Key takeaways
On 14 August, producers, researchers and industry stakeholders came together at James Cook University’s (JCU) Fletcherview Research Station for a field day supported through the Queensland Government’s Drought and Climate Adaptation Program (DCAP). The event showcased cutting-edge science on the links between grazing, water and carbon in northern Australia’s savannas and how it is being applied to a working cattle station.
The TNQ Drought Hub’s Regional Soils Coordinator, Dhiraj Gajera, joined more than 35 participants to learn, exchange ideas and connect with researchers and producers.
The field day focused on the Fletcherview Savanna SuperSite, established in 2021 as part of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). It is a unique “supersite” among 16 nationwide, measuring carbon and water cycles in a grazed Eucalypt savanna woodland. It is the only monitoring site in northern Australia with managed grazing, providing valuable insights into the effects of grazing on ecosystem processes.
Over the past three years, the site has recorded consistent carbon gains of 2–3 tonnes per hectare per year, showing that well-managed grazing country can act as a carbon sink. The research highlighted several important themes:
“The research presented throughout the day was excellent and both timely and relevant. We need to combine innovation, collaboration and sustainable practices for land management.”
Attendees also visited legume trial sites and heard about connections to the long-term Wambiana grazing trial, linking current monitoring with decades of research.
The field day highlighted the value of bringing producers, scientists and technical experts together. With strong contributions from JCU researchers, Queensland Government Department of Primary Industry scientists and the Fletcherview station team, research partnerships and shared field trials demonstrated how practical management changes can improve both productivity and climate resilience, and how ongoing monitoring supports evidence-based decision-making.
For the TNQ Drought Hub, the event reinforced the importance of partnerships and knowledge-sharing as northern Australia’s grazing industry prepares for an increasingly variable climate and greater pressure to demonstrate sustainable outcomes.
