Growers share benefits of fertiliser recycling

We’ve all heard of recycling waste, water and even old clothes, but have you ever heard of recycling fertiliser?

That was the focus of a Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) Farm Walk Tour held in Corindi last month - how to best recycle fertiliser and it’s benefit for the back pocket and the environment alike.

Growers, agronomists and industry stakeholders in attendance discussed berry grower Aman Lehl’s challenges and successes in his partnership with CCC to capture nutrient rich run off and recycle it back on to his berry crops on his farm at Corindi on the NSW north coast.

Mr Lehl said it was great to be able to share his experience at developing a fertiliser recycling system with other interested growers.

“It is good to be able to talk about what’s working and what's not with other growers. Some of them have ideas, so it is great to be able to share our knowledge and come up with solutions together," he said.

Mr Lehl said once the system was perfected the benefits to recycling fertiliser were two-fold.

“One, it's great for the environment and two, we are reducing our water and fertiliser input cost,” Mr Lehl said.

Recycling fertiliser benefits our rivers, estuaries on oceanic waters by reducing nutrients entering coastal water ways.

Excess nutrients in waterways reduce water quality, harm coastal habitats and can lead to algal blooms.

Matt Plunkett Chair of Protected Cropping Australia and Agronomist and Senior Land Services Officer (Horticulture) with NSW Local Land Services said he learnt a lot at the farm walk.

“It was a terrific day, with great discussion on the challenges around sustainability within the industry and being adaptable in a changing climate,’ Mr Plunkett said.

The farm walk followed a morning forum at Woolgoolga where CCC Research Officers from DPI and Southern Cross University explained their latest findings on crop nutrition and best practice fertiliser management.

Clean Coastal Catchments is a NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy project aimed at reducing the level of diffuse source pollutants entering our coastal rivers and streams.

Find out more on the CCC website: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/water/clean-coastal-catchments/news-and-events/news-and-events/ccc-research-update-and-farm-walk-12-may-2022