Sugarcane is the second largest agricultural export in Queensland and covers 400,000 ha in the Great Barrier Reef catchment. Sugarcane growing contributes 42% of the total dissolved inorganic nitrogen load and is the dominant source of pesticides delivered to the Great Barrier Reef. Several land management practices in sugarcane areas […]
Broadacre crops in Queensland other than sugarcane include grains such as wheat, barley, sorghum, maize, chickpea, and faba bean, and other crops including cotton, and cover 2.8% of the Great Barrier Reef catchment. Irrigated and dryland cropping contributes 4% of the total fine sediment load to the Great Barrier Reef.
Banana growing and horticulture cover 0.2% of the Great Barrier Reef catchment, and contribute around 1% of the total fine sediment load, 1% of total exports of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and large amounts of pesticides to the Great Barrier Reef. Much less is known about the effectiveness of management practices
Horticulture and bananas Read more...
Urban areas cover 0.7% of the Great Barrier Reef catchment area and contribute 2% of the fine sediment load and 7% of dissolved inorganic nitrogen exports. A range of both structural measures (engineered; such as sediment control and upgrades to sewage treatment plants) and non-structural measures (such as policy, planning,
What are the key factors that affect the efficacy of natural/near natural wetlands, restored, treatment (constructed) wetlands and other treatment systems in Great Barrier Reef catchments in improving water quality and how can these be addressed at scale to maximise water quality improvement?) [Q4.7.1]
