Charles Darwin University bushfire research experts Dr Kamaljit Sangha and Professor Jeremy Russell-Smith suggest carbon farming could provide a new economic boost for the Territory instead of the traditional focus on mining and agriculture.

‘Smoke money’  is the tradeable Australian Carbon Credit Units generated by carefully planned and executed early-season savannah burning.

By burning at the start of the dry season, much bigger fires are largely avoided, resulting in reduced carbon emissions.

This saving is recognised under Commonwealth carbon abatement programs, including the Emissions Reduction Fund set up by the Abbott-Turnbull government to replace Labor's carbon price.

The CDU researchers will present their research at the 2017 Territory Natural Resource Management Conference which will kick off in Darwin next week.

The conference will focus on innovative practices and collaborative projects to showcase and encourage change in natural resource management.

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Other key projects that will be presented at the conference include:

• Drones in agriculture – PBE Services has been using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to control weeds in complex areas.

• Fighting against cane toads on Groote Eylandt – Edna the cane toad detection dog has been deployed to Groote Eylandt to fight against the pest

.• Sea country – the workshop for Indigenous Sea Rangers will explore the opportunities and challenges of working on sea country.

• Going organic in the NT – National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) General Manager Mark Anderson shares examples of pastoral industries that have embraced organic principles

• Moth Mob – Kate Harden is the Growing Green Kids NT coordinator at Berry Springs School and has been instrumental in driving a whole school approach to sustainability.