According to Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) economists, Rod Strahan and Alex Hoffman from Toowoomba, applying zero till and controlled traffic systems could lift profitiability by $190 a hectare in the Dawson-Callide and $162/ha in the Central Highlands.

Biloela-based DEEDI development extension officer Rod Collins, who leads the Grains BMP (Best Management Practice) project in Central Queensland, said the report's findings demonstrated improved management practices were cost effective.

“The dollar per hectare value of management changes were determined from modelled changes to farm business profit for a representative 800ha broadacre cropping farm in the Dawson-Callide and a 2000ha farm in the Central Highlands catchment,” Mr Collins said.

“Dawson-Callide growers making the transition from a conventional farming system to zero till went from losing $74/ha to making $64/ha profit – change in per hectare profit of $138/ha.

“By introducing CTF, the per hectare profit rose to $115. The move into CTF boosted the change in per hectare profit by a further $51/ha.

“The modelling reflected a similar advantage for Central Highlands growers with the combined zero till and CTF technology delivering a $162/ha change in profitability from a negative $50/ha profit using a conventional farming system.”

Mr Collins said Grains BMP was also aimed at minimising offsite environmental impacts resulting from broadacre cropping by limiting soil loss and reducing the runoff of water, nutrients and pesticides.

“The value of environmental benefits based on the current adoption of Grains BMP standards across the Fitzroy Basin grains industry is placed a $41.6M annually.

“The potential savings for growers following catchment-wide adoption of recommended BMP technology is valued at a further $22.3M a year based on the modelling assessment,” Mr Collins said.