Landcare In Focus May 2015 ~ www.landcareonline.com.au Farming & caring for the Reef E WAS heralded as the nation’s Individual Landcarer at the 25th Russell Fry and Hanniversary National Landcare Awards last year but Russell Molloy led Russell Fry – who died soon after from a long-running extensive trials illness – had long set in motion changes bringing together to gauge efficient farmers and Landcare in use of water for Queensland, with the awards now set to recognise the irrigation. crucial role of sustainable farming in conserving the Great Barrier Reef. milestone this year, the State & The State and Territory Territory Landcare Awards Landcare Awards have opened celebrate the achievements of for nominations and the Landcare across a number of Queensland awards will be run diverse areas. in conjunction with ABOVE: The late Russell Fry, last year’s These include Coastcare, Queensland Farmers winner, died soon after receiving his award Junior Landcare, Indigenous Federation’s first-ever – the National 2014 Individual Landcarer. Land Management and The pioneering Queensland farmer believes Innovative Community Group Australian Government Reef sustainable resource use is good for farms as Angle Mustafa, who farms at Babinda, Queensland, places fertiliser underground and uses air-inducted nozzles for herbicides, ensuring the Awards categories. well as the environment. creeks remain free of contaminants. categories. It is also the first time that Winners will proceed as Queensland Water and Land program award categories will graziers to improve farm Russell Molloy led extensive changes in the way that water finalists to the 2016 National Carers, the Regional NRM be added to the Queensland practices that deliver water trials to gauge efficient use of resources are allocated. In Landcare Awards. Groups and Australian Coastal awards at the Reef Range and quality benefits in the Great water for irrigation for some cases the volume of The State & Territory Societies have combined to Red Dust Conference. Barrier Reef catchments. maximising production and irrigation water allocated to Landcare Awards are offer a joint conference – the Information on Queensland’s Even before this, North minimising loss of valuable each farmer has been supported by Landcare Reef, Range and Red Dust conference and awards can be Johnstone and Lake Eacham nutrients in run-off water. drastically reduced. Australia through funding from Conference at Caloundra – of seem at qwalc.org.au. Landcare group on the Overwatering can take But with practical tools to the Australian Government’s which the awards gala dinner Landcare leaders will also Atherton Tableland in far fertiliser below the root zone monitor irrigation demand, National Landcare is a key element. be recognised at other awards north Queensland developed of pastures and crops, with and greatly improved Programme. To celebrate the outcomes events during Landcare Week practical methods to nutrients moving via ground efficiency, farmers have ● Entries for the State & Territory Landcare of the Australian Government in September and beyond. accurately calibrate farm water into streams and out to gained savings in energy Awards close on 31 May, apart from in Victoria, Reef Programme and Since 2008, the Australian irrigation equipment and pass the Great Barrier Reef. costs and fertiliser costs, as where they close on 21 June, Tasmania where they close on 30 June and the Northern Territory, acknowledge the innovative Government Reef Programme knowledge on to fellow Water allocation plans well as providing gains for the where they close on 28 August. For criteria and to primary producers who (previously Reef Rescue) has farmers. implemented in the past environment. make a nomination, go to landcareonline. contributed, five new reef encouraged farmers and The group’s Russell Fry and decade have led to significant Celebrating a silver com.au/landcareawards. Water for Agriculture Reducing nitrous oxide in irrigation water – the first themed four- page liftout for Landcare ITROUS oxide – government is a funder of of the project will be to identify emissions from irrigation in Focus – is on p5-8. released as a result of research projects in partnership optimum strategies to reduce water to the total emissions of Nmicrobial processes after with state governments, GHG emissions and farm inputs irrigated cotton farming. nitro genous fertilisers are universities, private companies in a summer-winter irrigated Reducing nitrous oxide applied to soils – accounts for and industry bodies that aim to cereal crop rotation. 