Growcom’s Land & Water staff have produced video case studies showing the farm systems implemented by the two growers, Troy Qualischefski of Qualipac Farms at Glenore Grove and Wayne Keller at Lowood, as part of Hort360, the Best Management Practice program for horticulture.

Troy Qualischefski said that the Qualipac business, which focuses on producing quality onions and broccoli, had been a part of Growcom’s Water for Profit project for ten years.

The farm now has automated watering, including the use of a six span lateral move irrigator, and uniformity of water distribution to the crops has improved to an accuracy of 95 per cent.

“It’s made a big difference. We’re now producing the same tonnage of crops on 80 per cent less water,” said Qualischefski.

The farm has also switched to ‘tram tracking’ as part of a precision bed farming system utilising GPS technology.

“Our wheel marks are now in the one spot and our soil health is the best we’ve ever seen it, just by being more accurate about where our tractors are running and where we’re placing our chemicals and fertilisers,” Qualischefski said.

He said that these improvements had also resulted in less sediment runoff into the Lockyer creek.

Wayne Keller grows a variety of vegetables at Lowood where extremely undulating country makes managing water run-off and soil erosion a constant challenge.

Irrigation scheduling on the lateral move irrigator delivers scheduled water in small amounts. The Kellers have also put in contour banks, drains and sediment traps.

“When we work the soil we don’t rip it too deeply. We work shallowly and retain the thrash from the previous crop to help with wind and rainwater erosion. With our combined approach we have been able to reduce costs in the farm operation without sacrificing any yield.”

The Hort360 video case studies can be viewed on the Growcom website (scroll down the page): http://www.growcom.com.au/land-water/hort360/ More video case studies are being prepared.

Hort360 is a step-by-step, facilitated risk assessment tool designed to give growers a 360-degree view of their farm business operations.

The first module is designed to help growers to adopt Best Management Practice to protect land from erosion, prevent sediment and fertiliser run-off from farmland and manage farm inputs.

Growers in the Lockyer, Bremer, mid-Brisbane or Pumicestone sub-catchments, are invited to take up a free farm service to identify areas of high risk for sediment management.

To book a property visit please contact Hort360 Facilitators Ro Beveridge on 0417 783 313 or e-mail, or Anna Geddes on 0413 902 213 or e-mail.

Growcom acknowledges the Queensland Government for funding this module of Hort360 as part of the Healthy Catchments Program and Resilient Rivers Initiative.