A lateral move irrigation system was established on the Hesp property, in the Mulgrave farming area in the Burdekin, to irrigate sugarcane throughout a full 4 year crop cycle. This system was compared to conventional furrow and, on a nearby property, a drip irrigation system. The sites were extensively instrumented to measure parameters that would enable the water and nutrient balance to be monitored on the furrow and lateral move irrigated fields. Importantly, an intensive economic analysis was conducted to provide a guide to the economic evaluation of the three systems. Overall the results of the trial indicated that it was indeed possible to grow large sugarcane crops under the lateral move and drip irrigation systems, and that these crops could be subsequently harvested green. It was shown that the lateral move and drip systems also provided opportunity for improved water use efficiency over the furrow irrigation system and that the subsequent flow on benefits from this was reduced loss of nutrients via deep drainage and irrigation runoff. The economic evaluation, using actual inputs costs from the trial sites, show that the furrow and lateral move had similar operating costs which were significantly less than the drip system. However, it should be pointed out that this economic study looked at the adoption of a new irrigation system versus an existing furrow irrigation system. If the analysis was to examine a greenfield investment comparison, then the economic results could significantly change because of the extra capital investment required to establish a furrow irrigation system. In this analysis, environmental benefits resulting from improved water, nutrient and pesticide use are not accounted for in dollar terms, but if included would recognise the value of more efficient farming systems. While every effort was made to provide reliable information from this study, constraints associated with conducting the trial, within an existing “whole of farm” operation, meant that it should be considered more as a pilot study rather than a rigorous scientific trial. For this reason care should be taken in extrapolating the data from this study to other properties or areas where different circumstances and constraints could alter the perspective significantly.
A review of institutional arrangements in the Burdekin irrigation area with a view to managing sustainable farming practices in the region : SRDC Final report CG018
(2007) Danzi, E
In the late 1980’s the Burdekin dam commenced operation and resulted in a large area of land being cleared and converted to irrigation. This influx of water has caused the groundwater level to rise alarmingly over the past 20 years from its previous level typically 10 to 15 meters below the surface to around 0.5m in some places in 2009. This is an alarming increase and if not rectified and reversed quickly will lead to significant crop losses and is likely to render some land unviable for farming in the next 5 years.
An assessment of surge-irrigation in the Burdekin : Final report CSR35
(1992) Matthieson, L
Furrow irrigation is the natural choice for sugarcane. It is relatively cheap to operate and generally not capital intensive, However in operation furrow irrigation has distinct limitations. It is generally inefficient in its use of water with 50% utilisation being a typical figure (Stewart 1988). With pumping costs being greater than $2 per tonne cane and QWRC water charges be i ng $32 per mega 1 i tre for farms on channe 1 supp 1 y, there is a need to increase efficiency in order to save moneY,conserve water resources and guard against rising water-tables and salinity. With furrow irrigation the furrow is both the source and the sink of irrigation water. The advance of the water down a dry furrow is typically much slower than the recession of water in a wet furrow except for short or flat furrows which are blocked. Inevitably the upper reaches of the furrow receive more water than lower down . To ensure adequate watering of the lower reaches irrigation water is often allowed to run off to waste for some considerable time. Surge irrigation is the application of irrigation water in pulses rater than continuously . If the off-phase is sufficiently long for the surface soil to dewater, it has been found (see Walker and Skogerboe, 1987) that when irrigation water is reapplied it rapidly advances over the previously wetted section such that less water is required to complete the advance phase of the irrigation. A more rapid advance gives a more uniform distribution of water. Because the irrigation on-time is only a portion of clock time (typically half) it allows better control of run off because irrigators have more time to interact with it.
Benchmarking harvest group practices in the Burdekin : SRDC Final report CSR033
(2006) Ellis, D; Haigh, I
This project was initiated due to a lack of information available to harvesting groups as to whether their operation was economically comparable to other harvesting groups in the Burdekin and if their current practices were economically sustainable. To do this, the project was designed to create a benchmarking system to enable harvest groups to compare harvester performance by: Establishing a low cost, reliable harvester reporting system which captures field conditions Generate reports showing harvester performance Enable harvest groups to compare different operating practices due to farming systems and model the cost associated to those practices Determine the impacts of different group configurations on profitability.
Increasing irrigation efficiencies in the Australian Sugar Industry : Final report BSE2
(1997) Holden, JR; Mallon, KM
Over 20 furrow irrigation sites on the Burdekin Delata were monitored by sugarcane growers for water use through the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons. Irrigation efficiencies varied from less than 20% to nearly 70%. Demonstration trials compared 'U' and 'V' furrow shapes and conventional versus reduced tillage. Deep drainage losses on highly permeable soils were halved by the use of either 'V' shaped furrows or reduced tillage. A combination of these treatments on one case reduced water usage by up to 70% without having any effect on final yield. the water saving reduces the pressure on the water resource, and lessens the potential for off-site losses of nutrients and pesticides through deep drainage. Around 500 minipans have been distributed to growers in the Burdekin. Productivity data collected from the last two seasons has shown that growers using minipans increased sugar yield by over three-quarters of a tonne of sugar per ha without using any extra water. This significant increase in yield is worth over $15,000 to a grower with 70 ha. A cost:benefit analysis showed potential savings of over 100,000 ML/year in the Burdekin Delta if growers adopt 'V' shape furrows and reduced tillage on freely draining soils. this water saving plus the increase in productivity from the adoption of minipans is worth %15.7 million to the Burdekin sugar industry.
Improving water penetration in the Burdekin
(1990) McGuire, PJ
Poor water penetration represents the greatest source of preventable yield loss in the Burdekin district. The problem occurs in all four mill areas in the district with about 18 000 ha affected to some degree. Cane yield losses for the 1987 season were estimated conservately at 250 000 t. Crop yields in 1989, following good rains, indicate that actual losses may be closer to 500 000 t of cane in dry years. The promotion of remedial measures aimed at reducing the problem has been an important extension theme in the Burdekin district for many years. In March 1988, extension staff commenced an extension program focussing on the use of the 'dissolvenator' as the preferred means of overcoming the problem.

Farming systems and production management

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