Reef Trust Tender – Wet Tropics
Fact Sheet 3
Minimum Standards of Management Practice
Minimum standards of management practice are not an
eligibility requirement for the Reef Trust Tender – Wet
Tropics Programme. However, Successful Applicants who
enter into Grant Contracts must have the following
practices in place on their cane farms within the first year
and a Nutrient Management Plan in place by the end of the
Grant Contract. These standards are designed to assist
Successful Applicants to sustainably manage the use of
fertiliser on their farm.
Application and Placement of
Fertiliser
Sub-surface application of fertiliser reduces surface runoff
and volatilization, thus improving nitrogen use efficiency
and enabling a reduction in fertiliser over time. For the
purposes of this Programme, fertilisers must be applied
subsurface in or beside the row (i.e. stool split or side
banded) by the end of the first year of the Grant Contract.
If this is not possible, Successful Applicants will need to
provide a rationale as to why.
Mill By-Products
Some sugar cane farmers use mill by-products (e.g. mill
mud) which may increase the risk of nitrogen runoff to the
Reef if not managed well. In order to help mitigate this risk,
the following minimum standards will apply.
If mill by-products have been used in the previous three
years, they can continue to be used at previous rate and
frequency during the Grant Contract period on the
following conditions:


The rate does not exceed 100 wet tonnes/hectare; and
It is applied where possible on the row.
Where mill by-products are used on plant or ratoon crops
(i.e. other than in fallow) and where the contractor’s or
farmer owned equipment allows, mill by-products should
be applied on the row only.
Where row-only application is not possible, Successful
Applicants will need to provide a rationale as to why.
Successful Applicants with no history of mill by-product
application are not to apply mill by-products for the
duration of the Grant Contract.
Calibration
Regular calibration of fertiliser application equipment is
important as large variations in application rates can occur
between batches of product, different products, in changed
weather conditions or at different times of the day.
Application equipment must therefore be calibrated prior
to the season and at each product and batch change.
Further information on calibration is available at:
www.sugarresearch.com.au_Calibrating_your_fertiliser_bo
x.pdf
Fallow Legume Crops
A fallow cover crop can prevent soil erosion and also deliver
substantial nitrogen to the soil that may become available
for export if not captured by subsequent sugar cane crops.
For this reason, it is important for fertiliser rates to be
adjusted for legume fallow inputs as per the Six Easy Steps
guidelines (see links below).
The aim of every good fallow is to break weed and disease
cycles and prepare the land for the next cane crop. It is the
most suitable time to add additional nutrients/ameliorants
such as lime and mill mud and undertake drainage and land
levelling works. As the fallow period occurs during the wet
season, it is important that the fallow land is protected
from erosion as much as possible. This is best achieved
through combinations of retaining trash from the previous
crop, minimising cultivation and growing a fallow crop like
soybeans, peanuts or cow-peas
Successful Applicants are entitled to continue existing
fallow legume-cropping strategies. Successful Applicants
with no history of fallow legume crops in the previous 3
years cannot use fallow legume crops for the duration of
the Grant Contract.
Soil Testing
Nutrient analysis of the soil is the foundation for the
development of a reliable and beneficial nutrient
management program.
Successful Applicants must ensure soil testing via a National
Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited service
provider occurs within 12 months prior to the
commencement of a new plant cane crop.
Further information on soil testing is available at:
www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/164356_Soil_sampl
ing_IS13017.pdf and at the Six Easy Steps link provided
below.
Reef Trust Fact Sheet 3 – Minimum Standards of Management Practice
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Reef Trust Tender – Wet Tropics
Nutrient Management Planning
For more information
Efficient nutrient management in the sugar industry
increases industry sustainability. This means that profitable
cane production needs to be achieved in combination with
the maintenance of soil fertility on-farm and minimal offsite effects. Nutrient Management Plans (NMP) are a
useful tool to assist growers with developing strategies for
nutrient management.
For general information and all the critical links go to
www.terrain.org.au/Projects/Agriculture-andInnovation/Reef-Trust
Before the end of the Grant Contract (by June 2018), all
Successful Applicants will be required to have developed a
Nutrient Management Plan. An example of a block-specific
template that are the basis of whole-of-farm NMP, is
available at:
www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/180952_Nutrient_
Management_Plan_BMP.pdf
Additional Links
For the online expression of interest form, full Tender
Guidelines and online Tender application, go to the
Department of Environment’s website
www.environment.gov.au/reef-trust-tender
Email
reeftrust@terrain.org.au
Call
Terrain NRM on 1800 357 755
Further information on best-practice nutrient management
information can be found at:
Soil Health and Nutrient Management Smartcane Best
Management Practice Module:
www.smartcane.com.au/user/modules.aspx?id=3573deaa1ef3-4365-a265-abbe1d47cc41&p_id=b4890c9a-7d314699-b763-d76d8a671fca
Best-practice nutrient management Six Easy Steps:
http://www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/164355_Bes
tpractice_nutrient_management_Six_Easy_Steps_IS13016.p
df
Six Easy Steps Nutrient Guidelines for Wet Tropics:
http://www.sugarresearch.com.au/icms_docs/194345_SIX_
EASY_STEPS_Nutrient_Guidelines_for_WET_TROPICS.pdf
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