Tech helps farm efficiency
Smartphone-controlled technology is already making its way into everyday lives and farms are no exception.
Burdekin grower Heath Salter has hailed the “lifechanging” benefits gained from installing an automated irrigation system on his parents’ Mulgrave Road farm in Clare saving him time and mileage on his car.
Heath said the change to incorporate automated technology had “changed everything” and how they managed water and time.
“I used to have to drive around the farm two or three times to check whether the water had reached the bottom end, but now I can water most of the farm without even having to go out there,” he said.
“I’ve got my weekends back and have more time with my family.
“My wife and I have just bought a farm in Ayr, which is something I wouldn’t have previously considered due to lack of time.
“I’m already thinking about how we can automate it to make our lives easier.”
The ease on lifestyle has also brought financial benefits with results showing a decrease in the annual cost of production on the farm by $162/ha.
The change was supported by NQ Dry Tropics through grant funding.
NQ Dry Tropics sugar team leader Luke Malan said the Salters, together with growers on six other lower Burdekin farms, had received grants totalling $660,000 to implement innovative solutions to improve irrigation efficiency, across a combined total of 584 hectares.
“Across the five farms assessed, the growers saved a combined total of more than $82,376 per year in reduced production costs, with a water saving of 2090 megalitres per year,” Mr Malan said.
“The Salters demonstrated great results on their farm, shortening the duration of their irrigation by more than 50 per cent, which equates to nearly 11 hours per irrigation event.
“They used far less water, with reductions of 3.2 megalitres per hectare – equivalent to 652 megalitres over the 203 hectare farm, which is now entirely automated.”
Mr Salter said increasing irrigation efficiency on the farm had not only improved productivity and profitability,
but delivered environmental benefits too.
“The amount of run-off into our recycle systems has
dramatically decreased, and that reduces levels of nutrient and sediment run-off to the reef,” Mr Salter said.