Working smarter not harder Nestled at the base of the Great Dividing Range, just south of Cairns, the thriving sugarcane on the Arcidiacono brothers' picturesque farm glistens in the hot summer sun. The young cane is green and vibrant, tempting John Arcidiacono and his son Matt to be cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. BY ROBYN DEVINE
Like most farmers, these second and third generation growers from Gordonvale have had their share of challenges with weather events, low sugar content and high input costs. But the resilient family business is not averse to researching new opportunities that may suit their farm. John is aware of the need to engage with the latest ideas and technology. His family motto is, 'Work smarter, not harder'. Recently, John was impressed with the improvements in his cane yield after taking part in trials to assist him in fine tuning his farming practices.
Confidence and optimism go a long way in helping the industry to be viable.
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Utilising resources that are readily available, rather than reinventing the wheel, is important to John, so he worked with Sugar Research Australia (SRA) and CANEGROWERS Cairns Region, in a trial to validate the Sugarcane Harvest Logistic Optimisation Tool - known as SCHLOT Live. The SCHLOT system uses a network of sensors fitted to a harvester, controlled by a central processing unit, to measure each part of the harvester impacting cane loss. This allows the harvester operator to adjust operational parameters to reduce the amount of loss in response to realtime conditions.
