Great Barrier Relief: Sugarcane growers use new tech to reduce nitrogen run-off into ocean
Previously there was no accurate way for sugarcane growers to tell if fertiliser has runoff from their farm. But the free app, named 1622WQ, shows the concentration of nitrogen in local waterways in real time.
It means they now have easy access to water quality information and can relate their management practices to water quality in local waterways.
For example, when rainfall washes nitrogen fertiliser into waterways, it both wastes farmers’ money and becomes a major threat to the health of Great Barrier Reef ecosystems.
CSIRO agricultural scientist and 1622WQ project leader Dr Peter Thorburn said: “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,” Dr Thorburn said.
“Although an app can appear simple, the smarts behind it are anything but. The chain of information between the water quality sensors in local waterways and what you see on your phone is complex and requires substantial innovation along the way.”
The app shows data on nitrate concentrations from high frequency automatic sensors deployed in selected coastal catchments.
It uses CSIRO’s advanced data analytics and state-of-the-art deep learning not available in other data delivery systems.
It also shows rainfall so farmers easily see how the weather is affecting local water quality.
Advanced tech
Stephen Calcagno, Chairman in the Cairns Region of the peak body, CANEGROWERS, 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.”
CSIRO Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley said the app brought together decades of agricultural expertise and close industry relationships with advanced digital technologies.
“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,” Dr 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 app, that farmers can seamlessly integrate into their business.”
CSIRO is also building other aspects of importance to sugarcane growers into a suite of 1622 apps, such as fine-tuning which parts of a crop might need more or less fertiliser, and comparing different fertiliser application rates on crop performance and environmental impact before they even plant.
