Sugarcane fm17

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Simply. Grow. Together.

Nutrition and Weeds Soil Health Feature Feature

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www.australiansugarcane.com.au FEBRUARY–MARCH 2017

Contents…

4 Editorial Eight page Next Gen Farmer Issue 24 in the centre of this magazine.

6 ACFA commentary – Season going, going but not quite gone Nutrition and Soil Health Feature…

9 Biochar and dung beetles – getting down and dirty 11 Biochar – ‘born again’ terra preta de indio 12 Biochar Don does Korea – or at least the Asia Pacific Biochar Conference Weeds Feature…

Print Post Approved Publication No. PP100008014

15 Minimise environmental impact and maximise herbicide efficacy – ReefAware App launch 17 Insecticide shown to reverse metabolic herbicide resistance 19 Protecting knockdown herbicide options

FEBRUARY–MARCH 2017 Volume 21, No.1 $7.70

21 Modern Machinery Matters: 175 years at the cutting edge of agricultural equipment production 23 Classic Tractor Tales: So what’s new?

26 Soybean and graphene: Unlikely hi-tech bedfellows

INSIDE

27 Nutrition and Weeds Soil Health Feature Feature

So what’s new?

COVER Biochar – Jack Daniels uses charcoal filters to ‘mellow’ their Tennessee Whiskey. Stacks of sugar maple timber are primed with 140 proof Jack Daniel’s and then ignited. The inferno peaks at over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit before burning down to the char state.

See articles starting page 9.

2 — Australian Sugarcane

District Reports

30 Fishing: The ‘Salvo Special’ – a dollar’s worth of ‘loaves’ and ‘fishes’

Australian Sugarcane PO Box 766, Toowoomba, 4350. Phone: (07) 4659 3555. Fax: (07) 4638 4520.

Email: sugar@greenmountpress.com.au – www.australiansugarcane.com.au DELIVERY ADDRESS: 120 Herries Street, Toowoomba, Qld. 4350 EDITOR: Brian O’Connell

ASSOCIATE EDITORS: David Dowling

Lloyd O’Connell

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ADVERTISING: Phone (07) 4659 3555 Fax (07) 4638 4520 E: advertising@greenmountpress.com.au

CONTENTS OF ADVERTISEMENTS are the responsibility of the advertisers. All statements and opinions expressed in Australian Sugarcane are published after due consideration of information gained from sources believed to be authentic. The following of advice given is at the reader’s own risk, and no responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of the matter published herein. No portion in whole or part may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. Copyright 2017.

Published by Berekua Pty. Ltd., 40 Creek Street, Brisbane, Queensland.

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. PP100008014. ISSN 1442–5157.

PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY, APRIL, JUNE, AUGUST, OCTOBER, DECEMBER. AUSTRALIAN SUGARCANE ANNUAL

February–March 2017

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Editorial…

by Brian O’Connell, Editor

A

S I write we are well into February and the On Supply Agreement (OSA) negotiations between QSL and Wilmar are dragging on. The pollies at all levels have again become involved meeting with growers and promising/threatening legislation to compel resolution.

It was interesting to note that when QSL CEO Greg Beashel spoke to Burdekin growers at the beginning of February, he commented that one of the sticking points in the negotiation was linked to the sugar quality of GEI sugar to be supplied by Wilmar to QSL. QSL wants a minimum of 98.7 sucrose content averaged over three samples – a quality level that Wilmar apparently already meets 99 per cent of the time. Wilmar is reportedly unwilling to provide sufficient assurances around the quality of sugar it would deliver on behalf of growers and wants QSL to accept sugar below 98.7 pol.

Greg said that the minimum quality requirement enables sugar to continue to be shipped year round to QSL’s existing customers. Failure to be able make this quality guarantee will lower premiums and returns for the GEI sugar supplied by Wilmar on the grower’s behalf.

In light of Greg’s comments I was interested to read Colin Jackson’s recent article on the marketing dispute carried in AgAlert – an agriculture news update service for northern Australia – (www.agalert.com.au).

The article – Wilmar discounting Queensland sugar into Asia – reports on comments from an experienced unnamed sugar marketer that Wilmar is discounting Queensland sugar to Asian buyers to try to win-over QSL’s traditional clients in Asia.

According to the marketer, Asian markets such as Japan, Korea and China which are very sensitive about quality and reliability, have built up long-term relationships with QSL over many decades. On the other hand Wilmar is a relatively new player and has only been in raw sugar marketing for six or seven years.

He makes the point that traders can’t sell raw sugar as a bulk commodity into the Asian market – substituting quality assured Queensland sugar with anything of a lesser quality –

and expect a premium. In his view Wilmar’s refusal to negotiate on the quality issue with QSL threatened to ‘trash’ premiums for all Queensland sugar in Asia.

Says the commentator – “I don’t see, and Asian buyers don’t see, why you would trash the most efficient supply chain and most reliable, best quality sugar system, because what they are doing will hurt them as much as growers – unless they are going to keep the premiums for their miller share and leave the growers with their discounted sugar price.”

And if you think marketing the coming crop was going to be your major challenge, then a recent backpacker tax report from IBISWorld would suggest that you may well have trouble even finding workers for the harvest!

Backpackers working in Australia are now subject to a tax of 15 cents for every dollar of income earned up to $37,000 and their superannuation is to be taxed at 65 per cent.

According to the report, backpacker numbers have increased over the past five years, but the average length of stay has decreased. Many now only visit Australia for a brief period and work in other countries – particularly New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst Nathan Cloutman said, “A tax on all income earned on working holiday visas will likely discourage backpackers looking to work during their stay in Australia.

“This pressure may cause farmers to reduce production, which could lead to profitability declines. Many farms will likely find it hard to fill job vacancies without a cheap and casual visiting workforce.”

Biochar has had mixed fortunes in the sugar industry but there are many innovative uses being explored. Writing this sort of editorial encourages me to believe that one of the best possible uses of biochar is as depicted on the cover of this issue – let’s just exploit its fine filtration characteristics and mellow out on some Tennessee whiskey.

Editor’s note: I couldn’t find a reference to Bundy and charcoal filters but I’ll keep up the research.

In this issue...

Nutrition and Soil Health Feature

Weeds Feature

So what’s new?

Doug Pow, a Western Australian cattle and avocado producer, says he has always been interested in efficient systems. He has long been aware that researchers were burying biochar in the ground with machines in an attempt to store carbon and increase fertility.

Herbicide resistance occurs at a genetic, molecular and cellular level in ways that challenge some of the most agile scientific minds. In following interesting lines of enquiry, scientists working to understand the mechanisms that drive herbicide resistance sometimes come across some unexpected findings.

In the ‘good old days’ (or should that be ‘the bad old days’?) farmers were undoubtedly among the hardest working coves around. I mean to say, up at the crack of dawn, hitching up a team of cantankerous horses, or hand pumping a drum of kero into the tank of an equally cantankerous Inter W40 plus many more ‘trying’ daily challenges.

See articles starting ������������������ Page 9

See articles starting ���������������� Page 17

See article �������������������������������� Page 23

4 — Australian Sugarcane

February–March 2017

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ACFA COMMENTARY

Season going, going but not quite gone OO By Stephen Ryan, General Manager ACFA

T

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Rocky Point growers had to leave behind up to 70 per cent of their crop and they will be on fire watch until the next crush, in Stephen Ryan. order to protect their crops from nefariously triggered cane fires.

Throughout the industry, in 2016, wet conditions breakdowns, explosions and fires, brought the season to a

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6 — Australian Sugarcane

And the marketing marathon continues…

Discussions between QSL and Wilmar Sugar have continued without the necessary agreement, which is now past being time critical. Arbitrations between grower groups and Wilmar also continue.

Meanwhile some North Queensland cane growers are considering withholding their crop in 2017, if a marketing agreement with Wilmar, is not reached.

Federal agricultural minister Barnaby Joyce met with Wilmar in late 2016 and recently he has warned that he is prepared to act, if Wilmar is not able to find a solution to the deadlock with growers and with QSL. In a Grievance Debate January 7, 2017 Member for Dawson, Chief Nationals Whip, George Christensen had the following to say: “The time has passed for Wilmar to willingly come to the table and do the right thing. It is now time for the government – the federal government – to enact the code of conduct for the sugar industry that has already been drafted. The code needs to be legislated and enforced to ensure a foreign corporation can never ride roughshod over canegrowers again.

“This matter will be resolved one way or another. One way is for Wilmar to do the right thing; another way is for the government to force Wilmar to do the right thing. If neither of these paths is taken, the destination will be the complete destruction of the sugar industry in the Burdekin.”

On January 27, 2017 One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson’s met with Wilmar executives in Brisbane to see if a deal could be reached.

On February 2, 2017 Supreme Court of Queensland published a judgment, dismissing an application by Wilmar Sugar and awarding costs in favour of Burdekin District Cane Growers Organisation (BDCG). Wilmar had applied for an order under the Commercial Arbitration Act 2013 (Queensland) to prohibit the disclosure of the confidential information, relating to arbitration.

On January 16, 2017 the arbitrator had made an order that BDCG be allowed to disclose certain confidential information to two named individual recipients. One of them is a member of parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. The other is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. Wilmar Sugar objected to this information being disclosed to members of parliament.

ACCC draft determination j/24d01072/270808

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grinding halt, as some regions could not complete the harvest.

The 2017 crop looks very promising, but southern Queensland is once more struggling with dry conditions.

On December 15, 2016 the ACCC issued a draft determination proposing to grant authorisation to the proposed collective bargaining arrangements for ten years. Submissions February–March 2017

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in response to the draft determination were due by January 30, 2017.

The proposed collective bargaining will be undertaken by local Canegrower organisations on behalf of their current and future members. An authorisation is sought across three levels – namely, within each growing region with local processors and marketers; across growing regions with a common processor and marketer; and across growing regions with any processor or marketer.

MSF Sugar requested that the ACCC convene a conference in relation to the draft determination. The conference was held in Brisbane on February 10, 2017.

South Korea keeps on keeping on On December 22, 2016 QSL announced that South Korea will continue being one of Queensland Sugar Limited’s largest export markets following the successful negotiation of an extension to its long-term supply contract (LTC) with the country’s three raw sugar refiners.

The new agreement between QSL and CJ Corporation, Samyang Corporation and TS Corporation is similar to the Korean refiners’ existing LTC with QSL, and will be ratified early in 2017.

QSL’s General Manager Trading and Risk Dougall Lodge said the agreement was a very positive and rewarding one for QSL and the Queensland millers and growers it represents.

“This contract proves QSL’s relationship with one of our premium international customers continues to go from strength to strength, building on a very successful 40-year commercial partnership,” Dougall said.

“It is a vote of confidence for QSL and means the Queensland cane farming families and millers we represent will continue to benefit from the strong returns the Korean market currently provides.”

World sugar deficit a moving target Bunge reports that Datagro has revised its figures for a world sugar deficit for 2016–17 (Oct-Sep) higher. Citing a decreased output in India and China, the shortage grew from 4.36 to 5.32 million tonnes (mt), even though the crop estimate for Mexico, El Salvador, Russia and Pakistan has been increased. The deficit for the 2015–16 crop has also been revised up from 6.16 to 6.64 mt. For the next crop, a more balanced market is expected, as a

shortage of 1.5 mt has been revised up to a surplus of 2.13 mt.

F.O. Licht also made revisions to its global sugar balance sheet. For the 2016–17 season, it increased the deficit from 4.9 mt to 5.5 mt. It kept the production for Brazil unchanged at 40.5 mt for the year. According to Licht, in 2017–18, sugar markets will go back to surplus at 2 mt.

