Whitsunday Guardian Wednesday 3/12/2014 Page: 11 Section: General News Region: Whitsunday QLD, AU Circulation: 2012 Type: Regional Size: 60.00 sq.cms. press clip Workshop on using herbicides A HERBICIDE management workshop will be held at Lou Raiteri’s shed at 4.30pm this afternoon, courtesy of Reef Catchments and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The workshops will include the practical demonstration of two types of spray rigs that can help reduce the cost of controlling weeds, as well as information on nozzle selection and regional updates from the Reef Programme and regional catchment monitoring. A DAFF Dual Herbicide Sprayer will also be on display. The session will look at the application spray pattern through the use of UV dye and inflorescent light. All workshops start at 4.30pm and run to 8pm, with a barbecue dinner and refreshments provided. Phone Belinda Billing on 0488 730 021 for details. Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Ref: 348864319 Whitsunday Guardian Wednesday 10/12/2014 Page: 13 Section: General News Region: Whitsunday QLD, AU Circulation: 2012 Type: Regional Size: 330.00 sq.cms. press clip Farmers can save money and reef REEF Catchments and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) have collaborated on a series of workshops to educate farmers on how to improve herbicide management on sugarcane farms. Farmers met with representatives last Wednesday to observe a practical demonstration of two types of spray rigs that can help reduce the cost of controlling weeds, as well as information on nozzle selection and regional updates from the national landcare Reef Programme and regional catchment monitoring. DAFF has developed a spray rig to accurately apply a range of residual and non-residual herbicides MIGHTY MACHINE: Reef Catchment’s Scott Underdown, DAFF senior project officer Phil Trendell against cane stool. and Reef Catchment’s catalyst grower Lou Raiteri with one of the new sprayers. Phil Trendell, senior PHOTO: JOSH DUTTON project officer from DAFF, said farmers had enjoyed Reef Catchments contact grower Lou Raiteri said the be ambitious – mainly with the demonstrations. officer Scott Underdown new spray rigs were very chemical equipment. “If I do “They’ve seen how this said the environmental effective. nine hectares it only sprays machinery works,” Mr impact was taken into “They cut down our three hectares of chemical Trendell said. consideration. chemicals going out to the on cane – the other six is “The nozzles have been “Moving away from reef dramatically,” Mr round up.” Growers were quite popular – we’re using residuals is a big plus,” Mr Raiteri said. also given information on what we call a patternator Underdown said. “Some commendation has the Reef Programme and to demonstrate the range of “We won’t say to move to go to the government. how to access funding for coverage and drift [that] away from them – there’s “They could have come at effective long-term farm farmers get from different always a place for them.” us with a big stick. Instead management. Go to nozzles they use.” Reef Catchments catalyst they’ve allowed growers to reefcatchments.com.au. Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Ref: 351144351 Rural Weekly - Central Queensland Friday 19/12/2014 Page: 3 Section: General News Region: Rockhampton, AU Circulation: 24937 Type: Regional press clip Size: 390.00 sq.cms. TRAVEL INSPIRES TRIAL The skipped four or six Resistance to rows are planted with peanuts, soybeans or sun disease key hemp, depending on the soil aim of new carbon. Mr Muscat said the method process then repeated itself with two rows of tissue I Dominick Czakilew culture or single eye sets dominick.czakilew@daily- followed by four to six rows of mercury.com.au a legume. OAKENDEN cane farmer Joe The legume crop is then Muscat is set to trial a new incorporated into the soil and farming system called Amuza the one eye sets or tissue at his property south-west of culture cane is harvested and Mackay. planted across the paddock. Mr Muscat first came Mr Muscat said the system across this method when he addressed the biology of the visited Brazil's Sao Martinho sugar-growing region as part soil. of his Nuffield Agricultural "The clean plant source Scholarship. gives you the best resistance to pest and disease," he Working with Reef said. Catchments under their federally-funded Sustainable "And it's also putting Agriculture program, Mr organic material back into the Muscat plans on establishing profile." the first Amuza trial to be Mr Muscat and his wife, conducted in Australia. Mr Christine, have a long history Muscat said the potential of bringing innovation to the benefits were huge. Mackay Whitsunday region. The