Drought resilience ideas catch farmers' interest

GRANITE BELT farmers swarm on expert about increasing productivity in a changing climate.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE: Sugar cane farmer Robert Quirk was in high demand at the recent Managing Climate Risk in Agriculture conference. Picture: Scott Powick

GRANITE Belt primary producers were so hungry for solutions to the increasing problems climate change was presenting that they quizzed climate conference speaker Robert Quirk late into the evening.

Climate change is increasing frequency and intensity of storms, bushfires and other major weather events, including drought, with measurable impacts for primary producers.

Taking place in Stanthorpe on April 3, the conference Managing Climate Risk in Agriculture saw more than 150 local attendees.

"I think the sceptics in the room decided 'oh geez, we've got to do something, this thing is bigger than us',” MrQuirk said.

An internationally sought-after speaker and sugar cane farmer for 50 years, Mr Quirk modified his farm to be more resilient to the local effects of climate change.

He spoke about global challenges and responses to climate change in agriculture and said audience members were interested in a type of fungi that captured carbon and could significantly increase soil carbon, helping farms be more resilient in drier periods.

"They (attendees) wouldn't leave me alone,” he said, laughing.

"We had a cocktail party that night ... and from virtually when I spoke ... it got crowded.

"Then at night, probably 20 different families came to me (and asked) what they can do.

"I think the realisation that this thing's (climate change) here and now and not something in the future became real on the day for most people and that's why they're asking the question 'what can we do? What's our next steps?'.”

Conference organisers from the 4500-member national group Farmers for Climate Action estimate about 100 of the attendees were local graziers, fruit and vegetable growers and vineyard managers.

"Everybody wants to be more resilient,” Mr Quirk said.

"And this fungi that we're identifying could help.”

While not yet commercially available, melanised endophytic fungi is a type that anchors inside plant roots, exchanging nutrients for carbon in a symbiotic relationship.

Many types of fungi do this but MEF stores carbon in a way that it doesn't break down and release back into the atmosphere.

Its potential for establishing a natural carbon capture and storage within soils was huge, Mr Quirk said.

Conference convenor Rick Humphries said the MEF was just one advance in science farmers could have access to if they joined a local network that sprang from the conference.

"We live in a community that's 100 per cent weather-dependent,” he said.

"If the weather we're experiencing now becomes the new normal, or a version of it becomes the new normal - and that's what the science is suggesting - we have to start adapting.”

The group of more than 35 conference attendees is planning to keep in touch and share information that might help local farmers work to improve the drought resilience of their properties and take other measures to mitigate the risk of climate change.

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