Assessing the real nitrogen benefits to subtropical cane from soybean break crops : Final report 2016/404

Abstract

Soybeans grown as a break crop in subtropical cane rotations can fix substantial amounts of nitrogen (N), some N remains in residues even after the bulk of N has been removed in harvested beans. However, there is concern among growers and advisors that much of this N may be subsequently lost over the winter fallow period prior to cane planting in spring. This project measured the amount of N fixed in cane paddocks and quantified N lost from soybean residues over the 2017 winter fallow in three fields differing in soil type.