SEQ farms go sky high for knowledge

In the first half of 2024, Growcom’s South East Queensland (SEQ) Water Quality Program has focused on working with growers to access land management information on their property and undertake remediation works to address the movement of nutrient, chemicals, and soil from their farms.

In addition to the funding assistance for earth management works, growers have benefitted from the collaboration of agtech company AirBorn Insight, with the local council, and researchers from the nearby university.

This collaboration has helped growers see their properties as they never have before. Using 3D drone imagery, agricultural engineer and co-founder of Toowoomba’s AirBorn Insight Nat Parker has provided detailed maps of farms in investigating erosion and sedimentation hotspots.

Notably, this mapping accounts for a property’s slopes and contours, which dictate how water and sediment moves across the farm.

Most recently, the program has been working with growers in the Glasshouse Mountains area. Growers in the Glasshouse region present a unique opportunity for these entities to work together as farms in the area are now nestled in amongst urban development.

“The close proximity to housing means managing soil and water movement across the property with precision is vital,” said SEQ Water Quality Program Manager Tim Wolens.

“With this mapping information, we are ensuring that the most practical solutions are implemented on the ground,” Tim said.

With the guidance of his mapping techniques, Nat Parker has been able to provide growers with clear recommendations for their farms, including the installation of retention ponds, and information to support practices that mitigate the movement of nutrient, chemicals, and soil from growers’ farms.

With these well-informed evidence-based recommendations, growers can ensure they are doing their bit in looking after SEQ waterways.

The SEQ Water Quality Program is funded by the Department of Environment & Science.