Fertile ground for saving cash, Reef
A TULLY canegrower who built a system that manufactures and stores an environmentally friendly fertiliser has halved his chemical fertiliser use.
Mario Raccanello constructed the Bio-Fert applicator to cover seven 1.9m rows with a 5000-litre tank.
The trial crop was planted and treated in 2014, but wasn’t harvested until November 2015 due to a longer crushing system.
Mr Raccanello said results at his 370ha farm had been “promising”, but acknowledged profits in sugarcane production were becoming increasingly challenging.
“I want to focus on biological soil health and be less reliant on artificial inputs,” he said.
“The most practical way to improve the bottom line is to reduce input costs ... the more we can reduce artificial inputs, the more likely we can reduce any form of run off.”
Bio-Fert is a substance containing living microorganisms that promotes growth by increasing the supply of primary nutrients to the host plant.
It can be stored for up to 100 years.
Mr Raccanello reported no yield decline despite a 50 per cent reduction in chemical fertiliser use.
He said with ongoing modifications, potential cost savings, water quality and soil improvement, it was a potential “game-changer” for water quality.
Project Catalyst growers have conducted trials covering more than 20,000ha of land and improved run-off and drainage water quality of an estimated 150 billion litres.
Projects are supported by independent agronomists from Farmacist and T.R.A.P. with economic analysis undertaken by the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.