Case study...Case study Stephen Fordyce runs a 265ha primary farm plus a second leased farm of 100ha...
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Case study Stephen Fordyce runs a 265ha primary farm plus a second leased farm of 100ha suppling a total of 24,000 tons cane to Marian Mill per year. This case study project entailed retrofitting Stool Zippas to a stool splitter fertiliser applicator. The Zippa units were manufactured by EHS machinery Mackay and are relatively straight forward to fit. The results on ground have been very good with ample soil coverage of fertiliser and chemicals. Open disc slots in the past were a problem in heavy soils. StoolZippa benefits have been best in heavy soils from the after-irrigation effects which tend to flatten out the disturbed soil area. Stephens’ farm practices are cane is harvested green on a five-round roster. If necessary, cane blocks are sprayed with pre-emergent Flame or Balance within one week of harvesting. Cane is irrigated within two weeks after harvest at the rates of 40mm on the lighter sandy soils and up to 65mm in the heavier soils. ▶ NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IMPROVED APPLICATION USING STOOL ZIPPAS TO REDUCE LOSSES FROM VOLATILIZATION AND RAINFALL RUNOFF EFFECTS background REEF TRUST THREE IS FUNDED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND DELIVERED THROUGH THE REEF TRUST. PROJECT FOCUS ON
Transcript of Case study...Case study Stephen Fordyce runs a 265ha primary farm plus a second leased farm of 100ha...
Case study
Stephen Fordyce runs a 265ha primary farm plus a second leased farm of 100ha suppling a total of 24,000 tons cane to Marian Mill per year.This case study project entailed retrofitting Stool Zippas to a stool splitter fertiliser applicator. The Zippa units were manufactured by EHS machinery Mackay and are relatively straight forward to fit.The results on ground have been very good with ample soil coverage of fertiliser and chemicals. Open disc slots in the past were a problem in heavy soils. StoolZippa benefits have been best in heavy soils from the after-irrigation effects which tend to flatten out the disturbed soil area.Stephens’ farm practices are cane is harvested green on a five-round roster. If necessary, cane blocks are sprayed with pre-emergent Flame or Balance within one week of harvesting. Cane is irrigated within two weeks after harvest at the rates of 40mm on the lighter sandy soils and up to 65mm in the heavier soils.
▶ NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IMPROVED APPLICATION USING STOOL ZIPPAS TO REDUCE LOSSES FROM VOLATILIZATION AND RAINFALL RUNOFF EFFECTSbackground
REEF TRUST THREE IS FUNDED BY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND DELIVERED THROUGH THE REEF TRUST.
PROJECT FOCUS ON
Stephen is converting the farm over from the old 1.6m single row to wider 1.83m row centres on a controlled traffic system with 500mm dual rows.
This significantly reduces compaction around the stool growing area by aligning wheel centres to row widths.
Fallow cycles are used for converting cane blocks to the dual row system with a total of 190ha converted to date.
Stephen uses a bed former and zonal ripping to achieve the change over.
Cane is sprayed out with Roundup and soy bean is planted for the cover crop.
An inoculant for nitrogen formation is injected with the seed at time of planting.
If the weather permits the soy bean grain is harvested in February or March and yields are around 2.5t per ha.
what’s happening?KEY POINTS
▶ The past practice was to use the stool splitter with either chains or rubber compaction wheel to try to manage the closing of disc slot, but this has had limited success.
▶ The Stool Zippa has good success to close the disc slot in all soil situations and particularly works well to breakup heavy soil slot prior to the irrigation application. It works down to 100mm depth and glides through the cane without affecting the crop.
▶ Stool Zippa was easily retro-fitted to an existing Hodge double disc opener fertiliser unit.
www.reefcatchments.comREEF CATCHMENTS (MACKAY WHITSUNDAY ISAAC) LIMITED PH 07 4968 4200 E [email protected]
Management practice by this land-holder is captured through Paddock to Reef – a leading integrated monitor-ing, modelling and reporting program jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian governments.
Paddock to Reef seeks to measure and track progress for improved water quality to the Great Barrier Reef, quan-tifying the hard work being done by farmers to address water quality at the property level.
paddock to reef
