Showcasing research for a cleaner coastal catchment

Farm sustainability, social license, profitable production and cleaner waterways were the key topics at the Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) Macadamia Research Update held in Alstonville on the NSW north coast in June.

Macadamia growers and key industry players joined the CCC team to see the impressive results from the Integrated Orchard Management (IOM) techniques in action at the Centre for Tropical Horticulture (CTH).

The macadamia orchards at the CTH site demonstrate how farmers can get the best bang for their buck from fertilisers and soil amendments while promoting farm sustainability.

Early research results show significant savings in soil, nutrients and dollars when comparing an IOM orchard to a traditional orchard where IOM techniques have not been applied.

Speakers on the day included CCC research partners Dr Mitchell Call from Southern Cross University, DPIRD Research Physiologist Suzy Rogiers, Scott Hills from Healthy Hills Horticulture, Tom Flanagan from the DPIRD Farms of the Future project and DPIRD Macadamia Development Officer Jeremy Bright.

The core message at the Research Update event was clear: better orchard management not only saves growers money and boosts nut production but also prevents expensive fertilisers from going to waste and polluting our coastal creeks, rivers and estuaries.

The CCC project is delivered through the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and is funded by the NSW Government under the Marine Estate Management Strategy.

Find out more on the CCC website.