Cropping and horticulture agronomists Tegan Brownie, Katelin and Ashlee Reddacliff and Jamie Pollen delivering for their clients

But agronomists, especially those in the north of the state, are bringing the commercial and research sides of the industry together to get a profitable and sustainable farming system.

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Facing skyrocketing fertiliser prices, the Reddacliff sisters are using precision agriculture to help growers improve productivity and profitability of the northern sugar cane industry.

By using a variable rate nitrogen application on sugarcane this season, they were able to save on average $25/ha on the paddocks.

Raised on a third generation beetroot farm in Forrest Hill, Lockyer Valley, Katelin Reddacliff, 25, and her younger sister Ashlee, 23, work as an agronomist and graduate extension agronomist respectively, at Farmacist in the Mackay/Burdekin region.

Their great-grandfather being pioneer of beetroot industry in Australia, being the first beetroot grower to provide for Golden Circle, with the farm remaining one of their largest suppliers (approx 15pc of Australia's beetroot).

After selling the family farm in 2011, the sisters and their family moved to Toowoomba, where their passion for plant science only grew

"Funny enough, my passion for agriculture only grew after leaving the farm," Ashlee said.

After school, Katelin received an integrated diploma in agricultural technologies from UQ and a bachelor of agriculture, majoring in plant production, externally through UNE.

She moved to Mackay, where she started working as a trainee agronomist for Farmacist.

Following in her sisters footsteps, Ashlee graduated with a bachelor of Agribusiness from UQ Gatton in 2020, before moving to Mackay to work as a graduate extension agronomist at Farmacist.

Both sisters agree, helping growers reduce their ecological footprint and input costs remain an ongoing issue for farms in North Queensland.

"Farmacist has been involved in multiple projects which has led to more understanding and acceptance around the new regulations as well as improved production, profitability and reef water quality," Ashlee said.

"Bringing the cane industry into the future with precision agriculture is only one view on a solution for it, however, is holds so many other benefits like reducing rates and input costs."

"With fertiliser prices sky rocketing, we've been working with a grower through variable rate nitrogen application on sugarcane this season to save on areas that don't require as much nitrogen," Katelin said.

"Through this, we were able to save on average $25/ha on the paddocks under variable rate."

Both Reddacliff sisters are heavily involved research projects with Farmacist, which aim to help growers with reef regulation compliance, nutrient and chemical management.

Having started in the North Queensland sugarcane industry, Tegan Brownie completed trial work in investigating appropriate crop rotations and new opportunity cropping for the FNQ area.

"These trials focused on soil health, sustainability, profitability and also ease of management," Ms Brownie said.

The trials were pivotal in providing data that helped growers to broaden their knowledge about alternative cropping options as well as improving their fallow health.

"By extending typically short fallows within the cane system growers were able to plant more legume crops for nitrogen reduction such as soybeans, improve soil compaction issues using targeted tillage and deep rooted crops and improve overall profitability."

Tegan grew up on the southern Atherton Tablelands and graduated from UNE in 2018 with a Bachelor of Agriculture, studying interstate as no university in NQ offered a degree in agriculture.

Passionate about broadening her agronomy horizons, Ms Brownie moved to central Queensland, where she's now employed as an agronomist for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Emerald.

"Each day, I see a range of crops and spend time with growers working out how to optimise profits in a sustainable way by minimising inputs and maximising yields," she said.

"CQ has a very unique climate and really allows us to push the limits of cropping opportunities which is exciting as an agronomist."

Ms Brownie said maintaining a social licence to farm remains an increasing challenge.

"Education is essential if the general public are to understand where their food and fibre originates," she said.

"Agriculture also needs to attract people who don't have a farming background.

"This means promoting agriculture as a career path to school kids in the city as well as regional towns."

Jamie Pollen has always had a strong will and passion for agriculture science.

Born and raised in on the Atherton Tablelands, Ms Pollen completed a degree of Sustainable Agricultural Science, Majoring in Agronomy at the University of Queensland, graduating in 2021.

Working full time while completing her degree in agronomy externally, she was able to receive hands-on experience in a working role in the blueberry industry at Berry North.

"I was lucky enough to have a wide variety of roles presented to me after graduation," Ms Pollen said.

"I received many job offers upon graduating, but I decided to continue in the Berry Industry and accepted the role of Agronomist at Queensland Berries in 2022.

"I have now expanded to be engaged with five of their sites across the Southern Queensland Region that grow extensive strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry crops totaling at 115 ha."

Ms Pollen's experience in the field has fast-tracked her to the position of production manager at Qld Berries.

"I currently manage the continued growth and profitability of the business through insuring forward planning and liaising with Driscoll's to ensure timely delivery and application of planting and manipulations, alongside forecasting," she said.

"I also supervise all agronomy aspect as improving overall crop health and yields, communicating better growing techniques, and adapting new techniques to improve the efficiency of maintenance and harvest tasks."

Over the past year, Ms Pollen was able to implement site-mapping and production planning for the next five years across each their sites.

"Additionally, preparing and presenting a yield forecasting document per crop type, variety and site, that enables that site mangers to see the predicted labour allocation for the coming season," she said.

"This document enables the in-house registered labour hire team to then arrange the workforce in advance."

Ms Pollen also conducted a trial with her employer which saw a Blackberry crop undergo various pruning trials, with the results concluded that timing and method of the prune increased tons/ha drastically.