AS FALL armyworm infestations spread to more crops and regions, northern growers who have been faced with the pest for years have been forced to turn their country into grazing land.
Atherton Tablelands grower Geoff Riesen first noticed the prevalence of FAW four years ago.
He used to have up to 400 acres, with lease properties - 90 per cent of which were allocated for cropping.
Now two of his farms are all under grass and going to cattle, while he's scaling back corn to smaller blocks for easier management.
"When I had bigger blocks, I had the plane flying (checking for worms)...it was just constant. They were hitting us so hard, and it's not only that - sprays are so dear. For 2.5L, you pay $2500, plus the diesel and plane on top of that. I lost track of the cost," he said.
"(The worm) has hit sorghum not as bad as it's hit corn (across the region).
"(FAW has) taken an edge off it, the enjoyment off it. Before the worm, corn was a pretty simple crop. But when they're taking the little profit we are making off the top, it's not worth it.
"Last year it was not too bad, but this year was really heavy. I sprayed three to four times.
"I'm not asking for a hand out...but the biosecurity guys could come in and help us out...I take it on the chin, but I'm more concerned for the future.
"There are 110 cereal crops the worm attacks...any soft cereal crop, even the pepper farm at Mareeba...and a couple of rose farms around here have been hit hard too.
"It's pretty detrimental, mainly to the dairy industry. In the next few years, as people phase out of corn (there are four big dairy farms that still rely on silage), we won't be getting tonnage.
Mr Riesen said despite reaching out for government assistance, there had been no luck, with many farmers throwing up their hands.
"I don't think the government realises...it's going to impact the food bowl of Australia. Dairy, pork, chicken (farmers) - where are they going to get their feed from? I don't know what to do. The government doesn't even want to look at us," he said.
"I've been farming all my life. In Australia, in five, 10, 20 years' time, we'll look around and say 'where have all the farmers gone?'
"I was a big dairy farmer until deregulation. Now I do cattle and cropping. Cattle copped a dive so I sent a heap of cattle. I might as well have given them all away. None of us are having a good run on the land.
"I used to supply (corn) silage to one of the biggest dairy farmers for eight years. Now because of FAW, I've weaned back."
In the first four weeks of corn growth, growers apply sprays to keep the grubs away, which are drawn to the plant when it is "little, soft and fresh".
"Once it's three to four feet, it's on its way," Mr Riesen said.
"The moth travels 120km a day and hones in on a crop to lay its eggs. It'll die, the grubs will grow up and eat the leaf then go underground before they turn into a moth...and it keeps going. Even if you stop that cycle and control your crop, they will go to the neighbour's crops and go dormant. You can't eradicate them.
"At the end of the day, corn is only a rotational crop. There's not big money in it. The fall army worm has taken the cream off the top."
Bowen Gumlu Growers regional development officer David Shorten said the worm has had a significant presence down the east coast to Victoria this year, causing "widespread damage to sorghum seed crops".
"There were large populations of FAW identified in Ayr last week on sorghum seed and Bowen growers have identified large populations in Rhodes grasses on headlands surrounding their properties," Mr Shorten said.
"The damage has been minimised to date with spraying and careful monitoring although sorghum growers accept a level of damage to their crops if they can harvest the seed, the same cannot be said for sweet corn growers once they start their season.
"The numbers of FAW appear to be very significant which doesn't fare well for the sweet corn crops when they are planted."
Mr Shortern said there would be "heavy pressure" on vegetable producers once sweetcorn planting commences.
"There is a range of chemistries available to suppress populations and these will need to be applied carefully If the pressure remains high," he said.
"There is a national project being run by the Queensland Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry supported by industry associations, growers, researchers, and universities.
"The Fall armyworm extension project is focusing on a wide range of strategies to reduce FAW populations. Hort Innovations are also funding a range of other research and development projects involving FAW."
