Implement coulters for volcanic red soils

Group Name: Innisfail Babinda Innovative Farmers

Objectives

The project hopes to alleviate problems faced by growers cane farming in undulating red volcanic soils. Traditional coulters used on farming implements, such as ripper coulters, fertiliser applicators and Confidor Guard applicators, tend to merely push the green trash blanket instead of cutting through it. This causes a build up of soil on the cutting edge of a traditional coulter rendering it useless. The project hopes to relieve this problem by researching different option currently in the marketplace, purchasing selected equipment and modifying / developing this equipment for this particular soil type.

The project is also a means of furthering the skills being developed by growers in the IBS002 project by enhancing the skills of the group member in the areas of: project management and working within the group environment.

Project Activities:

• Research available alternate options;
• Travelling to agricultural areas currently utilising the two commercial coulter options and undertaking investigations / studies into suitability;
• The purchase  of preferred option;
• The fabrication of suitable working frame for preferred option by local agricultural engineering firm;
• The trialling of  fitted option at different locations which experience coulter failure;
• The eventual fitting on to traditional sugar cane farming implements;
• The development and documentation of a plan for carrying this group project forward post SRDC funding.

Contact person: Miles Darveniza 4064 2527  mdarv@qld.chariot.net.au

Photos  of the coulters