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CSIRO, sugarcane farmers protecting Great Barrier Reef
Georgia Fryer
New platform gives real-time nitrogen runoff information
A new CSIRO-created platform, 1622WQ , allows sugarcane farmers in Far North Queensland to manage fertiliser use and reduce nitrogen runoff into the Great Barrier Reef.
The online platform has been optimised for mobile screens, making it much more practical for sugarcane farmers in the field, according to Tony Webster, research agronomist with CSIRO Agriculture and Food.
Webster notes, “The platform provides real-time information to farmers which was previously only available four times a year.”
CSIRO Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, said “solving complex challenges like protecting the Great Barrier Reef require deep innovation, but it’s also important that the end result is a simple and intuitive product like this platform.”
“We’ve paired our deep domain expertise in agriculture with digital technology to provide a solution for farmers who want to remain efficient and competitive while also reducing their impact on the environment,” she explained.
The free platform uses high-frequency nitrate sensors and high-density rain gauges positioned in selected coastal catchments to collect data on nitrogen concentration and rainfall variability.
This helps farmers relate their management practices to water quality in local waterways.
According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science , land runoff causes build-up of containments which smother and weaken coral and other organisms, as well as reducing light for coral and seagrass photosynthesis.
The platform was co-designed with farmers to meet their needs according to CSIRO agricultural scientist and 1622WQ project leader Dr Peter Thorburn.
“Sugarcane growers told us they wanted quick and easy access to water quality information so they could find out what’s going on with their crops and make better decisions,” he said.
Sugarcane grower and Chairman of Canegrowers in the Cairns Region, Stephen Calcagno, said “this will be a great tool for farmers to see the impact of their farm management and help them improve their practises and the environment.”
Whilst the platform is best suited for nitrate and sediment sensors, farmers can test its compatibility against other sensors.
Webster said further developments will be made to the platform with the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which will flag and fill data imputations.
Additional platforms will join the 1622 series, including 1622WhatIf and 1622Crop, which will help farmers evaluate the risks and benefits of changing nitrogen fertiliser applications and help farmers use less nitrogen-based fertiliser without affecting their profits.
The name 1622 comes from the height of Queensland’s tallest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere.
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Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals. The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate. A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals 1 . The Importance of B12 Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways. However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.” Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow. Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity. Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times. Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection. “Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden. “We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.” Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product. Reference: 1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16 Company website: livestockfirst.com.au Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm
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