Biofuel boost in Brazil Reuters reports that the Brazilian government is preparing a program called RenovaBio 2030 to increase ethanol production and reduce the country’s petroleum imports. Brazil’s sugar mills have been maximising sugar output at the expense of ethanol production, as sugar has been more profitable than ethanol, in recent times.

The RenovaBio 2030 program will introduce guidelines to increase the use of biofuels in Brazil in the next decade.

One of the objectives of the RenovaBio program is to expand ethanol use in line with Brazil’s climate pledge in Paris. Following this policy, the Brazilian ethanol market could increase from 28 billion litres per year in 2015 to around 50 billion litres in 2030.

In order to achieve this kind of result, the policy would need to provide for growth in ethanol production, which is not affected by the relative profitability of sugar vis a vis ethanol, which swaps from time to time.

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – less one partner The TPP is an unratified trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The United States withdrew on January 23, 2017.

The withdrawal of the US does not present a loss of the current tonnage of Australian sugar into the US market but a significant loss of future tonnage, which was to increase initially from 80,000 to more than 150,000 tonnes in the first year.

DFAT says that the US was to provide Australia with the largest access granted to a sugar exporting country in over 20 years, with an additional 65,000 tonnes of access from entry into force of the TPP. Australia would have had access equivalent to Brazil into the US market. The US was also to provide Australia with 23 per cent of future additional quota allocations, which would have seen Australia’s raw sugar exports to the US climb above 400,000 tonnes by 2019–20. n

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February–March 2017

NUTRITION AND SOIL HEALTH FEATURE Biochar has had mixed reviews in the sugar industry but there are some intriguing stories out there, These are set to surface on the Tweed in August at the Australia New Zealand Biochar Conference (ANZBC17). And expect the unexpected if previous conferences are any guide.

Biochar and dung beetles – getting down and dirty

D

OUG Pow, a Western Australian cattle and avocado producer, says he has always been interested in efficient systems – particularly in biological systems that can reduce his fuel and repair bills when it comes to operating farm machinery.

Doug has long been aware that researchers were burying biochar in the ground with machines in an attempt to store carbon and increase fertility. He was interested in the possibility of soil improvement but was concerned about using machinery for incorporation.

He wondered if there might be a better, cheaper way to store carbon in the ground using the natural urges of the humble dung beetle.

Dung beetles industriously bury their collected dung within a day or so of the fresh pat being dropped and they take it down some 40–60 cm into the soil profile.

He had the cows, if he could feed them the biochar they would produce a carbon charged cow pat, and then could he leave the dung beetles to do the rest?

Doug Pow – cattle and avocado producer and biochar innovator. (PHOTO: Bridget Fitzgerald)

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Australian Sugarcane — 9

NUTRITION AND SOIL HEALTH FEATURE

The winter active Bubas bison dung beetle can be found on farms across Western Australia’s south west.

(PHOTO: Bridget Fitzgerald)

Can you lead a cow to eat biochar?

Seems cows have a sweet tooth. Doug mixes the biochar with molasses or glycerine and presents it in a feed trough or bucket – the cows eat a few mouthfuls and then move onto pasture.

Doug feeds approximately 300 g of biochar per cow per day – a figure that was developed from research into intensive dairy operations in Germany.

And where do you get the beetles?

Seems there are beetles for all seasons, climates and different species. Australian beetles are not suitable for cow dung as they target our native animals and are not attuned to bovine manure.

The first beetle that Doug began using was the Bubas bison.

This winter beetle was introduced from Spain and released by the CSIRO decades ago and is now widespread in WA. It was also introduced with predatory mites which piggyback on the beetle and eat fly larvae in the dung.

As the Bubas bison dung beetle is winter active there are periods of low beetle activity. Doug has been introducing a spring beetle into the system, perhaps to be followed by an autumn beetle, to boost dung management.

So Doug fed the biochar to the cows – the cows did what cows do and dropped dung. The dung beetles did what dung beetles do, and the dung went down into the soil. Seems it all worked and a research paper was published to show this.

Doug had met Dr Stephen Joseph of the University of New South Wales at the Bio-charfest in Mullumbimby in 2014. They

10 — Australian Sugarcane

talked and then together, they collaborated with a large group of researchers on a paper entitled Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity which was published in Pedosphere (a peer-reviewed international soil science journal) in August 2015.

The researchers concluded that “the dung beetles moved the dung and biochar through the soil horizon to increase stable C and to enhance soil fertility.” And that “once in the soil the biochar started to age through interaction with soil organic and mineral matter. Available P and N concentrations of the soil around the biochar increased due to a series of complex reactions.”

They also found that these changes “occur over a range of depths as biochar was taken through the soil profile quickly by dung beetles.”

So yes, the dung beetles were good at incorporating the biochar. And yes, this resulted in enhanced fertility.

Doug believes that the biochar–dung beetle system has created an ecosystem of bacteria and fungi, beneficial to everything it reaches. And of particular importance he believes that the change to the soil is ‘ongoing and permanent’.

Soil health improvements from biochar included increased nutrient retention, reduced leaching, increased cation exchange capacity, improved soil structure and water-holding capacity, decreased soil acidity and increased numbers of microbes.

His cattle are now eating massive amounts of clover as soil fertility improves and promotes legume growth.

So impressed was Doug with the results that he bravely decided to see what would happen if he cut out practices such fertilising pastures, drenching cattle and feeding hay. He found that the cattle didn’t get sick and the soil’s ecology improved even further.

In the Feeding Biochar paper a financial assessment was made of the relative yearly costs of raising 60 cows involving the using conventional methods that include application of chemical fertilisers to pastures, hay supplements and chemical drenching.

These methods were compared with Doug’s practice of feeding biochar and molasses to cows with no chemical fertilising of his pastures, no drenching of cattle and no supplementary hay feeding.

The difference when using biochar instead of traditional beef raising was an extra $13,630 income. Also fertiliser amounts applied and costs in the traditional system were only to maintain soil nutrient levels, not increase them, while four years of Doug’s ‘biochar with beetles’ farming system has seen significant increases in available soil nutrient levels.

The paper also concluded that OO More detailed research needs to be undertaken to evaluate a range of soil types, using different biochar types, biochar/ molasses ratios, and dosage rates and dung beetles species.

OO There is a need to analyse accurately costs and benefits to the farmer and also the feasibility of this method for long-term sequestration of C into soils.

OO Further tests need to be carried out to determine if there are any residual toxins, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or dioxins, which have accumulated in the meat of the cattle.

Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity is available at https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/281238280 Additional information in this article has been drawn from a Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association (WANTFA) publication Whole-farm biochar system…by Lauren Celenza available at http://www.wantfa.com.au n

February–March 2017

NUTRITION AND SOIL HEALTH FEATURE

Biochar – ‘born again’ terra preta de indio

T

HERE is a very dark, fertile manmade soil found in the Amazon Basin known in Portuguese as ‘terra preta de indio’ – this translates as ‘the black soil of the Indian’.

Terra preta is characterised by the presence of lowtemperature charcoal residues in high concentrations containing pottery fragments – organic matter such as plant residues, animal faeces, fish and animal bones and other material. It also contains nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and manganese together with high levels of microbial activity.

Apart from the pottery fragments, the description of terra preta should ring many bells for biochar enthusiasts. Indeed many of our leading biochar researchers have done considerable work on the black soils of the Amazon.

Our modern ‘born again’ biochar is charcoal produced at relatively low temperatures generally from a biomass of wood and leafy plant materials in an environment with very low or no oxygen. Amending soil with biochar has been observed to increase microbial activity.

Ancient biochar – Terra preta – appeared in plots averaging 20 hectares over 2000 years ago at sites throughout the Amazon Basin. In the 16th century Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana was the first European to traverse the Amazon River. He reported

densely populated regions running hundreds of kilometre along the river, suggesting population levels exceeding even those of today.

These reports were deemed to be exaggerations by early historians but following more recent studies it seems the PreColumbian biochar of the Amazon may have supported a very large Indian population that was later decimated by introduced diseases and colonisation in general. n

Amazonian Terra preta – rich black manmade soil with preColumbian pottery fragment.

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Australian Sugarcane — 11

NUTRITION AND SOIL HEALTH FEATURE

Biochar Don does Korea – or at least the APB Conference

L

ATE one Monday night in October 2016 I hopped on a plane from Brisbane Airport headed for South Korea to attend the 3rd Asia Pacific Biochar Conference (APBC). It had been 25 years since I had been to Asia so the first eight hour leg to Taiwan was full of trepidation but very little sleep.

Then came the transfer to the other side of the airport – or was it the city – for the three hour connecting flight to Incheon Airport about half hour from Seoul, South Korea. From there it was a winding two hour bus trip up into the hills of the beautiful Gangwon Province in all its autumn splendour to the city of Chuncheon. But wait there’s more – it was only a relatively short taxi ride to the hotel and I was immersed in, or thrown off the deep end into, another culture.

Comfortable enough once I’d worked out a few of the quirky differences with power points and plumbing, I started to enjoy myself with internet access back home.

Registration day and I arrived at Kangwon University as if I was in a dream with huge gingko trees in golden form and the red and oranges of maples and ashes. The University campus itself was like an eco village.

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12 — Australian Sugarcane

Don Coyne (aka ‘Biochar Don’) – Event Coordinator for Australia New Zealand Biochar Conference 2017 to be held in the Tweed August 10–12, 2017. Please note the subtle reference to char in the background.

arranged to get our Australia New Zealand Biochar Conference 2017 (ANZBC17) promotional flyer handily placed in full view of all arriving delegates.

Morning Day 1 and I enjoyed hearing plenary speakers including Johannes Lehmann from Cornell University USA (Biochar-Microbe interactions); Yakov Kuzyakov from MartinLuther University, Germany (Biochar Stability in Soils); and Stephen Joseph UNSW, Australia (The Commercialisation of Biochar for Green Agriculture in the Asian Pacific Region – A History of Innovation over the Past 10 Years). I was particularly chuffed to see Stephen share Doug Pow’s innovative biochar incorporation system using cows and dung beetles to take biochar down into subsoil (you saw it first at Bio-charfest Mullumbimby 2014 and see article in this issue).

Introduced myself to Johannes Lehmann and, after we worked through time differences and other logistical constraints, he agreed to present at an evening session of ANZBC17 on The Contentious Nature of Soil Organic Matter. In my mind this reaffirms the important role Biochar will play in building soil carbon and water filtration.

By the end of lunch on the first day I had managed through wonderful organisational and diplomatic skills (or sheer great luck) to achieve the primary goals that had been the main drivers behind the trip.

Day 2 again included a great speaker line up but the highlight for me was a short abstract submission from ex-pat Jessica Shepherd of Edinburgh University on Phosphorus Recovery and Re-use from Wastewater. Using sewerage sludge derived Biochar.

This was based on work by Thames Water in the UK who are successfully carbonising bio-solids and using the end product as a soil conditioner that is going to last much longer than green and brown carbon.

February–March 2017

NUTRITION AND SOIL HEALTH FEATURE I have a particular interest in closing the loop on humanure. I believe that if we can derive energy and create biochar from our sewerage sludge then we have gone a long way to repairing the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles. Our current 2020 Zero Emissions Report in the Byron Shire does not even include human waste in its figures.

More great speakers on Day 3 and another personal highlight – a series of papers on biochar as a building material in conjunction with 3D printing technology. My mission in life is to facilitate or at least showcase work done in this area and I’m happy to report that the Kiwi speakers in this session will more than likely attend and/or present at ANZBC17. Imagine the amount of carbon we could capture just building our homes and there’s an additional bonus – it just turns out to be a wonderful material to live in/under with its humidity regulation and thermal and fire retardant qualities!

I was also blown away by two young innovators from Ghana who have discovered that you can extract potassium salt from seaweed and sell it before then pyrolysing the seaweed to make a great biochar – apparently it’s a viable business model!