3 emissions in key perennial about 17 per cent of reduce emissions by Indirect Emissions of Nitrous tree crop industries. Run by agricultural emissions or 15pc impro ving water and fertiliser 2 Oxide from Broadacre the University of Tasmania to of Australia’s total greenhouse efficiency, maintaining product - Irrigated Agriculture. Run determine nitrogen fertiliser gas (GHG) emissions. ion and lifting farm profitability. by Cotton Research and and irrigation (fertigation) Nitrous oxide emissions Development Corporation, application products and are useful indicators of overall Current projects: it aims to quantify indirect practices most likely to reduce losses of nitrogenous fertilisers, Assessing Opportunities emissions of nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide losses, while also leading to higher farm input 1 for Mitigating Greenhouse nitrate losses from surface water improving fruit quality and tree costs. Reducing these highly Gas Emissions from Irrigated to deep groundwater. productivity in apple and cherry potent emissions can lead to Broadacre Cropping Systems in The project measures the orchards. an overall reduction in on-farm the southern Murray-Darling effects of water and fertiliser The outcome will be to fertiliser use, and contribute Basin. Conducted by the management on emissions develop management strategies to Australia’s efforts to reduce CSIRO, it aims to identify from flood-irrigated cotton. to cut GHG emissions in GHG emissions, mitigate nitrous oxide abatement Measurements are made in intensive apple and cherry climate variability and lift opportunities for irrigated grain individual components of the production. Preliminary results productivity. systems in the southern Murray- irrigation network during filling demonstrate that irrigation Surface water run-off, Darling Basin by comparing the and emptying stages of multiple and nitrogen management particularly from flood-irrigated effects of water and fertiliser irrigations during the season. strategies, such as avoiding farms, is a significant source of management strategies on soil The outcome of the project water logging and leaching, are Australia’s agricultural nitrous surface and sub-surface nitrous will be to quantify the relative likely to mitigate nitrous oxide Irrigated wheat growing in weighing lysimeters coupled to automated greenhouse gas oxide emissions. The Australian oxide emissions. The outcome contribution of indirect emissions. chambers, at CSIRO, Griffith, NSW. – Source: JOHN HORNBUCKLE, CSIRO. Landcare In Focus May 2015 ~ www.landcareonline.com.au By TESSA JAKSZEWICZ AROUND THE NATION Landcare Australia CEO Major projects include millions of trees ABARES meets ANDCARE ABARES Outlook Conference was Australia has secured a Carrying out our Our new directors are: Our recent Coles Junior We have already launched held on March 3-4 in Canberra with the theme The Business of significant role as one of commitment to renewal of Jan Davis, former CEO of the Landcare grants have been a number of campaigns, L Agriculture: Producing for Profit. three service providers in the our board, we have appointed Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers overwhelmingly popular with including our financial year tax The 16 sessions examined the key federal government’s 20 Million three directors who will Association and identified as more than 1700 applications appeal – see the back page of replace our longest-serving one of our top 100 women in from schools and youth groups issues that will drive the profitability Trees Programme – to manage this edition. of the Australian agriculture sector. multi-stakeholder, large-scale members: Bridget Dowsett, agriculture; Natalie Collard, to create school gardens and We are also again co- ● a dedicated bush regenerator outgoing CEO of Australian associated programs. Transcripts, presentations and session videos sustainable revegetation. ordinating the state and are available from agriculture.gov.au/abares/ We will plant trees and who has worked in public Dairy Farmers, and now It shows the strong demand territory Landcare Awards outlook-2015 associated understorey until at policy for conservation; corporate affairs Telstra, for programs that connect kids with support from the National least 2018 to establish healthy Hume Macdonald, a farmer Victoria and Tasmania; and with Landcare and creates a Landcare Programme. Aquaculture in view THE federal government has self-sustaining communities that and agribusiness expert who Adele Beachley, who has a better understanding of where Nominations for some areas create habitat for threatened has had long-standing ties to wealth of business, mobile and food comes from. committed to work with industry close as early as May 31 but to develop a national aquaculture species. Westpac, and; Alex Arbuthnot digital technology experience We are seeking to build this others are open for several We’re looking forward to AM, a former president of the including as a former head of program