Soybean and nitrogen management in NSW cane system

Improving soybean and nitrogen management in subtropical NSW cane systems

Objectives:

• Provide information on residual N cycling following soybean rotations on different cane soil types in subtropical NSW.
• Use this information to produce soil-specific fertiliser recommendations following soybean to achieve more efficient use of nitrogen fertiliser in NSW cane crops.
• Compare different methods for dealing with soybean crop residue in terms of cost in a subtropical environment.

Project Activities:

Conduct replicated field trials to

1. Measure nitrogen fixation by soybean (nodule assessment, biomass and N15 analysis).
2. Assess the efficacy of different N fertiliser treatments in plant cane crops following these soybean crops (replicated N rate trials).
3. Assess the economic benefits of different treatments for soybean crop residue.
4. Refine fertiliser recommendations for sugar cane following soybean rotations.

Contact Person: Alan Munro 0427476491