couple grows "In Brazil, they claim that it sugarcane with rotational improves the productivity by fibre crops on their 10%," he said. 130-hectare property. "Anything really needs to be The Muscats' farm was investigated to determine fully converted to 1.8m rows whether we can get the same with a controlled traffic improvement rate over here. system in 2008. "Unless we do the trial, we In 2013, Mr Muscat will never really know." received a Nuffield The Amuza system requires Scholarship to support his the trial site to undergo research into best practice in preparation for planting once production, manufacturing harvesting is completed. and marketing of fibre crops. The method includes applying a sub-surface prescription blend compost, based on the needs of the ti soil. Tissue culture, or single Unless we do eye sugarcane sets, are then the trial we will planted in two rows with four or six rows skipped. never know JOE MUSCAT Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy Page 1 of 2 AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Ref: 353648774 Rural Weekly - Central Queensland Friday 19/12/2014 Page: 3 Section: General News Region: Rockhampton, AU Circulation: 24937 Type: Regional press clip Size: 390.00 sq.cms. NEW SYSTEM: Oakenden cane farmer Joe Muscat is set to trial a new farming system called Amuza. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy Page 2 of 2 AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Ref: 353648774 Station : Seven Mackay Program : Seven News Mackay Location : Mackay Producer : Aired On : 19/12/2014 6:08:38 PM Duration : 1 mins 33 secs Compere : Rob Brough Summary ID : M00060028926 Demographics : Male 16+ 6634 Female 16+ 9858 Interviewees : Carissa Mansfield, Mackay Sugar Interviewees : Peter Muller, Reef Catchments Cane farmers and Mackay Sugar are are stepping up efforts to protect the Reef from harmful pollutants. They have embarked on projects to restore local wetlands and improve water quality. © iSentia Pty Ltd 2015 AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Station : WIN Mackay Program : WIN News Location : Mackay Producer : Aired On : 19/12/2014 7:04:40 PM Duration : 1 mins 39 secs Compere : Natassia Apolloni Summary ID : M00060029408 Demographics : Male 16+ 2636 Female 16+ 4085 Interviewees : Carissa Mansfield, Mackay Sugar Interviewees : Peter Muller, Reef Catchments Mackay Sugar and Reef Catchments have teamed up to improve water quality and landscape health at Racecourse Mill, with stage three of the project nearly complete. Peter Muller, Reef Catchments says the project will improve water quality going into the reef. © iSentia Pty Ltd 2015 AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Whitsunday Guardian Wednesday 21/01/2015 Page: 10 Section: General News Region: Whitsunday QLD, AU Circulation: 2012 Type: Regional Size: 252.00 sq.cms. press clip 2015 the year of soils By CHARLOTTE LAM YEAR OF SOILS THE United Nations has ■ Healthy soils are the declared 2015 as the basis for healthy food International Year of Soils production and local NRM group Reef ■ Soils are the Catchments is determined foundation for to make this a year where vegetation which is local farmers are supported cultivated or managed to build their understanding for feed, fibre, fuel and of healthy soils. medicinal products The Reef Catchments ■ Soils support our Sustainable Agriculture planet’s biodiversity Program focuses on and they host a quarter working with farmers to of the total biodiversity improve soil health. ■ Soils help combat Reef Catchments and adapt to climate Sustainable Agriculture change by playing a co-ordinator Belinda Billing key role in the carbon said that farmers from cycle sugarcane, grazing and ■ Soils store and filter horticulture had frequently water, improving our addressed their need to be resilience to floods and more equipped with droughts knowledge to better manage ■ Soil is a agricultural soils. non-renewable “Through our Sustainable CELEBRATING SOIL: Local farmer Phil Deguara. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED resource; its Agriculture program we are preservation is supporting trials and like-minded projects.” The key messages of the essential for food demonstrations of practices She noted farming International Year of Soils security. that seek to build healthier, industries around Australia highlight the importance of more productive soils,” Ms were suffering a decline in looking after what many Billing said. yield that is thought to be experts believe to be the “We are also running the result of soil foundation of society. www.reefcatchments.com. regular events on the degradation; this includes To learn more about Reef To learn more about the subject and working