Water quality from top to bottom
For macadamia growers, improving water quality begins long before run-off leaves the orchard. From canopy management to soil health, many practices that support tree health and production also help reduce run-off and protect water quality. Improving light and airflow through the canopy supports tree health while increasing groundcover in the inter-row; grassy inter-rows increase infiltration, slow run-off and reduce topsoil loss.
For growers involved in Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ (QFVG) Hort360 Great Barrier Reef Project funded by the Queensland Government, the connection between productivity and water quality is being put into practice. Their approach demonstrates how sustainability can be embedded into practical management decisions - from managing the canopy above, to maintaining groundcover and building healthier soils below.
Through the project, growers are supported to identify and adopt best management practices that reduce run-off, improve groundcover, build healthier soils and support productivity - showing that Reef water quality outcomes and productive orchards can go hand in hand.
Garry Sheppard has two orchards in Gympie and has been involved in the macadamia industry for more than 35 years. Over that time, he has established orchards, managed large farms and provided contracting services. He says the region’s sandy soils and heavy rainfall can create erosion risks, particularly where orchard floors are exposed.
“Growers don’t want to see sediment going out at the end of the rows,” Garry says. “That’s why groundcover is so important. More sunlight means more grass, and that’s beneficial.”
That’s where canopy management comes in. Mechanical pruning, including skirting, hedging and topping, improves light and airflow through the orchard and encourages grass growth between rows. By improving canopy structure and groundcover, growers can slow water movement, reduce erosion and keep topsoil where it belongs - on farm.
Garry also sees value in returning organic matter to the orchard floor. Mulched pruning’s, leaves and harvest material break down in the inter-row, supporting beneficial microbes and a healthier soil environment.
Like Garry, Craig Van Rooyen sees what happens beneath the orchard floor as central to production. Craig grows macadamias and lychees in partnership with his family near Bundaberg, where soil health is key to producing high quality fruit and nuts.
“Healthy soil leads to a healthy plant, increased production, and improved profitability,” Craig says.
Across Craig’s farms, healthier soils are supported through practical management practices - from maintaining grassed inter-rows and using fertigation to support soil biology, to monitoring irrigation with soil moisture probes and improving nutrient efficiency.
All Craig’s orchards are Reef Certified through the Hort360 Great Barrier Reef BMP Project. Certification provides a recognised way for growers to demonstrate responsible farming practices and environmental stewardship, while supporting continual improvement.
“Hort360 Reef Certification is a way to tell your story - to show you are farming responsibly and doing the right things,” Craig says. “Now all our properties are Reef Certified. It’s an accreditation I can show when I send fruit around the world.”
For macadamia growers, the connection between productive orchards and healthy waterways is clear. From the canopy above, to the soil beneath the orchard floor, practices that protect soil, improve groundcover, support beneficial microbes and reduce run-off can help maintain productive orchard systems.
These approaches to best management practice are showcased in a series of videos QFVG recently created, featuring growers involved in the Hort360 Great Barrier Reef BMP Project.
Watch Garry and Craig’s stories to see how practical changes on-farm are helping protect Reef water quality, improve farm resilience, and support the future of Queensland horticulture.
Funded by the Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program, backed by QFVG and growers.
