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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1990 - 199932

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Start date: 1990End date: 1999

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 32
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    Improving the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisation of sugarcane under minimum till and trash conservation cultural conditions (Final report SRDC Project BS37S)
    (1992) Chapman, LS; Freney, R; Denmead, OT; Wood, AW; Saffigna, PG
    Objectives of the experiments were (1) Determine the extent of NH3 volatilisation when urea and ammonium sulfate are applied to the surface of a trash blanket in four cane-growing regions. Evaluate the effect of various placements of urea in a trash blanket under wet and dry moisture regimes by quantifying the amount of N recovered in the soil-plant system.
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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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    Evaluating the leaf chlorophyll meter as a tool for nitrogen management in sugarcane
    (1995) Keating, BA; Smith, K
    Nitrogen is an important constituent of chlorophyll, the compound that gives plants their green colour and the compound that absorbs radiation energy as the basis of plant growth. When nitrogen is in short supply, the chlorophyll content of leaves is reduced and in extreme cases, the leaves take on a yellow (or chlorotic) colour. There is an upper limit to leaf "greenness" and leaf nitrogen can continue to rise even when chlorophyll has reached a "plateau". These simple concepts are illustrated in the figure below. This project was aimed at evaluating a portable leaf chlorophyll meter as a tool in nitrogen management of sugarcane. As chlorophyll is a critical component of the photosynthetic system, reductions in leaf chlorophyll may result in lower sugarcane growth rates and this may impact on final sugar yields. In addition, leaf nitrogen is expensive and time consuming to determine on an extensive basis. The notion was that the chlorophyll meter could provide a far simpler alternative to leaf analysis for the monitoring of nitrogen status of sugarcane crops. The project consisted of measurements of leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll on sugarcane crops grown under a range of nitrogen regimes at locations in the Herbert, Bundaberg and northern NSW regions. Leaves at various levels in the canopy were measured and in the majority of instances samples of the bulk canopy were taken. Samples of the sap from the leaf mid-ribs were collected at the same time and analysed for nitrate using a rapid field test. In all 450 leaf N - chlorophyll meter comparisons were collected at various occasions over the November 1993 to June 1994 period.
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    Sugar Research and Development Corporation final report Project CTA013 Spatial analysis of the impact of land use on nutrient loads within the Herbert River Catchment
    (1998) Johnson, A; Walker, D; Wood, A
    This Project arose out of concerns for the apparent increase in nutrient and sediment contaminant loads in Queensland coastal waters since European settlement (e.g. DEAP Report, 1992). At the time of Project inception, the origins of this increase had yet to be defined and quantified, however, the sugarcane industry was considered to be a likely contributor because of the large (and increasing) areas of sugarcane involved and the relatively high fertiliser inputs per unit area. There was, therefore, a need to develop practical tools to integrate existing information and spatially model, at the catchment scale, nutrient and sediment losses from agricultural land. It was the Project teams’ intention to provide tools to analyse important issues/questions relating to the sustainable management of existing and potential sugarcane lands of the Herbert River catchment. In response, four core areas of R&D were undertaken. These were: 1. Data collection and integration; 2. Spatial analysis of the impacts of land use and management practices on water quality; 3. Tools for decision support; and 4. Building stakeholder capacity.
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    Sugar Research and Development Corporation final report Increasing sugar cane yields by improvements in soil structure
    (1998) Hughes, M; Nielsen, P; Grabski, A
    A project to increase sugar cane yields by improvements in soil structure was conducted at Broadwater, NSW. It was instigated in response to the poor physical structure of many cane soils and poor root development in many sugar cane crops resulting in low cane yields. A number of alternative management practices were tested and cane and sugar yield as well as appropriate soil parameters were measured. The main findings were that ridging had the biggest effects on cane and sugar yields and on soil bulk density, soil moisture (drier in the top 30 cm and wetter at depth), and a leaching of Cl, Na and S when in excess amounts. Ridging also resulted in a stable inter-row and hence far less damage during wet harvests. Intensity of tillage had some small effect on yields and soil structure; it is not clear if these would have increased over a longer period of time. The main effect of soybean production during the fallow period was due to nitrogen input. There were some small but positive effects on subsequent cane root growth soil organic carbon and soil bulk density. Mole drains and deep ripping provided no clear advantage over laser levelling alone.
