The Cape York Peninsula cattle property developing a major dryland cropping project hosted a field day recently to showcase results from its high value crop trials.
The Ryan family is developing a 31,800 hectare dryland farming project Olive Vale Station at Laura, making it home to the northern most forage sorghum crop in Queensland.
Paul Ryan hosted a field day last week to showcase trials of rice, sesame, guar, soybean, navy bean, grain and forage sorghum.
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries deputy director-general Malcolm Letts was a special guest.
He said the crop trials were encouraging and that the project could be viable with the right varieties.
He said suitable open country without tree coverage, as far as he was aware, could be farmed under existing laws particularly areas of open downs that have been identified on Aboriginal Freehold or other pastoral leases.
Tablelands agronomist Tony Matchett began the trial plantings in January.
“There was 429 mm of pre-plant rainfall during December and January and in-crop falls of 300 mm, which is 40 per cent below the wet season average,” Mr Matchett said.
“The rice, mung beans, guar bean, sorghum and sesame have done exceptionally well and provide an excellent range of rotational crop choices.
“Several crops did not perform due to the prevailing environmental conditions or an inappropriate sowing window.”
The rice variety trial plot was planted at a rate of 150 kg per hectare on January 29 in a brown clay loam selected for its high water holding capacity.
“The stand out varieties appear to be Sherpa, Kyeema and YRL39, with the Quest succumbing to blast and the favoured Doongara also suffered a significant impact,” Mr Matchett said.
A 150 ha plot of forage sorghum is being harvested, with plans to expand plantings on the property to a minimum of 2000 ha next year.
The field day was held just days after the State Government announced a moratorium on future new water licences on Cape York until the end of 2018 as it starts to develop a Water Resource Plan for Cape York.
Cape York Peninsula Regional Advisory Committee pastoral and agricultural representative Joy Marriott, Lakeland, said the two-year moratorium would stop development in the north.
“Lakeland is currently undertaking a growth strategy through Cook Shire Council to expand the local population by another 1500,” Ms Marriott said.
“The existing water supply can only accommodate two more houses in Lakeland township that is the centre of a large banana growing and horticultural district.”
