New farming systems
By Bill Kerr
New farming system reduces growers' costs
Maryborough grower Jeff Atkinson is convinced that adoption of new cost-saving farming methods is an essential requirement for profitable cane growing in the future.
He admits that the new farming system won’t save the industry if the price of sugar drops to US6-7 c/lb but given reasonable sugar prices it can make a big difference to farm costs and provide the basis for ongoing industry profitability.
“It’s more about reducing costs than simply increasing productivity and let’s face it, every bit counts.”
Like many other growers he is gradually introducing more efficient and productive farming practices including wider rows, dual row planting, controlled traffic, break cropping, green cane harvesting and applying wastewater through centre pivot irrigators.
Jeff, a director of canegrowers Maryborough, accepts that he must reduce cane growing costs on his 150-ha farm to make a reasonable living from his one-man cane growing and pineapple operation.
He was a truck driver before buying his original 2300-tonne cane farm 17 years ago. Although parts of his farm are marginal country he will harvest around 11 000 tonnes of cane this year and 6-7000 cartons of pineapples (42 cartons to the tonne) for the fresh fruit market.
He is looking to improve productivity and reduce time, labour, fuel and maintenance costs by using the most efficient ways of growing cane in his particular situation.
The progress he has made towards converting his farm to the new farming system was evidenced by the fact that this season he will cut about 55 ha of land planted last year to dual rows 600 mm to 800 mm apart (depending on whether a standard harvester or modified machine will be used).
The Petersen family, pioneers of the new system at Hervey Bay, planted his paddocks using a GPS controlled dual row billet planter.
Jeff Atkinson’s aim is to reduce the time and fuel needed for turning and running up rows. He will reduce compaction by matching his cane rows with machinery wheel tracks, initially to two-metre width.
His intention is to use soybeans, which he has traditionally grown as a cane fallow crop, as a break crop in rotation with cane. When possible, the grain will be sold as a cash crop. He also intends to plant cane straight into raised beds after spraying out the soybeans.
For the last two years Jeff Atkinson has used two centre pivot irrigators and several hard hose spray guns to apply treated effluent from Maryborough’s community water re-use scheme.
He plans to convert a 2-row shielded sprayer to a 4-row unit to reduce spraying costs and time.
Spray hoods allow Roundup and Gramoxone to be sprayed simultaneously to achieve savings and a 2,4-D bar facilitates vine control. Switches in the tractor cabin control the three pumps.
This season, following a lengthy application process, Jeff Atkinson received approval to clear portion of some leased country. The arrangement required him to leave a conservation corridor for wildlife.