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    Final report to the Sugar Research and Development Corporation CTA007 A modelling framework to integrate research on nitrogen management of sugarcane
    (1996) Keating, BA
    This project used a measurement and modelling approach to explore the processes controlling nitrogen supply and losses in the crop and soil elements of sugarcane production systems. Measurements took place both in the field and laboratory. These measurements, together with data coUected from other sugarcane research projects in Australia and overseas, lead to the development of the APSIM-Sugarcane simulation model. This model captures the main elements of our understanding of sugarcane growth, yield, N uptake and utilisation and water use. APSIM is a modular modelling system, and the Sugarcane module is compatible with other APSIM modules of soil processes and crop management. Within the life of this project, APSIM-Sugarcane was used to investigate N management strategies in sugarcane production systems. A major outcome of these modelling studies was the recognition of the potential for substantial N losses via leaching in situations where N fertiliser inputs exceeded crop demands. This project drew together different threads in nitrogen research on sugarcane for the first time. Prior to this, the focus was on either empirical "rates and dates" experiments, which while underpinning current N fertiliser recommendations, were not advancing our understanding of N in the crop-soil system, and on studies of particular N processes(eg volatilisation or mineralisation), which were not integrated with one another or with the broader system performance.
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    Environmentally sound phosphorus management for sugarcane soils : final report on SRDC Project no CSS3S
    (1998) Bramley, RGV; Edis, RB; White, RE; Wood, AW
    A field and laboratory-based survey of the behaviour of phosphorus (P) was carried out on the soils of the lower Herbert River catchment, and sediments derived from them. The aim was to explore the factors governing P sorption or desorption in Herbert soils, and in suspended sediments in associated riverine and estuarine waters, so that the extent of any problem associated with sugarcane and soil-derived inputs to streamwaters could be defined. With this information, advice on the development of best management practices for P fertilizer could be provided to the sugar industry. The results of the study of P behaviour in Herbert soils suggests that there is scope for refining the management of P fertilizer in the sugar industry based on a knowledge of particular soil properties and the behaviour of P in specific soils. Sorption of P in soils was found to be closely correlated with soil particle size, organic matter content and oxalate-extractable aluminium (Al). The results of this part of the project suggest that: • in refining P fertilizer management, both for more efficient crop production and improvec\ environmental stewardship, the utility of oxalate-extractable aluminium (Alo,) as a predictor of P fertilizer requirement should be investigated; and • clustering soils with similar physical and chemical properties is useful as a basis for identifying soils of similar potential P sorption/desorption characteristics so that, when coupled with a knowledge of the soil P content measured using normal soil testing procedures, they may' also form a basis for delivery of improved fe~tilizer advice. Further research is therefore warranted on both of these issues with a view to the developme!1t of specific guidelines for best-practice P fertilizer management.
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    Report on evaluation of nutrient enhancement of biodunder for cane growth
    (1992) Chapman, LS
    Three yield trials were conducted to evaluate strategies for the use of biodunder as a fertiliser for sugarcane. Cane growth in the trials was adversely affected by the weather, which was dry in summer, followed by exceptionally heavy and prolonged rainfall, and then drought conditions in autumn and winter. Under these abnormal conditions cane yield was lower than normal. The conclusions drawn from the results of these trials must therefore be extrapolated with caution, for they may not apply to more normal growing conditions.
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    Project 921 - rates of biodunder for sugarcane : final report
    (1995) Chapman, LS
    The BSES recommendation for a maximum application rate is considered adequate to maximise returns and production for ratoon crops on the majority of Mackay soils. As the experiments were conducted only on ratoon crops, no evidence is available to allow comment on the fertiliser K requirements of plant cane. The use of biodunder on caneland is highly recommended as an environmentally friendly way of recycling plant nutrients, thereby reducing fertiliser costs, reducing imports of fertilisers and increasing cane production and profitability.
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    Evaluation of nutrient enriched biodunder for sugarcane : a review
    (1995) Chapman, LS
    The review looks at the advantages and disadvantages of fertilising with biodunder\urea compared with applying biodunder and urea separately. The review concludes with 6 recommendations for the use of biodunder\urea\sulfuric acid based on the results of experiments carried out.