In the afternoon we went on a tour of the countryside and then out to dinner with new friends from the US, Korea, Poland, NZ and Spain to try the traditional dish of Gukgalbi (basically char grilled chicken and vegies cooked in front of you). Also got a taste of the Korean Cocktail/Karaoke Bar scene – enough said.

Returned home richer for the experience as they say and

having learnt much more about where the Biochar Industry is, where it’s going and how I fit into it.

Chars to you all!

For more information Don Coyne can be contacted at Mob: 0459 175 729 or Email: info@anzbc.org.au n

When in Korea eat as Koreans do – Don doing just that seated front right hand side.

August 10, 11 & 12 Tweed Shire, New South Wales

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February–March 2017

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WEEDS FEATURE

Minimise environmental impact and maximise herbicide efficacy – ReefAware App launch

R

EEFAWARE is a decision support tool from crop protection specialists, Adama. This new smart phone app allows canegrowers; agronomists and other agricultural professionals map paddocks and get instant location based information, including a simple ‘stop-go’ indication to assess the suitability and timing of herbicide applications.

ReefAware takes current and short term weather data supplied by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology into account.

The App also uses soil data from the Australian Soil Resource Information System; topography information from Google Maps; and waterbody information from the Queensland Spatial Catalogue to model the risk of run-off for different Adama crop protection products. These data sources interpreted in combination help support decision making and determine the suitability of the products for both immediate application and within the next seventy-two hours.

“We take our stewardship responsibilities seriously,” Adama chief executive Darrin Hines said. “ReefAware provides a simple ‘stop-go’ indication to minimise environmental impact and maximise herbicide efficacy close to the Queensland coastline, and is one of the ways we are supporting land managers use our products safely and responsibly.”

ReefAware will be officially launched at the upcoming Case IH Step UP! Conference and will be available free for download in both iOS and Android versions – visit your app store or adama. com.

with Central Queensland based ag-tech company SwarmFarm Robotics. The arrangement established Adama as SwarmFarm’s global business partner.

SwarmFarm’s innovative technology will help improve the productivity of current farming systems by offering small, lightweight, high-tech robotic machines that will operate in swarms to undertake key tasks of cropping systems, such as planting, weed and pest control, fertiliser application, and harvesting.

“By 2020, global population will nudge 10 billion and the challenge for farming is to supply the food and fibre the planet needs,” Darrin Hines said.

“Robotics present an opportunity to enable us to meet that challenge, and like our friends at SwarmFarm we imagine a

Robotic precision to improve weed and pest control – and more In another major initiative designed to deliver on-farm efficiencies, Adama in December announced a joint arrangement

SwarmFarm Managing Director Andrew Bate at the SwarmFarm Launch

SwarmFarm Robotic Machines at work in Central Queensland.

February–March 2017

Australian Sugarcane — 15

WEEDS FEATURE future where swarms of intelligent robots deliver the most innovative of crop protection products.”

As a start-up ag-tech company, SwarmFarm faces significant sales, marketing and distribution challenges.

“By working with Adama and utilising their established channels we can take our products to market far more easily,” SwarmFarm co-founder and managing director Andrew Bate said.

“Together, we will make a big difference in improving the performance of current farming systems and thereby the financial viability of farmers globally.”

To hear more about SwarmFarm Robotics and their innovative plans, catch SwarmFarm chairman Campbell Newman speak as part of the ‘Future of Precision Ag’ panel at Case IH Step UP! Conference at 9:40am on Tuesday, 28 March at Hall A. n

Visit Adama at Case IH Step UP! Conference.

27, 28 & 29 March 2017.

Stalls 16, 17 & 18.

Trade Hall.

Campbell Newman and SwarmFarm team.

SAY HELLO TO ADAMA AT CASE IH STEP UP! CONFERENCE Crop protection specialists, Adama, have planned a big presence at the Case IH Step UP! Conference in Mackay on 27, 28 and 29 March.

Check out Adama’s new smartphone app, ReefAware, a unique new tool for weed management in sugarcane.

Find out how Adama and Australian ag-tech company SwarmFarm Robotics are imagining farming’s future.

Ask about Adama’s diversified range of crop protection solutions.

Visit us and go into the draw to win an iPad Pro.

There they will launch a new smart phone app, ReefAware, which is designed to support land managers minimise environmental impact and maximise herbicide efficacy close to the Queensland coastline.

The company will also highlight its new global partnership with Central Queensland based ag-tech SwarmFarm Robotics.

Together, Adama and SwarmFarm are rethinking the way crop protection is applied in today’s farming systems and exploring the potential of agricultural robotic machines to deliver greater simplicity to farmers not only in Australia but across all developed and emerging markets around the world.

Adama experts will also be on hand to talk about the company’s diversified range of crop protection solutions, particularly for sugarcane growers.

By visiting the Adama stall you can also go in a draw to win an iPad Pro. Say hello to Adama at stalls 16, 17 and 18 in the Trade Hall at the Case IH Step UP! Conference, visit adama.com or telephone 1800 4 Adama (23262) for information.

16 — Australian Sugarcane

Scan here to download app

Simply. Grow. Together. adama.com

February–March 2017

Issue 24

Mackay 27 - 29 March 2017

February 2017

R E G I S T E R A T:

www.nextgenstepup.com nextgenfarmers@gmail.com

J O I N U S!

NextGen Farmer

i

Editorial

Contents

By Stephen Ryan

Editorial

ii

Top notch speakers announced for Mackay

iii

Australian ag graduates Indonesia bound

vi

NAB welcomes record ag graduate intake

vii

Introducing Angela Marshall – another Bundaberg Next Gen Rep

viii

Next Gen contacts

viii

T

he 2017 CASE IH StepUP Conference is fast approaching. Next Gen would love to see farmers and industry professionals, young, old and in between at the conference, which will be held from Monday the March 27 through to Wednesday March 29 2017 at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre.

Leading up to StepUP, Next Generation Officer Gerard Puglisi is on the road in the Cane Captiva, from Northern NSW to Mossman, in Far North Queensland.

In his travels, Gerard has been a guest at a number of well attended local meetings, where he has had the opportunity to talk about the Next Gen program.

If you would like to meet with Gerard Puglisi.

Gerard or to find out about the Next Gen program or the StepUP conference, check out: The Next Gen web site – nextgenfarmer.com; The StepUP web site – nextgenstepup.com; or, Call Gerard – Mobile 0412 417 717.

Gerard is always happy to meet any young farmers, mill employees or research and field staff – as well as the n young at heart.

FRONT COVER:

See you all at the 2017 Case IH StepUp Conference in Mackay.

Next Gen Farmer GPO Box 608, Brisbane QLD 4001 Tel: (07) 3839 1900 Fax: (07) 3839 1911 E: admin@acfa.com.au Delivery address: Level 3, 447 Upper Edward Street Spring Hill, BRISBANE QLD 4000 Editor: Stephen Ryan Administration: Alicia Opajdowska Next Gen Officer: Gerard Puglisi Mob: 0412 417 717 E: nextgen@acfa.com.au Next Gen Farmer, Issue 24 Published February 2017 ISN 2201-7240 The Australian Cane Famers Association (ACFA) produces Next Gen Farmer. Views expressed within are not necessarily those of the ACFA.

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NextGen Farmer

February 2017

Top notch speakers announced for Mackay

L

eaders from all corners of the sugar industry, and beyond, will join delegates at Case IH Step UP! in March to discuss matters surrounding the event theme – Transition and Innovation.

Speakers include Queensland Sugar Limited’s (QSL) Managing Director and CEO, Greg Beashel, Professor Ian O’Hara from QUT’s Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities and Matt Kealley and Mick Quirk from Smartcane BMP to name a few. We are also fortunate to have the Chairman of SwarmFarm Robotics (and former Premier of Queensland), Campbell Newman, on hand to discuss some incredibly progressive and extremely relevant technology being adopted in the wheat industry.

While there will be plenty of interesting ideas discussed by the speakers, Case IH Step UP! will also present a rare opportunity for guests to network and socialize with key industry leaders and other progressive stakeholders, particularly at the Welcome Function (hosted by NAB Agribusiness), the event Gala Dinner and in the Trade Hall.

In addition to the below, we will also welcome Pete McCann, ANZ Case IH Marketing Manager, to discuss Case IH’s ground-breaking Autonomous Concept Vehicle along with Rob Watkins, Founder and Director of Natural Evolution as our special guest speaker at the Gala Dinner.

Campbell Newman – Chairman, SwarmFarm Robotics

Campbell may have been a former Premier of Queensland and Lord Mayor of Brisbane but he has a passion and commitment to agriculture that spans 40 years. Growing up in northern Tasmania he was fully involved with the operations of the family farm and earned his first pay packet irrigating potatoes. After his time as an army engineer he worked as the General Manager Operations of Grainco Australia running the companies grain storage and handling infrastructure across central and southern Queensland. Campbell firmly believes that robotic technology will transform agriculture, delivering higher productivity, lower costs, reduced environmental impacts and February 2017

Jonathan McDonald (Market Development Manager, Adama), Campbell Newman (Chairman, SwarmFarm Robotics), Dani Harari (Senior Vice President, Adama), Darrin Hines (CEO, Adama Australia), and Andrew Bate (Managing Director, SwarmFarm Robotics).

more sustainable management of the land. He has an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering (UNSW) and an MBA in Financial Management (UQ).

Greg Beashel – Managing Director and CEO, Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL)

Greg joined QSL in June 2000.

Prior to being appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on February 1, 2012, Greg was responsible for QSL’s operations including port terminal management, capital and maintenance management, shipping operations, chartering and trade finance.

Before joining QSL, Greg spent

Greg Beashel.

NextGen Farmer

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seven years with CSR in a range of roles including operations, sugar marketing, hedging and trading. He has extensive experience in sugar refining and a strong understanding of customer perspectives and requirements.

Greg is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the business with the goal of maximising pool returns for members.

Matt Kealley – Senior Manager, Environment and Sustainability, Canegrowers

Matt’s role at Canegrowers allows him to deal with a broad range of topics across environment and agriculture.

He has an environmental science background and a broad base of experience within the biotechnology, environmental, agricultural and communications sectors.

Matt Kealley.

Matt’s early years were spent on water quality and vegetation management in Western Australia. He moved to Queensland in 2004 and has been working within the biotech and agricultural industries on challenging projects that included the registration of new products with the APVMA, the commercialisation of natural insecticides, and the complexities of biofuels, GM crops, and infrastructure within the Australian grains industry.

Matt is taking the lead in the Canegrowers response to water quality issues for the Great Barrier Reef. He likes to work at the point where farm productivity, grower viability and environmental stewardship meet and believes this is the definition of agricultural sustainability. This often means he’s in the middle of some pretty challenging problems and complex issues. Most of them involve change of some kind.

It’s easy to find the problems – it takes hard work to find the answers and sheer determination to make them work!

Mick Quirk – BMP Project Manager, Smartcane BMP

Mick brings decades of agricultural research and extension experience to the sugarcane industry’s stewardship and productivity program, Smartcane BMP. Prior to taking on the BMP role, Mick was with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) where he managed on-farm Research and Development investment. He’s also a 23 year veteran Mick Quirk. of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries where he was an agronomist before leading a Queensland-wide research and extension team of up to 55 staff focussed on sustainable beef production systems.

Mick is no stranger to the issues of water quality and Great Barrier Reef impact that the cane industry is facing, having been a member of the Independent Science Panel for the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. iv

NextGen Farmer

Misty Di Filippo – Associate, McKays Solicitors

Since joining McKays in 2006, Misty has become a trusted member of McKays commercial law team, acting for her clients in commercial conveyancing including rural conveyancing of cane farms and cattle properties, business conveyancing, commercial leases, both for the landlord and tenant, retail shop leases, advising clients on franchises and all Misty Di Filippo. other general commercial matters.

