Maximising soy's in Central Queensland : SRDC Grower Group Innovation Project final report

Abstract

The Mackay region is currently expanding into soybeans as a legume for green manure and for grain production. The lack of region specific information has meant that growers are relying on information that has been developed in other regions. Some of this agronomic or varietal advice has resulted in crop failure when applied in the central region. Soybean crops in the central region are often lower yielding and have a higher frequency of failure than in other cane growing regions due to the lack of good local understanding of the crop. Our region’s climatic conditions such as: day length, temperature, rain fall and the number of rainy or clear days will impact on soybean production. These needs must be addressed to further encourage the adoption of legume break crops in the central region. Soy bean yields in the central region have not reached their potential when compared to the other regions and we believe that some of the issues relate to poor variety selection and the lack of good local information. This project experimented with current and new varieties and documents the results of these experiments. This information will give cane growers in the central region a process for better decision making.