‘The Quirk Farm Story’

A REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE CASE STUDY FROM NSW

A fish kill in 1987/88, caused by leaching from acid sulphate soils, and a divided community set the scene for Robert Quirk’s journey as a cane farmer turned “accidental, but willing, scientist”.

He’s since developed, and implemented, a set of regenerative practices that are recognised as best management for cane farming. Robert uses a holistic approach, combining engineering and agronomic solutions, to drainage, soil health and nutrient management.

Fairhalt, Crookwell, NSW

FARM FACTS

ENTERPRISE: Sugarcane (100 ha), Cattle grazing (17 ha)
PROPERTY SIZE: 117 hectares
AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL: 1801 mm
ELEVATION: 0.5 m

MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE: Prevent release of sulphuric acid from farm into the Tweed River and reduce waterlogged soil impact on sugar cane productivity.

INNOVATIONS

Regenerative landscape and livestock management regimes, including:

Laser levelling and automatic pumping system to stop flooding
Leaving cane trash to decompose after harvest
Applied urea to cane trash to assist in decomposition
Applied lime
Introduced mounding/raised beds to grow sugar cane
Utilised a ‘bed renovator’ machine to prepare for planting
Introduced winter cover crops into the crop rotation

KEY RESULTS

Significant reduction in input costs.
Increased soil organic carbon levels from 1% up to 8.8%.
Improved pH from 1.8 to 5.6.
Increased number of harvests (ratoons) from 4 -6 years.
Understand causes and mitigate sulphuric acid from releasing into waterways impacting aquatic life.

INTRODUCTION

Robert Quirk implemented innovations such as laser levelling his cane fields and mounding the cane rows to ensure that water drained correctly off his property and didn’t mobilise the acid sulphates in the soil.

During this time Robert Quirk became aware of the danger of climate change, this caused Robert Quirk to alter his management practices in an attempt to build carbon in his soil and reduce inputs. Robert Quirk reduced the amount of fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides used on the property as well as leaving the cane trash to lie on the field post-harvest. Robert Quirk also introduced other innovations such as an automatic pumping system to remove flood water from the cane fields and a bed renovator machine to prepare the cane fields.

Robert Quirk found that through his innovations soil organic carbon levels increased from 1% in the 1960’s to currently 8.8% on different points of the property. The pH of the property also increased from 1.8 in the 1980’s to currently stand at 5.6. Robert Quirk’s innovations have greatly improved the health of his soil whilst managing to control the threat of the acid sulphates underneath his cane fields.