Soil health and nutrient management

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://elibrary2.sugarresearch.com.au/handle/11079/13842

Research outcomes: Soil health is improved with a resulting positive impact on the environment and yield growth. Improved reputation and relationship between industry and environmental groups.

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19994

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Start date: 1999End date: 1999

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Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Evaluating the potential for improved sugar yields by assessing the climatic and soil constraints to production in southern cane-growing districts
    (1999) Muchow, RC; Hughes, RM; Horan, HL
    This project conducted strategic research to better understand the processes of yield accumulation in low temperature NSW environments and to identify limits to yield. The fundamental knowledge gained in this project can be used to assess yield limitations and the scope for yield improvement. In addition, the findings are a pre-requisite to the design of management and genetic improvement strategies to boost production in southern sugarcane growing environments. An additional spin-off of this project is a better functional basis of the processes of yield accumulation encapsulated in the APSIM Sugarcane systems model to allow extrapolation of the findings more broadly across the sugar industry. An analysis framework was used to express sucrose yield in terms of biomass accumulation and the proportion on biomass present as sucrose. Crop biomass was analysed in terms of radiation capture and utilisation. Partitioning was examined in terms of the proportion of crop biomass present as stalk and the stalk sucrose concentration on a dry matter basis. Crops growing under "potential yield" conditions were analysed and compared to those growing under "commercial yield conditions".
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    Identification of acid sulfate soils using a field peroxide pH test
    (1999) Kaurila, A
    This science project was conducted as part of Year 12 Chemistry to provide an assessment of the presence of acid sulfate soils on an Ingham property. The results will determine the extent of acid sulfate soil existence on the land with regard to potential acid sulfate soils (PASS) and actual acid sulfate soils (ASS). This information will enable advice to be provided regarding the impact of future soil disturbance of the target site. Consequently, this will allow the owner to make decisions concerning management of the land and in this case, assess the feasibility of altering the depth of a drain on the property. The project was undertaken with the assistance of the landholder from whose property samples were taken and with facilities generously provided by the Herbert Sugar Experiment Station.
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    Final report on SRDC project CLW002 (previously CSS02 & CSS2S): The role of root growth and activity in determining sugarcane productivity
    (1999) Magarey, RC; Nable, R; Reghenzani, J; Smith, J; Berthelsen, S; Grace, D; Robertson, M
    When the current project was initiated, poor root growth and activity were widely believed to be a major constraint to sugarcane productivity. However, there was no technology available to assess whether or not root growth and activity were constraining cane productivity. The project was established to examine the relationship between root growth and activity and sugarcane productivity. The strategic information to be generated was expected to provide the basis for estimating the potential value of overcoming poor root growth and/or activity by managing various soil constratints such as soil pathogens, poor soil structure, or low soil fertility. Initially, the objectives of CLW002 were to: quantify the relationship between root system characteristics and crop productivity; assess the methods for measuring root activity as indicators of root system constraints on crop productivity - with particular emphasis on methods that would allow remote assessment of root activity.
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    SRDC Final Report - Project BS142S: Economic cost of soil compaction
    (1999) Braunack, MV
    Objectives of this project were: Adapt a Scandinavian model to determine the effect of soil compaction on crop yield for the Australian sugar industry; Relate crop response to degree of compactness by examining current and previous trials on soil compaction; Estimate the economic value of reducing soil compaction; Provide software and preliminary training to extension officers; Subject to the successful completion of this project, apply for further funding to support a planned extension program.