Meet the Chapmans

The Chapman family's agricultural roots extend back more than 100 years and they’ve been adopting innovative farming methods for growing sugarcane for over 20 years now on their farm in the Bundaberg region.

Mitchell Chapman, fourth generation farmer, has grown up seeing the benefits of taking a sustainable approach to the land and is determined to carry on this approach. Despite being a boilermaker by trade, Mr Chapman has returned to the farming lifestyle, a credit to the legacy put in place by his forefathers.

The Chapman family have 215ha under cropping on their home farm and Mitch is now blazing his own trail by leasing another 230ha that he is gradually shifting over to the methods used on the home farm.

The home farm strictly adheres to a rotation program, where around 80% of the area will be under sugarcane and 20% under a rotational crop such as peanuts, legumes, field peas or a mixed species cover crop. Paddocks are worked using a reduced-till approach with controlled traffic keeping tractors and machinery off key cultivation areas and on hardened tracks to match row spacing.

Zonal tillage, where only the row area is cultivated so that the soil structure in the growing zone is preserved, is used between his cane crop and the following cover crop. A legume crop is then direct drilled into the sprayed-out cover crop. After harvesting the legume crop, a single zonal tillage event is all that is needed before cane is planted again. That can be a significant cost saving.

Mr Chapman said zonal tillage equates to using about 6L of diesel per hectare, which is considerably less than the fuel using more traditional methods with multiple passes with varying implements.

Cover crops are planted almost immediately after cane has finished its last ratoon, to ensure there is always something growing, protecting the soil from erosion and maintaining the soil health. The use of rotational crops has seen a reduction in fertiliser use. In a further effort to reduce plastic waste and expenses, fertiliser is purchased in bulk, by the truckload, and stored.

Mr Chapman's father, Tony, has integrated whole farm planning, grain legume rotations, reduced tillage, controlled traffic and organic matter retention into the family's home farm. He has worked with DAF for many years, implementing all the key components of a sustainable sugarcane farming system.

The Chapman family has a reputation for being willing to share their learnings with others, and they often host farm tours to showcase their practices to growers both from the local region and from further afar, as well as visiting scientists, students and other industry people. The family is also keen on encouraging the next generation of farmers by taking on student placements for work experience.

Water is recycled through catchment dams, which also helps reduce run-off and helps with improving reef water quality.

The processes the Chapman family have put in place are more than just best practice, they are reaping economic benefits. A study conducted by DAF economists using the Farm Economic Analysis Tool (FEAT) found that moving to a reduced tillage system with multiple legume break crops, added $9,760/year to the bottom line of the home farm.

An environmental assessment undertaken by the Queensland University of Technology that focused on the eco-efficiency of the cane crop found improvements in greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel use and water quality.

Mr Chapman said implementing improved practices like legume rotations, retention of organic matter, reduced tillage and controlled traffic were reaping results and showing that improved productivity can also bring sustainable outcomes.

It's a positive time to be in the sugar industry with world sugar prices the best they have been for some 40 years. Mr Chapman said after a considerable number of hard years, it's nice to have a change of fortunes.