KEMPSEY and Nambucca macadamia growers recently learned about the benefits of new technology to manage their on-farm drainage in a workshop organised jointly by the growers with North Coast Local Land Services, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Australian Macadamia Society.
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The key aim of this new technology is to improve water quality by reducing erosion, improving orchard productivity with sustainable practices and promoting the adoption of best practices. In this area big weather events can lead to loss of topsoil and nutrients which can reduce nut production.
Bob Howard from GES Mapping showed producers the benefits of having maps highlighting priority areas to address. This allows farmers to remediate areas of erosion, and implement techniques to address long term water flow and soil erosion control. Long term aims are increased groundcover and improved catchment condition.
Four local macadamia farmers participated in a pilot program previously run by North Coast Local Land Services. The farmers had their properties mapped and data on drainage, elevation and slope was provided electronically and used to identify areas of potential erosion risk. Bob Howard used this data on the day to demonstrate the value of knowing the attributes of your macadamia block and having this provided on electronic property map.
Bob showed farmers how to download their maps and apps onto their phones and tablets, so that farmers can use the maps out in the field and identify areas of concern on the ground as they go about their orchard. The maps, that are generated using LIDAR imagery, also have other applications, such as identifying what tree rows have been sprayed.
North Coast Local Land Services has secured funds through Catchment Action NSW for GES Mapping to prepare LIDAR based maps for macadamia growers in the Port Macquarie Hastings, Kempsey and Nambucca local government areas. Participating growers will receive a set of LIDAR generated maps specific to each individual orchard.
If macadamia growers in these areas are interested, call senior Land Services officer Brendan O’Brien on 6563-6709.