After a lengthy construction phase and a postponed debut in the paddock, Ron is ready to unleash his passion project.

With the help of his son, Ron gave an old cotton-picking machine new life, transforming it into a new high-rise sprayer to get their vines and weeds under control more quickly and cheaply.

Time of spraying is most important, chemical-wise, otherwise if you spray too early, you waste your money, you leave it too late, they get away from you, and you waste your money.

With the unpredictable weather in the Mackay Whitsunday region, using an adaptive and creative mindset goes a long way to increasing productivity. A number of modifications that Ron has implemented to the sprayer has done just that, including adding four wheels instead of three for stability on rough terrain, cutting down the front and widening it to cover more cane while spraying, and lifting the back to be able to clear a variety of cane without harming the crop.

The sprayer has a 1.8m clearance, 4 wheels for greater stability, and a GPS-enabled computer to allow for variable rate control, as the machine is set to implement a more sustainable and flexible spring routine for his 180 hectares of sugarcane fields.  

It’ll do seven rows in a space and eight rows over the top, which will be a bonus. Because once we cut, after about three days we go through and spray a knockdown on there, so instead of a little tractor, it’ll cover a bit more ground, quicker.

A construction journey not without obstacles

The sprayer was built from a combination of recycled materials from the farm, a few locally made custom parts as well as some overseas components. To support local growers and the implementation of sustainable activities such as this, Ron’s project was partially funded through the Reef Catchments Major Grants Program to help with the rising cost of the required materials.

Getting the sprayer ready was no easy feat. A combination of overseas material delays and unpredictable weather conditions put a pause on the sprayer’s debut, as Ron risked bogging the machine out in the paddock and wasting more time than it was saving.

This is just one of many ideas that Ron and his son have brought to fruition, with other projects in the works such as creating a four-row side dresser and laser levelling his paddocks to minimise wet spots and reduce fertiliser user.

Ron’s retirement plans pave the way for new ideas

As a third-generation farmer, and keeping sustainability at the forefront of his farming practices, Ron is gearing up to make the hand over to his son later this year, and is looking forward to the direction that his son will take it in.  

When my son takes over, he’ll make a few more improvements. He’s younger, he’s got more ideas.

We all start with ideas, but if you don’t put ideas into practice, you don’t know if they’ll work or not.

Despite handing over the reins, Ron is happy to stick around the farm to help where he can as his son is looking at other cropping and implementing varieties like soybeans in between seasons.

I’ve got another 10-15 years in me, so I’ll be around to help him out. Mightn’t be as effective as he is, but I can prod along at my own pace.

Ron and his son will continue to use alternative and innovative ideas to increase crop health and reduce their impact on the surrounding environment as they put them into practice.