In addition to her vast legal experience, Misty relies on her personal experiences gained from marrying in to a cane farming family, to deliver relevant advice when buying and selling cane farms. Furthermore, being the daughter of business-owning parents in Proserpine, North Queensland, Misty has gained unparalleled insights on how small businesses run on a day-to-day basis, and understands the challenges and concerns of small business owners which assists her in understanding her clients needs in their business ventures.

Misty specialises in general property, general corporate and commercial business, residential conveyancing, rural and farming.

Peter Crowley – Regional Area Manager (North Region), QRAA

Peter brings more than 20 years’ experience in the finance and banking industry to his role as Regional Area Manager, North Region at QRAA. Stemming from his experience as a business banking manager for Bank of Queensland and National Australia Bank, Peter provides well informed advice to his clients about various QRAA schemes, including applicant Peter Crowley. edibility and application processes.

Peter played a key role in establishing QRAA within the North Region and has built a strong network of stakeholders, including primary producers, industry bodies, government departments, professional bodies and financiers in the region.

Peter’s working knowledge of the north’s major industries, namely, sugarcane, beef cattle, fishing, tropical winter cropping and mango production make him a highly sought after and valuable advisor, and QRAA often call on him for updates on rural commodity markets, property markets, key industry and economic issues or changes.

Rob Dwyer – Agronomist, Tropical Systems Incitec Pivot Fertilisers

Rob Dwyer has 23 years of agronomic experience in the horticulture and sugar cane industries.

Rob graduated with honours in a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Queensland in 1991.

He then worked as a laboratory technician with Incitec February 2017

Fertilizers, before taking up agronomy roles with Primac, Wesfarmers Dalgety and Landmark.

Rob joined Incitec Pivot in 2005 as a Market Development Agronomist, with prime responsibilities for the sugar cane and tropical horticulture market segments.

More recently, Rob has worked with government departments and industry interest groups involved Rob Dwyer. with environmental protection and government regulation.

In terms of research, Rob has also worked with various organisations including government, universities, local productivity boards and SRA. He has more recently been focusing on investigating nitrogen use efficiency strategies and the role of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilisers in the sugar cane industry.

Suzanne Brown – Principal, McKay Solicitors

Suzanne is Mackay’s only Queensland Law Society Business Law Accredited Specialist and one of only 23 in Queensland. When Suzanne completed the course in 2014, she achieved the highest marks in the State and was honoured with a special award by the Chief Justice.

Suzanne was recently recognised as Suzanne Brown. one of the 30 under 30 Best Lawyers in Australia, and in 2015 was named as one of the Courier Mail’s 20 under 40 Business Leaders in Queensland.

From 2012–15, Suzanne sat as a director of North Queensland Bulk Ports, the leading port authority responsible for the ports of Mackay, Hay Point, Weipa and Abbot Point.

Suzanne’s practice areas include Mining and Resources, Asset Protection, Business Structuring and Risk, General Corporate and Commercial, Wills and Deceased Estates, Intellectual Property, Banking and Finance, Taxation and Revenue.

February 2017

Conference currency to launch at Case IH Step UP! 2017 Delegates at this year’s Case IH Step UP! will have the opportunity to earn ‘Next Gen dollars’ over the course of the event and will have the chance to exchange their hard-earned cash for raffle tickets in the Great Trade Hall Draw.

The new initiative is a fun way of encouraging delegate interaction with Trade Hall exhibitors, with each exhibitor being given a wad of Next Gen currency to hand out to delegates at their discretion. The more time delegates spend with exhibitors, the more they will earn! This system will replace the passport scheme that has been used at past Step UP! conferences.

At morning tea on Wednesday, March 29, delegates will be invited to visit the Next Gen ‘banker’ to cash in their dollars in exchange for raffle tickets. The more you earn, the more raffle tickets and the greater chance of winning!

Case IH Step UP! 2017 program Monday, March 27, 2017

Evening: OO Early registration OO NAB Agribusiness Welcome Function (6:00– 7:00pm) Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Morning: OO The Future of Precision Ag OO Sugar Marketing Afternoon: OO Field Trip Evening: OO Gala Dinner Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Morning: OO Sustainability OO Growth and Transition Afternoon: OO Field Trip Don’t forget, full tickets include all speaking sessions, field trips, tea and coffee, morning and afternoon tea, lunch, food and beverages at the NAB Agribusiness Welcome Function and n Gala Dinner.

NextGen Farmer

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Australian ag graduates Indonesia bound

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national program has been launched to encourage Australian agriculture students to spend a semester of their undergraduate studies in Indonesia.

The program is spearheaded by the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies – known as ACICIS and pronounced Ah-Chee-Chis.

Undergraduate students from the University of Western Australia, La Trobe University, and Western Sydney University have enrolled alongside their Indonesian peers at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in Bogor, West Java.

The ACICIS Agriculture Semester Program (or ‘ASP’) is the first national program of its kind: a semester-long program in Indonesia available to Australian undergraduate students of science and agriculture. The program allows students to take subjects – taught in English – alongside Indonesian students in areas of agribusiness, food technology, plant protection, conservation, forestry, and environmental science for academic credit towards an Australian undergraduate degree.

With Australian agricultural exports to Indonesia totalling nearly $2 billion in 2015, an expanding Indonesian consumerclass increasingly hungry for Australian agricultural products, and collaborative research between the two countries on the rise, agriculture is set to remain a key component of the Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship.

As near neighbours and the two largest regional economies, Australia and Indonesia each stand to play a vital role in ensuring food security and environmental conservation in the Indo-Pacific in the twenty-first century.

Current program participant and La Trobe University agricultural science student, Rose Samson, explained that she was keen to combine her two passions. “I visited Indonesia last year and completely connected to the place. I’ve focused my studies around food security and hope to work in this field after my studies, in Indonesia.”

Ellen Watson, a conservation biology student from The University of Western Australia, applied “to learn more about conservation from an international perspective and in a rapidly developing country – like Indonesia – where I think conservation will play an important role in the future.”

Besides their formal university studies in Indonesia, students also have the opportunity to intern at a variety of Indonesian and international agribusiness and food technology companies, government agencies, and non-government research institutes. Students gain practical, first-hand knowledge of, and unparalleled access to, the agriculture sector of Australia’s nearest Asian neighbour.

ACICIS’ Resident Director, Elena Williams, is pleased to see the current cohort of students blossoming in their new vi

NextGen Farmer

context. “It’s fantastic to see Australian students studying agriculture in Indonesia”, Ms Williams said. “It can’t help but set the stage for a new generation of Indonesia-literate Australian agriculturalists, and this can only be a boon for the Australian industry”, Ms Williams added.

“The connections students make on their semester and during their internship will give them ACICIS Resident Director, the experience, institutional Elena Williams. knowledge, as well as the network of personal contacts in Indonesia that will be vital for building closer agricultural links between Australia and Indonesia.”

Students participating in the program do so with financial assistance from the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan – a Commonwealth initiative which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific among Australian undergraduates. ACICIS has secured over $400,000 in New Colombo Plan funding to support 68 students from across the consortium’s 24 Australian member universities to study in agriculture in Bogor between 2016 and 2019.

ACICIS Consortium Director, Professor David Hill AM, remarked that “There has never been a better time — from the perspective of the financial assistance available – for Australian agriculture students to head up to Indonesia for a semester.”

“The New Colombo Plan provides students with up to $7,000 to subsidise a student’s program expenses”, he explained.

Professor Hill also acknowledged the considerable interest in the idea among key Australian universities. “It’s still early days yet, but we’re very pleased with the initial reception that ACICIS’ Agriculture Semester Program has received from academics at the Australian National University’s Fenner School of Environment and Society, the University of Western Australia’s Faculty of Science, and the agriculture program at Western Sydney University’s School of Science and Health”, said Professor Hill.

In February 2017 ACICIS will welcome students from Western Sydney University and The University of Sydney for a semester of study in Bogor. All are supported by New Colombo Plan funding.

Student applications for second semester, 2017 are now open and close 15 April 2017.

For more information – www.acicis.edu.au

Contact: Ms Janelle May, ACICIS Secretariat Officer Ph: +61 8 6488 6675 Email: enquiries@acicis.edu.au

n

February 2017

NAB welcomes record ag graduate intake

A

record intake of 25 agribusiness graduates recently joined the National Australia Bank (NAB), with the most diverse group in the program’s 15 year history gathering in Albury.

The 25 university graduates have a variety of degrees, from more general agribusiness through to business and finance, but all share a real, demonstrable passion for agriculture.

NAB’s General Manager, Agribusiness, Khan Horne has hosted a ‘meet and greet’ event at the Albury Business Banking Centre, and says the annual intake reaffirms NAB’s commitment to supporting growth in agribusiness.

“We have more than 550 agribusiness banking specialists in 112 metropolitan and regional locations Australia-wide. This group’s is ready, willing and able to join them, and contribute to the rural communities they’ll be living in,” Khan said.

“11 of our 25 Regional Agribusiness Managers across Australia have come via the graduate program.”

This year, 60 per cent of the graduates are female, a jump up from the average of 47 per cent.

NAB’s General Manager Agribusiness, Khan Horne, with graduate Agribusiness banker, Alyce Lang.

February 2017

There’s also an international feel to this year’s intake, with three of the graduates moving to Australia to pursue a career in agriculture.

The record intake includes six graduates from Queensland, six from NSW, six from Victoria and Tasmania, three from South Australia and four from Western Australia.

Alyce Lang, a nominee for the Western Australian Young Achiever of the Year for the WA Farmers and Rural Bank Agricultural Award, said the program was a great opportunity to share the learning experience with other students from around Australia.

“It has been a fantastic experience to be in Albury and meet other Agribusiness graduates who come from both similar and diverse backgrounds,” she said.

“To have the opportunity to go through this learning experience together is a huge benefit and it shows that NAB are investing in young people who want to forge a career in Agribusiness.

“We all have a passion for farming; it’s where I grew up from a young age back in Western Australia and this program is enabling students like me to follow this pathway long-term.”

NAB Agribusiness has been recruiting graduates since 2001. The application criteria requires the individuals to have a degree in agriculture, business or finance, and a passion for agriculture.

Agriculture contributes about two per cent to Australia’s gross domestic product and creates around 500,000 jobs. n

NAB welcomed a record intake of 25 agribusiness graduates in Albury this week.

NextGen Farmer

vii

Introducing Angela Marshall – another Bundaberg Next Gen Rep

Next Gen contacts

I am currently in the transition from Rock Doctor (aka geologist) to Dirt Doctor (aka agronomist).

But rather than taking thousands of years like nature does to go from rock to soil, I’m doing it in two years with University of Queensland while I work with SRA. I am a passionate scientist and plan to combine the knowledge I gain from the Masters of Agriculture with my deeper knowledge of rocks, landscapes, soil, water and climate cycles.

I hope to add value and a different perspective to the agriculture industry, coming from a mining industry background. I am currently working as a lab assistant with SRA in Bundaberg which is where my interest in sugarcane began to evolve.

Growing up in regional NSW (yes, Blue’s supporter – but don’t hold it against me!), I strive to be an active member of my community and I am very passionate about country Australia. From being a Cub Scout Leader to the New Professionals Committee (Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy), I have always been enthusiastic about empowering young people to achieve their goals. I believe that fostering the enthusiasm and innovation of our young people is vital to keeping country communities vibrant and resilient.

viii

NextGen Farmer

Helping you access short term, skilled labour now The LABOUR PLACEMENT division of TheGate is essentially a service introducing Australian farmers needing short-term skilled labour, to keen and experienced young workers with farming backgrounds.

The-Gate offers a pool of skilled international farm workers with header and other large machinery experience.

