IMPLEMENTING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE ON FARMS

THIS paper contains a description of the process used to analyse available information and the potential of best management practices (BMP) over a range of farm activities in the Herbert, Burdekin and Plane Creek cane growing regions. The process aims to deliver and demonstrate the benefits of innovation and research at a local level on issues covering growing and harvesting practices. The focus here is on a project known as the Burdekin Cane Productivity Initiative. It aims to facilitate the adoption of best management practice in a number of key themes (discussion areas) within the region’s farming sugarcane growing areas. These key themes are varieties, soil health, crop protection, water management, harvesting, and farm profitability with environmental sustainability encompassed in each discussion area. The major thrust of the project is to improve profitability and productivity of the region by increasing the rate of adoption of known BMP. Encouraging and demonstrating various innovations and initiatives is expected to improve average farm performance, accounting for the weather and other issues beyond our control. Surveys indicated that up to 56% of grower-participants had implemented improved practices for at least one farm routine in the first year of the program. Another aim of the initiative is to align research and development within the region to gain the most value and benefit from research activities. The project has the potential to deliver an additional $60 m gross revenue to the region. Central to the project is the participation of growers, researchers, extension providers and industry service providers, working closely with the industry. The extension activities have been structured around group shed meetings or discussion groups, group demonstration sites, on-farm strip trials, one-on-one follow up, media releases, communications via websites, and newsletter circulation.