Assessment of current planting methods
Assessment of current planting methods in sugarcane production system
(please note that due to extreme weather conditions, this project will not commence until early 2012)
Objectives:
- Determine the significance of soil cover over the planted billet and how this may impact in the ratoonabilty of subsequent crops in the cycle
- Provide an insight into the physiology of the tillering process and how soil cover influences tillering
- Provide a pathway to improve planter design and management techniques without compromising the principles of reduced tillage, organic matter conservation and continued improvements in water quality
- Improve our members capacity to plan, establish, monitor and evaluate field trials
Project Activities:
One rigorous and complex trial will be established at Michael Degura’s Dumbleton Farm. Michael will manage the site, and group members will assist with planning, monitoring, evaluation, hand harvest labouring, and communication activities, and will provide land should follow-up trials be required.
The planned concept and evaluation for the trial is as follows:
Three treatments into a 1.8 m, controlled traffic farming system:
- DDO into a preformed bed
- DON Gough planting with conventional cut-away, fill-in and hill up tillage operations
- Wide-row billet planting
Randomised plots with 3 reps per treatment in a homogeneous soil type verified by EC mapping. Stalk counts in plant and subsequent ratoon crops.
Destructive methods to determine the tillering ability in plant cane and subsequent ratoon crops in the three treatments.
Assess the impact of harvester damage in relation to planting depth.
Ten metre measurement rows will be hand harvested in plant cane, 1st ratoon and 2nd ratoon. Luxury levels of nutrients will be applied to ensure nutrition does not influence trial results
Field walks to be held at planting, prior to harvest and after 1st ratoons emerge.
Contact Person: Michael Degura 07 4959 8134