So to get the ball rolling on solving your shortterm labour needs, go to www.the-gate.com.au and register (for free) on The-Gate’s database or contact Catherine on 0408 717 459

www.the-gate.com.au

Gerard Puglisi Next Gen Officer 0412 417 717 nextgen@acfa.com.au

Hayden Quabba Mackay Rep 0400 266 012 quabba621@hotmail.com

Sam Mischke Rocky Point Rep 0423 399 281 lcmmischke1@bigpond.com

Gerard Padovan Mossman Rep 0416 034 953 gnrpadovan@gmail.com

Phil Deguara Mackay Rep 0417 796 468 pfdeguara@bigpond.com

Tracey Doherty NSW Rep 0455 107 792 richmondcane@gmail.com

Erik D’Uros Innisfail Rep 0428 247 405 ejdurso@gmail.com

Gavin Lerch Bundaberg/Isis Rep 0418 798 225 grlerch@bundysugar.com.au

Angela Marshall Bundaberg Rep 0435 799 041 acm248@gmail.com

Josh Buchbach Bundaberg/Isis Rep 0427 559 095 Josh.buchbach@hotmail.com

Next Gen HQ (07) 3839 1900 nextgenfarmers@gmail.com GPO Box 608, Brisbane, Q 4001

February 2017

WEEDS FEATURE

Insecticide shown to reverse metabolic herbicide resistance

H

ERBICIDE resistance occurs at a genetic, molecular and cellular level in ways that challenge some of the most agile scientific minds. In following interesting lines of enquiry, scientists working to understand the mechanisms that drive herbicide resistance sometimes come across some unexpected findings.

One such finding is the discovery that an insecticide can

FIGURE 1: To keep herbicides effective, rotate between the three groups

reverse metabolic resistance to a herbicide, making the resistant population susceptible to the herbicide once more.

Metabolic resistance is the lesser known cousin to target site resistance in the world of herbicide resistance mechanisms.

Target site resistance is comparatively easy to identify and study, being a more direct ‘cause and effect’ type mechanism that usually confers quite high levels of resistance.

But metabolic resistance is more complex and more difficult to study due to many internal mechanisms involving secondary enzyme production and activity. This type of resistance is often moderate, but it is also frequently effective across multiple herbicide mode of action groups. It is not uncommon for plants with metabolic resistance to be resistant to herbicides that they have never been exposed to. This has a dramatic and limiting effect on herbicide choice and makes herbicide rotation a much less powerful control tactic.

In simple terms, metabolic resistance occurs when the plant uses its metabolic pathways to produce enzymes that ‘protect’ target sites from the applied herbicide molecules. If the herbicide molecule never reaches the target site then the plant survives.

The same enzyme or multiple enzymes can ‘protect’ multiple target sites, resulting in cross-resistant plants.

(07) 4699 9711 February–March 2017

Australian Sugarcane — 17

WEEDS FEATURE

Triazine applied to a pot containing triazine-resistant ryegrass seed. Centre: Triazine applied immediately after applying phorate insecticide granules to pots with triazine-resistant ryegrass seed. Right: Triazine applied to a pot containing triazinesusceptible ryegrass seed.

Weed surveys in Western Australia have revealed a high rate of multiple-resistance in annual ryegrass populations with 70 per cent of populations possessing both metabolic and target site resistance to herbicides.

Research into gaining a better understanding of one group of enzymes, known as P450s, has uncovered an unlikely synergism between an insecticide and current pre-emergent herbicides to control ryegrass. Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) researcher, Roberto Busi, has shown that it is possible to reverse metabolic resistance to trifluralin in annual ryegrass using an organo-phosphate insecticide.

In conjunction with Colorado State University researcher, Todd Gaines, Roberto is working to better understand the genetic basis of metabolic resistance and how this knowledge can be used to control metabolic resistant weeds.

“There are just five types of pre-emergent herbicides, utilising only two modes of action, with no new modes of action in the pipeline,” says Roberto. “The most recent pre-emergent product, pyroxasulfone (Sakura), was commercialised in 2012 yet even before it was brought to market, research had shown its mode of action can be ‘broken’ within just three generations using low application rates to result in 10-fold resistance.”

This means that it is very important to find ways to keep current herbicides effective rather than just looking for new modes of action. In the case of trifluralin-resistant annual ryegrass, Roberto’s research demonstrated that inhibiting the production of P450 enzymes was the key to reversing resistance to this useful pre-emergent herbicide.

“Inhibiting the production of P450 enzymes requires the suppression of different genes in the plant that are responsible for regulating production of the enzymes at different stages of the plant’s development,” he says. “In ryegrass there are probably several different P450 enzymes that are active during the plant’s development that are offering protection against the herbicide, so there is a high level of complexity involved in trying to manipulate the genes responsible for herbicide resistance.”

“Using the insecticide phorate, applied in granular form to the soil immediately before spraying with trifluralin, we were

18 — Australian Sugarcane

able to prevent establishment of plants with known resistance to trifluralin,” he says, “But the effect was not as clear for plants that were resistant to Sakura. Phorate is not the solution to metabolic resistance but this proof-of-concept research confirms that it is possible to manipulate and even reverse metabolic resistance with the use of existing pesticides.”

Phorate is not currently registered for use in any crop except cotton and the described use is not permitted in the field.

Phorate is highly toxic and it was used under carefully controlled laboratory conditions for these experiments.

It is not desirable to turn off P450 production in a crop so chemicals that inhibit P450 production are best suited to use with pre-emergent herbicides. Current research is investigating ways to design better P450 inhibitor mechanisms using gene technology and to use these mechanisms in future crop breeding programs to confer crop tolerance to certain herbicides.

Further experiments showed that ryegrass plants with metabolic resistance to Sakura use another metabolic pathway involving enzymes known as GST. In a similar manner, these mechanisms can probably confer cross-resistance for pyroxasulfone (Sakura), prosulfocarb (Boxer Gold) and triallate.

To date, the fifth pre-emergent active ingredient, propyzamide, does not seem prone to metabolic resistance.

“For now, our best advice to growers and agronomists is to rotate between these three groups of pre-emergent herbicides – 1. trifluralin, 2. Sakura, Boxer Gold and triallate and 3. propyzamide – and we are researching the potential benefits of mixing herbicides from these three groups as a means of delaying metabolic resistance,” says Roberto. “As always, full label rates must be applied.”

For more information about managing herbicide resistance visit the Weedsmart website: www.weedsmart.org.au

n

February–March 2017

WEEDS FEATURE

Protecting knockdown herbicide options

M

OST cropping systems rely fairly heavily on a small group of non-selective or ‘knock-down’ herbicides.

Since the widespread adoption of zero and minimum tillage, these herbicides have provided effective control of many grass and broadleaf weeds – but these useful herbicides could be lost to the agricultural industry if steps are not taken to increase the diversity of weed management tactics used.

Mark Congreve, ICAN senior consultant, says that the highly effective double knock tactic, which combines an application of glyphosate followed by paraquat, is at risk if growers don’t remain vigilant and ensure removal of any surviving plants.

“The double knock strategy of glyphosate, plus a Group I herbicide for weeds such as flaxleaf fleabane, followed by paraquat has provided excellent control of weeds that are difficult to kill with glyphosate alone,” Mark says.

“Recent confirmation of a fleabane population that is resistant to paraquat, found in a New South Wales vineyard, is a clear warning to producers that there is no room for complacency following a double knock operation. In addition to this recent discovery, an annual ryegrass population from a West Australian vineyard was confirmed in 2013 to have resistance to both glyphosate and paraquat. This shows that a single plant can develop resistance to both of the main non-selective knockdown herbicides used in Australian grain production.”

Paraquat is a widely-used herbicide, being an active ingredient in over 100 herbicide products registered for use in cropping. It is a group L herbicide and as such is considered a ‘moderate risk’ for herbicide resistance. Having a moderate risk rating means that resistance generally takes longer to occur – not that it won’t occur.

“Paraquat resistance typically takes over 15 years of consistent use before resistant weeds are noticeable in the field,” he says.

The recent discovery of flaxleaf fleabane resistance to paraquat is a clear warning to producers that there is no room for complacency with double knock operations.

February–March 2017

“This critical period has now elapsed on many farms where paraquat is used in crops, and for general weed control around the farm.”

Paraquat resistance in sugarcane blocks confirmed Paraquat resistance has been present and widespread in barley grass in lucerne production systems for many years in southern NSW and Victoria. While paraquat resistance is still relatively rare outside of lucerne systems, very high level resistance to paraquat was confirmed in three weed species (crowsfoot grass, blackberry nightshade and cudweed) taken from sugarcane and tomato blocks around Bundaberg in 2015.

In the event of widespread resistance to paraquat, Mark is concerned that there are no new modes of action likely to be commercialised within the next 10 years or more, so we need to protect what we have.

Most important – remove survivors “It is essential that farmers do everything in their power to preserve the effectiveness of the herbicide groups currently available,” he said. “The key is to take a diverse approach to weed management and, most importantly, remove weeds that survive herbicide applications. This is the best way to keep weed numbers low and when numbers are low, resistant weeds can be controlled more effectively. It’s a numbers game!”

Mark suggests that growers check the results of every spray application, looking for individual plants ‘surviving’ or ‘re-growing’ after a spray application that has killed adjacent weeds. This may be a sign that the surviving plants carry the genetic mutation that ‘protects’ them from the herbicide’s mode of action.

“If this is observed, the first step is to remove those individual

Mark Congreve, ICAN senior consultant says growers need to be looking for survivor weeds after every herbicide application and responding to ‘rate creep’ by changing how they use herbicides across their cropping system.

Australian Sugarcane — 19

WEEDS FEATURE

In 2013 annual ryegrass population from a West Australian vineyard was confirmed to have resistance to both glyphosate and paraquat. (PHOTO: Andrew Storrie AGRONOMO)

Tridax daisy (Tridax procumbens), a tropical weed of northern Australia has been confirmed resistant to glyphosate. This is the 13th species in Australia to be confirmed to have populations no longer controlled by glyphosate. While not a major weed species it shows that weed management must include a wide range of techniques. (PHOTO: Andrew Storrie AGRONOMO)

plants before they shed seed,” he said. “It is recommended to have the plants, or their seed, tested to confirm resistance and determine what herbicides those individuals are still susceptible to.”

Rate or dose creep A second warning sign is when a higher rate of a herbicide is needed to have the same effect as achieved on the target weed in previous years. Mark called this ‘rate, or dose, creep’ and said that it is the most common sign of resistance to herbicides like paraquat. “Paraquat resistance primarily occurs as a result of a

plant having the ability to re-direct the herbicide molecules away from the chloroplasts in the cell and into the cell vacuole, where the herbicide has no effect,” he said. “If you are finding that you now need to use a higher rate of a herbicide such as paraquat, it is time to change how you manage those weeds.”

The Weedsmart website provides many practical tools for farmers wanting to make their weed control program more diverse and robust to delay herbicide resistance on their farms.

Non-crop areas around farms are often treated with paraquat annually. This can be a high risk practice unless survivors are removed after every spray application as there is no crop competition to restrict weed growth, resulting in production of large volumes of seed.

Herbicide resistance frequently occurs first along fencelines, roadways and irrigation channels where herbicide use tends to be the same year in year out and less attention is paid to survivor weeds or poor herbicide efficacy.

Currently there are 10 weed species with confirmed resistance to paraquat (Group L) and 13 species resistant to glyphosate (Group M) in Australia.

