Millmerran field day promotes benefits of leucaena

Circulated last week, the email addressed the control of a stand of leucaena plants around the Dungeness boat ramp and pick-up point for visitors travelling to Hinchinbrook Island.

Saying that concerns had been raised in coastal communities in the shire, where many close inshore islands such as Hinchinbrook and The Palms were free from the "invasive pest", the message noted that everyone had a general biosecurity obligation, which meant they had to take reasonable steps to minimise risks associated with declared pests.

"We are asking all locals and visitors to the Hinchinbrook region and particularly those visiting the islands to be aware of the risks in transporting any invasive plants or animals to the islands, where they can become established without anyone knowing, until it's too late," it said.

Speaking on behalf of the Leucaena Network, executive officer Bron Christensen said that was referring to the common species that had been naturalised for 100 years, which had been brought in for bank stabilisation and shade.

"The network has been putting a lot of effort into helping councils understand the difference between that and the grazing type, glabrata, and the financial benefits it brings to grazing industries and rural communities," she said.

She had no qualms about the removal of the plants around the boat ramp but added that that people could get the wrong idea about the leucaena they then see planted in paddocks.

"Graziers are not responsible for the weed plants people see round - I don't want them to get the blame," she said.

Ms Christensen was speaking from Innisfail where the final in a series of Introduction to Leucaena field days was due to be held on Tuesday and which had attracted more than 25 participants.

She said more than 35 graziers had attended a similar field day on Millmerran property Murralah earlier in October.

Hosted by Bill and Nikki McQueen, it gave participants the chance to inspect plantings across different landscapes and provided an overview of strategies for successful leucaena establishment and management.

The McQueens began their leucaena plantings in 2009 and now have 200ha fully established with an additional 50ha planted this year and 150ha planned for the future.

While incorporating leucaena into their grazing systems has brought increased weight gains in their stock, they said one of the key reasons for introducing the plant was for its environmental benefits, particularly the improvements to soil health and structure.

"The opportunity to create a diverse pasture that can fix nitrogen and return it back to the soil as well as increasing soil carbon through increased biomass, was one of our key reasons for planting leucaena," Mr McQueen said.

"We have gone a little outside the recommendations and have actually had good success in planting some of it in shallower topsoil, sloping and rocky country.

"Leucaena has turned some of our marginal cropping country into productive grazing land, allowing us to put more kilos of beef on per hectare while improving the quality of our soil."

The Leucaena Network's vice president Craig Antonio said days such as the field day at Murralah were essential to provide interested graziers with the right information about how to grow and manage leucaena.

"A key message that came through on the day from Billy was that anyone considering leucaena needs to ensure they have suitable soil and climate and are prepared to undertake the necessary site preparation, are aware of the planting requirements, provide the plant with sufficient establishment time and continue to manage it throughout the years," he said.

"The network is providing a unique opportunity for potential leucaena graziers to hear the proven theory about establishment leucaena, coupled with the real-life experiences of graziers like Billy and Nikki who provided a very frank and open assessment of their successes and challenges in establishing their leucaena pastures."

That was happening at a local government level as well, according to Ms Christensen, who said all councils in leucaena grazing areas had been invited to the 2020 conference in Townsville in September free of charge, which had been taken up by four of them.

"The network has been working with several councils in North Queensland to ensure the needs of both councils and graziers are met, and that all producers are encouraged to abide by the leucaena code of conduct," she said. "We welcome the opportunity for dialogue with any council."

The Hinchinbrook shire email advised that the the Hinchinbrook Local Marine Advisory Committee - Hinchinbrook Wonders Brochure and Queensland Park and Wildlife Service both had some excellent resources on how to protect its islands from weeds and invasive species.

The shire was contacted for comment on its by-laws regarding declared weed species.