The Queensland Government’s Reef protection regulations address land-based sources of water pollution to the Great Barrier Reef, including nutrient and sediment run-off from farms.
Under the regulations, sugarcane growers need to comply with agricultural standards, as well as create and maintain records.
Our fertiliser products
When used correctly, our sustainable fertilisers comply with Reef protection regulations.
Farmers can match the right nutrient formulation to their soil test results, and the fertiliser is precision-applied to the crop by a professional contractor.
Bio Dunder liquid fertilisers can be surface banded under pressure to the crop row or subsurface banded using a stool splitter. In both cases, the liquid fertiliser is applied under pressure; it is not broadcast, and it is not applied to the inter-row.
Over the years, a large amount of trial work has been done to compare the nutrient run-off results of granular fertiliser applied sub-surface and Bio Dunder liquid fertiliser applied to the surface. We plenty of evidence to show that there are no significant nutrient losses when Bio Dunder liquid fertilisers are surface applied.
The results of this trial work – and the fact that Bio Dunder liquid fertilisers have been specifically formulated to be on top of the soil – is why our liquid fertilisers are permitted for surface application on the crop row under the current Reef protection regulations.
Delivery reports
To help farmers meet their record keeping obligations under Reef protection regulations, we provide detailed fertiliser delivery reports with essential reporting data.
Since July 2020, we have emailed farmers a fertiliser delivery report within three days of application. This helps them meet the legislative requirement to have made a record within three days of fertiliser being applied to their farm.
At the end of the season, we email growers a whole-of-season fertiliser delivery report that summarises their fertiliser application data for the year.
Our Bio Dunder® liquid fertilisers are convenient, sustainable and BMP compliant. They're also backed by decades of R&D and a rigorous quality assurance program.
Bio Dunder is a plant based fertiliser that delivers a comprehensive nutrient package of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur (NPKS), plus 9% organic carbon. In fact, Bio Dunder provides an average of 300-400kg per hectare of organic carbon, as well as calcium, magnesium and trace amounts of copper, zinc, iron and manganese.
Our fertilisers are matched to crop needs and soil types. We employ experienced local contractors to apply our products using variable rate and GPS-controlled applicators. This allows for the precise application of a targeted rate of Bio Dunder product to several rows in a single pass, minimising compaction and disturbance to the soil. Leaving the fertilising to us also saves growers time and labour.
Bio Dunder fertilisers are part of a unique renewable cycle that starts with Queensland sugarcane.
We take the sugar milling byproduct, molasses, and ferment it at our Sarina Distilleryto make bioethanol. Bio Dunder is a co-product of this fermentation process that's rich in nutrients and organic carbon. The renewable cycle is completed when Bio Dunder is applied to the next sugarcane crop, returning key nutrients, trace elements and organic carbon to the soil.