For more information about reducing the risk of herbicide resistance, visit the Weedsmart website: www.weedsmart.org.au n

TABLE 1: Species that have developed resistance to paraquat in Australia Year confirmed Hordeum glaucum Northern barley grass 1983 Arctotheca calendula capeweed 1984 Hordeum leporinum Barley grass 1988 Vulpia bromoides Silver grass 1990 Mitracarpus hirtus Small square weed 2007 Lolium rigidum Annual ryegrass 2010 Gamochaeta pensylvanica Cudweed 2015 Solanum nigrum Blackberry nightshade 2015 Eleusine indica Crowsfoot grass 2015 Conyza bonariensis Flaxleaf fleabane 2016 Species

Common name

State

Crop

Victoria Victoria Victoria Victoria Queensland South Australia Queensland Queensland Queensland NSW

Lucerne Lucerne Lucerne Lucerne Mangoes Pasture seed Tomatoes, sugar cane Tomatoes, sugar cane Tomatoes, sugar cane Grape vines

Resistance to other modes-of-action/herbicides Diquat (L) Diquat (L) Diquat (L) Diquat (L) Diquat (L) A/M – 2 populations

Source: www.glyphosateresistance.org.au/paraquat_resistance.html

20 — Australian Sugarcane

February–March 2017

175 years at the cutting edge of agricultural equipment production

C

Case IH Brand President Andreas Klauser with the latest ASE IH is beginning a year of celebrations to 380hp Magnum. Launched in 1987, over 150,000 Magnums commemorate its 175th anniversary at the brand’s global have been sold. headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. It was there, on the shores of the Root River, that founder Jerome Increase Case the East. In 1869, Case went on to manufacture the first steam established the Racine Threshing Machine Works to produce a engine tractor which, though wheeled-mounted, was drawn by revolutionary machine to speed up the separation of grain after horses and used only to power other machines. harvest.

In 1876, Case built the first self-propelled traction steam “I find it amazing to see just how far the farming industry and engine. As steam engines quickly replaced horses for threshing, our company have come during the past 175 years especially the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company became the world’s given the fact that we are stronger than ever before today,” largest producer of steam engines by 1886.

Case IH Brand President, Andreas Klauser, said.

In 1902, five companies merged to form the International “The common theme which has always guided our Harvester Company in Chicago, the deal being brokered, innovative approach is to provide customers with ever-improving personally, by J.P. Morgan, the American banker who dominated technologies that enable them to farm more efficiently and corporate finance and industrial consolidation at the time. The profitably. company produced its first combine harvester in 1915 and in “Mr Case began this tradition having worked extensively 1923 introduced the Farmall, the world’s first row-crop tractor. with farm equipment before he started his own business and it Providing greater productivity, reliability and became his lifelong passion,” Andreas said. safety, it was a revolutionary unified system “He believed that every piece of of tractors and implements for ploughing, equipment manufactured by his company cultivating and harvesting. must deliver on the brand promise and International Harvester sold more than saw to that personally. There is a famous five million Farmall tractors and, in 1977, account of him travelling to another state launched the unique single-rotor Axialto investigate a product issue, even when Flow rotary combine. Axial-Flow combines he was well into his later years. Those still set the standard for harvesting principles continue to inspire and guide us performance today. today.”

Case IH was formed in 1985 when J. I. is proudly supported by The company’s beginnings were Case acquired the agricultural division of closely linked with those of the American International Harvester, uniting the legacies economy, as American pioneers moved of Case and IH in a single brand. Its first west and new farms were established there product, the Magnum tractor from 160 to 240 hp, was introduced in 1987 and to feed the growing population centres in

Modern Machinery Matters

February–March 2017

Australian Sugarcane — 21

The company produced its first combine harvester in 1915 – note the horsepower.

By 1886 the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company was the world’s largest producer of steam engines.

became the first tractor to win the Industrial Design Excellence Award. Now producing up to 380 hp, the Magnum continues to be one of the most recognisable Case IH products with more than 150,000 sold.

The revolutionary Quadtrac tractor, which was launched in 1996, established a new benchmark and remains unmatched –

Founder Jerome Increase Case.

22 — Australian Sugarcane

now including the most powerful series production tractor in the world, the Steiger Quadtrac 620 with up to 692 hp.

The company’s technical innovations have included: OO Case IH Advanced Farming Systems, accurate to within 2.5 cm, have been at the forefront of Precision Farming for more than two decades.

OO In 2000, Case IH launched continuously variable transmission technology which enables its CVT tractors to deliver an optimum combination of power and fuel efficiency.

OO Patented ‘Efficient Power’ engine technologies enable Case IH equipment to meet the latest Stage IV (Tier 4 Final) emission standards without complex exhaust gas recirculation systems or particulate filters.

OO In 2014, the Magnum 380 CVT was voted ‘Tractor of the Year 2015’ at the EIMA International Exhibition in Bologna, Italy. That year, Case IH also launched the Rowtrac CVT, which combines the individual benefits of tracked and wheeled tractors.

OO At the 2016 Farm Progress Show in the US Case IH unveiled the Autonomous Tractor Concept. Able to operate autonomously with a wide range of field implements, this ground-breaking concept is designed to make agriculture more efficient, economic and environmentally-friendly at a time when finding skilled labour is becoming increasingly difficult.

“I am certain that if Mr Case could see the company today he would instantly recognise that the core values which he championed all those years ago are still at the heart of everything we do,” Andreas Klauser added.

“I have no doubt he would approve of the fact that we involve customers in every new range, model and product update through our Customer Driven Product Design, but what he would think of the Autonomous Tractor Concept we can only guess!

“When I look at the enormous transformation which has taken place in agriculture over the past 175 years, it is very exciting to think about what might be achieved during the next 175 years. I am sure that will be discussed during our celebrations with customers, dealers and employees.” n February–March 2017

CLASSIC TRACTOR TALES

So what’s new?

OO By Ian M. Johnston

In the ‘good old days’ (or should that be ‘the bad old days’?) farmers were undoubtedly among the hardest working coves around.

I mean to say, up at the crack of dawn, hitching up a team of cantankerous horses, or hand pumping a drum of kero into the tank of an equally cantankerous Inter W40, or lumping three bushel bags of grain, or trudging around a 1000 acre wheat field pulling out the black oats which seemed to be everywhere, or climbing stiffly down off the afore mentioned W40 after 14 hours of suffering the shattering bellow from the straight through exhaust pipe and every joint aching due to the soft ride (joke) provided by the cleated steel wheels!

Compare the above with the chap who worked in the Rural Bank in town. Started at 9 am, morning tea at 10 am, an hour for lunch, kept ducking into the loo for a well earned puff of a Player’s Navy Cut, and knocked off at precisely one minute to 5 pm. Okay, so he was required to wear a collar and tie, but he was permitted to leave off his suit jacket when the temperature

exceeded 80°F! Plus, he got a pay packet handed to him each second Friday, and don’t forget he was magnanimously awarded two weeks annual leave!

Now I am certainly not acquainted with the daily routine of today’s banking chaps. But I do know that modern switched on farmers enjoy a blissful life of ease and sumptuousness compared to the rigours that were the lot of their grandpas.

(Farmers reading this please note: No correspondence will be entered into and I am always accompanied by a large vicious dog!)

You see, being a diligent and assiduous reader of this and its sister rural magazines, I know all about the technological marvels included in any modern tractor worth its salt. Although to be honest, I confess to struggling with some of the terminology.

Take for instance – interactive interface, telemetry, telematics, real time satellite data, Zimmatic, Automatic Productivity Management, spatially continuous, CVT, Intellisteer, and so on.

(Could all have been thought up by a Federal Treasurer, upon his return from an overseas study tour).

Plus of course today we take for granted tractor cabins and associated luxuries, of which Grandpa could only dream about. Things such as sound proofing, climate control, cushion mounting, Bluetooth connected communication doo-dahs, cup holders and a mini fridge for the Diet Coke. In fact, an overpaid corporate executive, with an office on the 25th floor of a sky scraper overlooking Circular Quay, would probably envy the opulence of the farmer’s office high up on his tractor! And – the farmer can drive his office back to his house! How good is that!

The Big 4 We, who watch the evening news on the telly, are regularly hearing about these amazing cars that can allegedly drive themselves. But most non-farming folk are not aware of the fact that self steer tractors, controlled by a satellite aloft, are now fairly common place.

So not only is the tractor operator cosily ensconced within his palatial apartment, er – tractor cab, but he can relax in his

An early advertisement for a Big 4 showing the self steer mechanism.

February–March 2017

Archive photo of Big 4.

Australian Sugarcane — 23

Archive photo of Big 4 at work. Note the guy nonchalantly sitting on the mudguard while the tractor self steers.

Big 4, part of a town parade in the USA.

lounge chair and read about the latest ministerial scandals in yesterday’s paper, while the tractor dutifully follows an imaginary geometrically straight line with pinpoint accuracy.

But guess what! There is nothing new about a self steer tractor! In fact, your grandpa’s grandpa possibly drove one! Yes, seriously!

I recollect some years ago, while on a research trip travelling through the vast grain belt of Canada, I encountered an old timer, who related to me an amazing true story, about his youthful experience with a self steer tractor during the early part of the 20th century.

The tractor in question was one of several models somewhat euphemistically branded ‘Big 4’. The original version was designed by a farmer/engineer named D.M. Hartsough in 1904.

He considered the single and twin cylinder engines powering the the limited range of tractors in that era, were inefficient and under powered. Accordingly, he designed a four cylinder petrol fuelled unit of massive physical proportions, created to power a 10 ton tractor.

In actual fact the engine could only produce 60 belt horse power, but this was considered powerful in the extreme, in 1904. But, as was typical of early giant tractors, much of its power was required simply to propel the machine!

The dimensions were indeed impressive. For example, the top of the radiator towered 10 feet (3.04 metres) above the ground.

While the rear steel wheels stood 8 feet 3 inches (2.51 metres) and the fronts measured 5 feet (1.52 metres).

As it was the first American tractor to enter volume production with a four cylinder engine, Hartsough cleverly capitalised on this fact by naming his unit ‘Big 4’.

But the mammoth tractor had one seriously bad feature! It required several acres in which to achieve a reverse turn. To add to this problem, unless you were an Irish navvy or a Japanese Sumo wrestler, it was a physically daunting task to even turn the steering wheel in order to navigate the monster round a wheat field.

Which brings me back to my old timer and his remarkable story.

A true but comical event I encountered my old timer in the canteen of The Western Development Museum, located just outside the small Saskatchewan prairie town of North Battleford. Among the

24 — Australian Sugarcane

scores of veteran tractors, the museum had in its collection an early Big 4. During the winter months, all tractor radiators were drained of water (for obvious reasons) and in the spring they were refilled and the engines fired into life.

Apparently, the Big 4, along with numerous other tractors in the collection, was a reluctant starter. Veteran retired tractormen were routinely called in as volunteers to oversee the starting procedures, as quite often the younger staff of the museum simply lacked the necessary skills and experience.

Armed with an absurdly large steak and a tall glass of Canadian cider, with a mandatory dash of maple syrup, I sat down at a table opposite a guy I took to be a real character.

He was obviously ancient and reminded me of a well mellowed ironbark fence post. His name was Buck and he told me… “he was the only damned feller in the museum who could start a Big 4.” He needed no encouragement when I asked him to tell me why this was so.

Buck was raised on a prairie farm and when “… jist a strippling, fresh out of short pants, when my Daddy took delivery of a Big 4. But he couldn’t done drive the thing cos he caught the colic. So my Mamma she says I gotter be a man now an’ drive the big tractor, sayin’ as how we was late with plowin’ owin’ to the bad season.”

But there was a problem. Buck, especially as a youth, was a lightweight and simply did not possess the necessary strength to steer the machine. The local agent was contacted and he arranged to have the Big 4 Self Steer device railed in from the factory at Indianapolis and attached to the front of the tractor.

Within a week Buck was ready to start ploughing.

All went well for the first four days and Buck managed to navigate the tractor and trailing plough around the field. On the fifth day he decided to work into the night, as there was a full moon and he was anxious to catch up on lost time – and this is where things turned into a disastrous shambles!

