Top gong for Liquaforce
EXPANSION plans by a North Queensland company have received a shot in the arm after it scooped a major gong at the Fertiliser Australia Awards in Darwin.
Hinchinbrook- headquartered Liquaforce was awarded the Fertiliser Australia Kookaburra Environmental Award for its dedication to improving the efficiencies of fertiliser use in sugarcane.
The award was one of three presented at a gala dinner last week.
“I am delighted to see our team being recognised for our efforts to drive productivity and environmental outcomes for growers,” Liquaforce managing director Cameron Liddle said.
“Plant Starter and Bigshot are examples of products developed by Liquaforce to save growers time, improve plant uptake and crop yield and reduce environmental risks caused by leaching.”
Former Queensland governor Penelope Wensley, a national soils advocate, said Liquaforce had gone above and beyond efforts to “improve the environmental performance of the industry and address issues of high local, regional and national priority”.
“The award recipients have undertaken work that ultimately improves nutrient use efficiency, minimises nutrient loss and benefits the environment, stretching from the Great Barrier Reef to the estuaries in southwestern Western Australia and beyond.”
Mr Liddle said Liquaforce was also championing the use of variable rate application practices across key GBR catchment areas.
“One of the greatest opportunities to significantly reduce nitrogen load at the end of priority GBR catchments comes from the ability to drive widespread practice change in the grower communities so that optimal fertiliser rates, application methods and farm management practices are adopted.”
He said nutrient management planning was now recognised as the cornerstone to improving water quality outcomes for agriculture and was an important part of achieving farm practice change.
“Liquaforce recognised vast improvements were required to systems of information available to growers, so between 2019 and 2021 we invested over $800,000 into development of LAND – a Local Area Nutrient Datahub.”
Mr Liddle said LAND delivered a “paradigm shift in actionable insight and accessibility of key agronomic information in line with 6ES”.
“This three-tiered approach is driving a significant shift in the sugarcane farming industry’s use of fertilisers, which is leading to productivity and profitability improvements on farm, and water quality improvements in key Great Barrier Reef catchments.”