A small change delivers double
Growcom’s SEQ Water Quality project supported by the Department of Environment and Science (DES) continues to deliver positive outcomes from the first round of ‘seed funding’ invested into South East Queensland pineapple farms.
Wamuran farmers Polsoni Pines have recently accessed the seed funding program to implement a new boomspraying practice on their farm that was developed through an industry research program and rubber stamped by the pineapple environmental team (PET).
Tony and Irina have been growing pineapples at their 260-acre property for over 37 years and have now been joined by youngest son Joe following a brief stint at University. The family currently produce three different varieties – Festival, Carnival and 7350 – providing them with harvest nearly all year round.
Tony and Joe first heard about the seed funding opportunity back in 2022 during an industry field day tour of the Pumicestone passage waterways with Tim Wolens, SEQ Water Quality Project Manager and representatives from DES. Surface water from their farm location flows via Six Mile Creek into the Pumicestone system and on into Moreton Bay so the family have always been aware of the need to minimise the run-off possibility.
The concept of precision boomspraying in agriculture is not a new one, but the application of the principles to pineapple production is not yet widespread. Tim Wolens explains that a very simple and inexpensive retrofit of droppers to the existing boomsprayer can result in a decrease in input costs of 20-30% across the first stage of pineapple growth up until canopy closure.
The idea is intriguingly simple; only spraying the ground area where the young plants are located from planting up until canopy closure when the ground area is fully covered by plant foliage. In practice, this requires a series of droppers to be fitted to the existing boomsprayer at intervals that exactly match the planting configuration of the crowns.
Each crop is still receiving the same amount of nutrition or treatment as when the broadcast spray method is used, the difference is no wasted spray and no spray falling on the interrow area whose purpose is to funnel water away from the plants and out of the paddock. Better yet, this new approach has been shown to have no negative impact on yield.
Tim explains that at about $1000 in parts and labour to achieve the precision spray capability and with the cost of inputs skyrocketing over recent times this small adjustment makes strong economic sense. Growers can achieve a full return on the small investment after just a few boomspray applications and ongoing savings in fertiliser and chemical into the future.
It has the doubly positive benefit of dramatically reducing the amount of nutrient or chemical that can be washed off the paddock and into neighbouring waterways. It’s a great example of where there is not a clash between cost saving and sustainability – the two outcomes go hand in hand.
Tony said for our business to be sustainable we’ve got to make money. This innovation saves us money first and foremost, but it also reduces the amount of spray being wasted and running off into our waterways and that’s a very good outcome.
DES and Growcom will continue to roll out the seed funding program in the region for growers looking to adopt more sustainable production practices in their business.