At this juncture of the story, Buck’s eyes glazed over as he looked back in time, and then he started to chuckle.

He had apparently been wedged into the operating platform of the tractor with the aid of two hay bales. They enabled him to be seated but with sufficient elevation to see ahead along the side of the long bonnet, albeit with some difficulty. But he was weary and his eyes closed, and dozed off despite, or perhaps because of, the drone of the big engine.

It is necessary here that I endeavour to explain the design and function of the self steer device.

It comprised two heavy duty rods extending forward of the February–March 2017

tractor a distance of 20 feet (6.09 metres). Each was attached to the front steering mechanism and at the front end supported on a wheel, which was designed to run in the furrow, opened on the previous run. As the furrow wheel changed direction it actuated the tractor steering rods.

An arrow was fixed on the top of a tall post which extended upwards from the furrow wheel, which in turn pointed the direction of travel to the operator. This was necessary, as forward vision from the operator’s platform was dangerously limited.

Sounds very complicated but it actually all worked. A number of tractor makes utilised the same device. A perusal of the attached drawing may help to comprehend the system.

So we return to our snoozing young operator.

At the end of a long stretch, the guide wheel jumped out of its furrow and planted itself in a ditch. The tractor obediently followed the ditch, which just happened to lead directly into the outskirts of the local town! Buck dozed on, probably dreaming of the cute young daughter of the farmer next door, he explained.

Typical of the isolated prairie townships of over a century ago, the main street consisted of packed soil, lined by clap board buildings. The ditch doubled as a gutter through the town!

The plough of course extended behind the left of the tractor.

So did the raised boardwalk! Great hunks were dragged along by the plough. The bits that didn’t were chopped into match wood. The hard packed earth road was transformed into resembling a freshly ploughed potato field. Buck was unaware of all this.

Buck recalled he half remembered some jolts and shouts. The barber’s pole was the brightest thing along the street. When it was pulled out, part of the roof of the salon collapsed. At the end of the short street, was the newly completed band stand – the pride of the town. It must have been well constructed, because it had the strength to stop the progress of the Big 4,

IAN’S MYSTERY TRACTOR QUIZ Question: Can you identify the tractor by the odd ball engine?

Clue: It is European and only a few came to Australia.

Degree of difficulty: Only a REAL tractor enthusiast will know the answer!

Answer: See page 32.

but its drive wheels continued to rotate. The resulting jerking motion awoke the young Buck. He gazed around and behind at the carnage he had created, and nearly fainted.

Again, at this stage Buck started to chortle, which developed into a fit of coughing and laughter.

“Reckon not many whipper snippers can boast to havin’ demolished a complete town. An’ ah did it all by myself, so ah did. Mayor never did speak to my Daddy again,” he concluded sadly.

Conclusion My message to all the young farmer technocrats is, don’t wholly trust your computer controlled satellite self steer device – and don’t fall asleep! n

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1800 670 019 or www.dinnerplain.com Australian Sugarcane — 25

Soybean and graphene: Unlikely hi-tech bedfellows AT A GLANCE OO A breakthrough by CSIRO-led scientists has made the world’s strongest material – graphene – more commercially viable, and all thanks to the humble soybean.

G

RAPHENE is a carbon material that is one atom thick – so what’s this got to do with soybean? Until now, the high cost of graphene production has been the major roadblock in its commercialisation.

Graphene’s thin composition and high conductivity means it is used in applications ranging from miniaturised electronics to biomedical devices.

These properties also enable thinner wire connections; providing extensive benefits for computers, solar panels, batteries, sensors and other devices.

Previously, graphene was grown in a highly-controlled environment with explosive compressed gases, requiring long hours of operation at high temperatures and extensive vacuum processing.

But CSIRO scientists have developed a novel ‘GraphAir’ technology which eliminates the need for such a highlycontrolled environment.

CSIRO Scientist Dr Dong Han Seo, co-author of the study, holds a piece of graphene film ‘grown’ from soybean oil.

The technology grows graphene film in ambient air with a natural precursor, making its production faster and simpler.

“This ambient-air process for graphene fabrication is fast, simple, safe, potentially scalable, and integration-friendly,” CSIRO scientist Dr Zhao Jun Han said.

Zhao is the co-author of a paper detailing this CSIRO graphene research published recently in Nature Communications.

“Our unique technology is expected to reduce the cost of graphene production and improve the uptake in new applications.”

Enter soybean into this hi-tech world GraphAir transforms soybean oil – a renewable, natural material – into graphene films in a single step.

“Our GraphAir technology results in good and transformable graphene properties, comparable to graphene made by conventional methods,” CSIRO scientist and co-author of the study, Dr Dong Han Seo said.

With heat, soybean oil breaks down into a range of carbon building units that are essential for the synthesis of graphene.

The team also transformed other types of renewables – even waste oil such as those leftover from barbecues or cooking – into graphene films.

“We can now recycle waste oils that would have otherwise been discarded and transform them into something useful,” Dong said.

The potential applications of graphene include water filtration and purification, renewable energy, sensors, personalised healthcare and medicine, just to name a few.

Graphene has excellent electronic, mechanical, thermal and optical properties as well.

Its uses range from improving battery performance in energy devices, to cheaper solar panels.

CSIRO are looking to partner with industry to find new uses for graphene.

Ultra thin graphene film has a great variety of applications including flexible screens for smartphones and televisions.

26 — Australian Sugarcane

Researchers from The University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and The Queensland University of Technology also contributed to this work. n

February–March 2017

District Reports...

NORTHERN REGION The end of December 2016 was the start of this year’s wet season, with over 600 mm of rain falling from the end of December to late January causing minor flooding in some areas.

In saying that, 2017 is shaping to be another good year and through January most of the northern region had ideal weather with good growing conditions. Most of the rain received was at night, with very hot and very humid days. These favourable conditions also enabled farmers to continue with most of their weed management programs.

In mid-January a shed meeting was held at Mossman Agricultural Services where the 2016 Productivity reports where handed out, along with MAS’s work plan for the 2017 season.

Driving through the area I have noticed some yellowing of cane and I feel that Yellow Canopy Syndrome (YCS) may again be present in the Mossman region. It is important to remember that there are many reasons for cane going yellow – drought stress, herbicide damage, insect attack, disease, nutrient deficiency or natural maturing to name a few. It is important to understand how symptoms that are commonly observed differ from YCS. Please contact SRA or your local Productivity Board if you feel that you may have YCS. All throughout February and March, I will be on the road in the ‘Cane Captiva’ in my role as Next Gen Officer for the industry. This year I started in Northern NSW and have been working my way North to Mossman. So please check the Next Gen web site to see when I will be in a mill region near you. I am always happy to meet any new young farmers and also the young at heart.

I would also like to remind and encourage farmers young and old to attend the 2017 CASE IH, Next Gen, StepUP Conference

Mossman–Mulgrave Atherton Tableland ● Cairns Innisfail–Tully Herbert Burdekin Proserpine Mackay–Sarina

Bundaberg Maryborough

Brisbane ● Rocky Point New South Wales

which will be held from Monday March 27 through to Wednesday March 29, 2017 at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre.

The main aim is to encourage young farmers and industry professionals to step up and take the reins in our industry, whilst facilitating intergenerational knowledge transfer with the more established participants.

For more information regarding the conference or Next Gen activities please log onto the Next Gen web site: www.nextgenfarmer.com

Gerard Puglisi Northern Region Director February 17, 2017

SOUTH JOHNSTONE, MULGRAVE, TULLY Congratulations to everyone involved in the harvesting and crushing of the 2016 crop. With another high yield the prospects of another Christmas Eve finish was the initial projection but the great effort by harvesting crews and mill staff moved the end of the season forward.

South Johnstone, Mulgrave and Tully all had record cane crushes and Tully Sugar has embarked on more than $8 million worth of upgrades to push things along going forward.

Agriculture and, in particular, sugarcane is scrutinised in coastal North Queensland because of the intensity of crop production inputs and a close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.

To aid in the representation of the sugar industry an alliance of key industry groups and extension and training providers has come together on the Wet Tropics Sugar Industry Partnership (WTSIP). This is a huge collaborative effort and I would like to recognise the power of partnerships.

February–March 2017

Australian Sugarcane — 27

WTSIP is designed to support farming practice, targeting water quality improvement and reduction of sediment, nutrient and pesticide loads, resulting from farming in the local geography, without losing sight of farm productivity and profitability. Practices must be affordable and economical.

In a first for Queensland, the Wet Tropics community is being entrusted with the design of a major project to improve water quality to the Great Barrier Reef. The Wet Tropics Major Integrated Project (WTMIP) and project partners are seeking to transform our approach to improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The project will be designed by the local community, with support from a consortium of over 30 partners.

The consortium is coordinated by Terrain NRM on behalf of Wet Tropics Sugar Industry Partnership and Australian Banana Growers’ Council; Local Government, community, consultants and scientists.

At this point in time the next year’s crop is shaping up well, due to early rains and with the current and future investments from the local milling companies, and the uplift in the sugar price, sugar growing is currently looking positive.

Michael Camilleri Northern Director February 17, 2017

HERBERT Crushing in the Herbert finished at the end of December with a total of 4,812,090 tonnes in the district. Unfortunately not all the cane was crushed with 30–40,000 tonnes left in the paddock. The sugar average for the district was 12.30 CCS; well below the Herbert District long term average.

There was approximately another 40,000 tonnes lost because of rat damage, so the crushing could have been around the 4.9 million tonne mark if everything had been spot on.

The low CCS has certainly disadvantaged a lot of farmers in the district and many missed out on being paid in January as their statements had minus balances. In some cases this will carry through into February. Not a great start to 2017.

The crop is looking OK at the present time and is showing some positive signs. Farmers need to be ever vigilant with ongoing rat problems, feral pigs and Yellow Canopy Syndrome which has started to show in the crop.

Another problem in the Herbert is smut and there is quite a bit of it around. SRA 3 is also showing some signs of smut.

Let us hope that we continue to have ideal growing conditions, good rainfall and a bumper crop with better sugar for 2017..

Carol Mackee ACFA Herbert Director February 17, 2017

BURDEKIN Mid-February and the On Supply Agreement (OSA) negotiations between QSL and Wilmar are dragging on. QSL CEO Greg Beashel spoke to a well attended Burdekin grower meeting at the beginning of February. He outlined QSL’s frustration with Wilmar’s ‘drip feed’ approach to negotiations that he believes is unnecessarily delaying resolution of an OSA that will facilitate choice in marketing for Grower Economic Interest sugar.

Legislation to preserve competition in sugar marketing and choice for growers passed the Queensland Parliament in

28 — Australian Sugarcane

December 2015 – 13 months ago. Wilmar Sugar is the only miller yet to finalise agreements for the 2017 harvesting season due to start in just a few months According to Greg one of the sticking points in the negotiation was linked to the sugar quality of GEI sugar to be supplied by Wilmar to QSL. QSL wants minimum 98.7 sucrose content averaged over three samples – a quality level that Wilmar already meets 99 per cent of the time.

This minimum quality requirement enables sugar to continue to be shipped year round to QSL’s existing customers. Failure to be able make this quality guarantee will lower premiums and returns for the GEI Sugar supplied by Wilmar on the grower’s behalf.

Greg was not optimistic that an agreement would be finalised before the 28th February pricing nomination close date for the 2017 crop so QSL is working on providing pricing pool options with a later date for Wilmar growers. This will offer some reassurance to the 1500 affected growers who have been forced to put their lives and businesses on hold for far too long.

Greg also explained that QSL has had to build a new computer system (QSL Direct) because Wilmar, unlike other millers, would not allow QSL to access the Wilmar system for grower’s QSL nominations. QSL will contact Wilmar growers asking them to provide information to enter into the new QSL Direct system.

Compiled by the Editor February 17, 2017

CENTRAL REGION The crushing season finished at the end of the first week of January. Harvesting conditions deteriorated due to the wet weather, with continuing rain. The cane quality also deteriorated with PRS and purity rapidly falling off. These issues made it impossible, in the end, to make sugar. About 5.5 million tons was crushed with a PRS of 12.96 units.

In general, it was a very disappointing season, starting off with the incident at Marian Mill’s No 1 boiler. The two significant rain events in June and July put things back even further. The mill’s crushing plant availability fell off as the season progressed.

At the end, when crushing finished, there was approximately 450,000 tonnes of stand over left in the field for this coming season.

With the high prices available, growers are extremely disappointed that the opportunity to capture it couldn’t eventuate. The transport issue, which placed restrictions on wide loads, affected many contractors and didn’t make things any easier over the Christmas period.

The outlook for the 2017 season appears to be good, despite the past season being affected by rain at the end. The weather has progressed ratoons with very good falls through November, December, and January. There will be an issue with late cut ratoons as to how harvesting in wet field conditions has affected them.

Fertilising and spraying have been challenging, while waiting for things to dry out. The fallow crop areas of soybeans and other legumes are well down. Rice, which is in early stages of developing as a break crop, was affected to the extent that only one crop in the region was planted.

The boiler project at Marian is critical to the maintenance season schedule. The project is working towards May 6 for handover to operations. Following the handover there will be steam trials and commissioning undertaken, utilising the new procedures to ensure the integrity and safety of the equipment.

February–March 2017

In early February, the board and management received a draft copy of the Kidder Williams report and models. The report outlines a plan which continues to maintain grower ownership of Mackay Sugar, a sentiment many people have expressed to the board, management, and Kidder Williams through formal and informal feedback sessions.

The draft report will be reviewed and tested by the board and management team to verify the assumptions, as well as to add some detail. The high-level concepts that Kidder Williams has come back with, largely matched those that the board and management identified over the last two years, in the strategic planning process and Kidder Williams’ expertise with capital structuring will assist the team with completion of these initiatives.

The board and management look forward to reporting this information to shareholders in late February.

Steve Fordyce Southern Queensland February 17, 2017

keyboard I might get writer’s blurt. But no, I see the water hasn’t moved, so I and a lot of others will be out soon, checking and adjusting (with a 5 pound hammer)! And on a recent trip to Brisbane, Kerry, my wife was thrilled to bits to at last see the centre-pivot south of Maryborough watering the house next to the highway. They’re flat out dry there too.

Mike Hetherington ACFA Southern Region Director February 17, 2017

SOUTHERN REGION Sometimes it’s so easy to start writing and sometimes not.

This highlights the fact that the environment puts a huge load on the mental state of farmers. Farmers must factor in the cost of the weather. Too wet, costs escalate – too dry costs escalate perhaps faster – but ideal conditions? Sorry, I’ve never heard of that.

Trying to cope with the current weather conditions in the Wide Bay and Burnett is calling on 100 per cent of most farmers’ capacity. Farms are having to be bought all over again to finance low running cost irrigation. And none of the highest tech irrigation systems are infallible. I see now the electrical contractors with off-road work platforms to access centre pivots stuck in the crop.

Bigger holdings have a new term in Positions Vacant advertising – “Water Boy” is now a job description.

And then there is micro-drought. One side of the creek receives 125 mm of rain; the other side 7 mm. It’s true here and it’s mentally devastating to the whole community. It’s very difficult to be a chatty man at a local barbie when there is the haves and the have nots – and for no apparent reason. It’s a $150,000 difference to the average farm here.

One small consolation is PM Malcolm Turnbull, in his recent address to the Australian Press Club, stated that affordable energy and water was a necessity to enable Australians to continue with the current lifestyle. While it was mixed with an amount of ‘polly’ waffle, we should keep a copy of this at all times to present to all levels of government and community. A battle-cry, perhaps?

R&D strategic plans? I don’t hear many growers even mention R&D. ‘New varieties’ is always a call , but nobody seems to know where they might come from. It’s still a point of contention to levy payers.

Harvesting efficiency is a hot topic. The vast difference between ownership and having a commercial contractor is not being addressed. If you don’t own the machine, how is it possible to get them to slow down? It does not happen. For the contractor output is required to cover capital cost. The farmer’s particular conditions are irrelevant. At face value, the recent SRA article regarding slowing down harvester may be proof of concept, but until a farmer can actually make the call it is an impossible dream. Unless you own the thing!

I think that’s four covered. Now I’ve settled down to the February–March 2017

NEW SOUTH WALES The crop in NSW has the potential to produce an average crop for the 2017 season. The weather at this time of the year can produce large amounts of rain in a short period. However, at the time of writing, there has been a rainfall deficit for the summer in NSW. We never pray for rain down here, as in the past we have gotten what we wished for and no prayers could turn the rain off. There is an old saying in the Tweed District that we grow our best crops in the dust especially in the lower parts of the district.

Soy beans Many growers have taken the opportunity to reduce the amount of fallow/soy bean cropping to take advantage of the better sugar cane pricing, at least for the coming year.

Bonsucro The NSW Sugar cane industry has recently had another successful audit to the Bonsucro Standard. Congratulations to the industry – we are still the only industry in the world with all growers certified along with the Mills and refinery.

Harvesting and SRA The SRA projects in place at the moment to show the losses in harvesting by researchers are making many sit up and take notice. The new chopping system developed by EHS Manufacturing (Maxi Chop) and the figures coming out of SRA, are excellent, to say the least. A 38 per cent reduction in juice losses can only increase the industry’s bottom line. My own harvesting group will install the new chopper system this year and based on the information available from the SRA trials, we should get a return on investment in the first two months of the harvest. It has been reported that one mill in Brazil, with 26 harvesters, increased their bottom line by US$11milion, after installing the new choppers.

Let us hope that the growing season is all we wish for and that all growers can take advantage of the sugar price over the next year or so.

Robert Quirk ACFA New South Wales Director February 17, 2017 Australian Sugarcane — 29

FISHING

The ‘Salvo Special’ – a dollar’s worth of ‘loaves’ and ‘fishes’ OO By Phil Jackson – Fly, Tye and Tackle

B

ACK in my formative years I frequented the Clipper Bar, a ‘Men’s Only’ bar tucked away in the cloisters of the Singapore Hilton. It must have also been the hangout for some pretty disillusioned philosophers, most of them journalists, CGNZ06.pdf 4/12/05 3:48:57 PM because some of the graffiti on the back of the men’s room door was poignant yet depressing.

fly fish

These pearls of wisdom included such gems as “Steal don’t starve” and not to forget “No good deed goes unpunished” together with the timeless “Sarcasm is my defense against your stupidity”.

One quote seems particularly relevant in this current era of welfare dependent, politically correct, parasitic minorities, “Help someone in trouble and they’ll think of you next time they’re in trouble.”

Now, I’m as philanthropic as the average Ozzie and I’m given to random acts of kindness like most people. But I’m not big on high profile charities – especially those with international affiliations run by ex-politicians – and I’m happy to explain why.

In one of my previous incarnations I was tasked to look into suitable charitable organisations with a view to establishing scholarships and providing targeted long term support to projects that were identified as meeting the ‘meritorious’ criteria.

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Snouts in the trough Following the trail of the ‘donation dollar’ isn’t always easy – I soon learnt there are a lot of snouts gargling in the charitable trough, skimming off the cream and chewing on the fat long before a pathetically small number of those donation dollars actually gets to those in need. Sadly you can lift the lid on just about any big name charity and you’ll find some highly paid office bearer doing his or her daily commute in an expensive late model company car, with a preference for top of the range Japanese off-road vehicles.

But there’s an exception No, I’m not big on charities. All of the above not withstanding there was a time, back in those formative years, when I was introduced to an organisation who truly gave more than they got, in fact some of their representatives paid the ultimate price for their faith and commitment.

Of course they are the Salvos, an organisation for which I have infinite respect and admiration. Any ex-serviceman of my era can tell you about an outfit run by the Salvos called

30 — Australian Sugarcane

February–March 2017

FISHING

You will need.

The makings.

“The Every Mans”. You could always get a hot brew, a cold drink, a quiet corner to write a letter and a rational conversation.

There was no alcohol, pornography, profanities, or rank.

Some times it was a tent next to the mess, or a hutchie between two trees beside a chopper pad or a hole in the ground with the obligatory 18” of overhead protection. Unlike those of the ‘main stream’ faiths who flew in in the morning, mumbled a few words, had lunch and flew out before dark, the Salvos were always there and what ever happened to us happened to them.

of fish knives. These small ‘spatula’ like utensils with a long flat double sided blade are used for eating fish and the Salvos sell them for about a dollar each.

They come in a couple of sizes, but the 90 mm flat blade is the perfect size and shape for a ‘go anywhere, catch everything’ lure. But wait there’s more – the handle makes an ideal jig or you can put it in the vice and twist the shaft to turn it into a top trolling lure.

That was the ‘loaves’ and now to the ‘fishes’

All you’ll need is a hacksaw; a hammer; a file; a 4 mm drill; a tube of super glue; a couple of black swivels and split rings; and, some coloured glitter of your choice.

The process isn’t rocket science and the kids will love helping you make a bucket full of indestructible lures for less than the price of a beer.

Place the fish knife on something hard and flatten it out with the hammer. Use the hacksaw to separate the blade from the

So, what’s all that got to do with fishing? One of the Salvos many recycling outlets is situated on a back street in the industrial suburb of Coopers Plains, and they specialise in all the usual household necessities including an awesome assortment of cutlery. Apart from a huge range of spoons in all sizes that make the lures that catch everything from trout to tuna, the local Salvos is the only place I know where I can get a regular supply

Let’s get started on the ‘Salvo Special’

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FISHING to be aware of. Drill a number of holes along one edge of the lure. This will allow you to reposition the tow hitch and change the angle of the dangle. This will change the ‘wobblesence’ of the lure and help induce a strike when things are quiet.

Also, practice makes perfect and unless you’re a crafty sort of person the first couple of efforts are going to look like fashion accessories for the gay Mardi Gras. Don’t worry because the fish won’t worry either.

Don’t go overboard with the superglue because it will run on the smooth hard surface and you’ll lose the definition in stripes of patterns, and you can always add more glue and glitter later if you feel the need. Saliva, preferably your own, will neutralise super glue so if you find yourself sticking to yourself just spit on the affected area and massage.

Cast, trolled, or jigged the ‘Salvo Special’ is an indestructible and effective fish taker and a hoot to make. n

ANSWER TO IAN’S MYSTERY TRACTOR QUIZ

Express yourself.

handle and clean up the rough edges with the file. Use the drill to put a hole in each end and the technical work’s all done.

Lay the blade on some grease proof paper, or similar, and draw a pattern with the super glue. Sprinkle liberally with the glitter colour of your choice and wait a few seconds for it to dry.

Tap off any unsecured glitter, draw another pattern, and apply a contrasting colour of glitter. Simple.

At this point I feel there are a number of things you need

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What services will you receive? ●

A minimum levy that provides everything a cane farmer needs from a representative body

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The Australian CaneFarmer – the Australian CaneFarmers’ publication that includes news, views, markets and politics

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Branch network and local representation

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✔ Australian CaneFarmers embraces the grass roots structure ✔ Cane farmers receive value for money ✔ Australian CaneFarmers is your organisation and all cane farmers are eligible to apply for individual membership

✔ Australian CaneFarmers has a proven record of fighting for growers where others have either given up or not begun

Be part of sugar’s future... become a member of Australian CaneFarmers Freecall 1800 500 025 or visit our website at www.acfa.com.au for your local ACFA board member

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