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New sugarcane nutrition manual provides the A to Z of growing a healthy crop

A new sugarcane nutrition manual provides sugarcane growers, millers, and advisors with a complete insight into running a healthy crop.

On the 1st of August, Sugar Research Australia released the new manual, which contains an extensive run-down on the latest research and information for growing healthy sugarcanes.

The Australian Sugarcane Nutrition Manual is available free to sugarcane manufacturers and stakeholders through Sugar Research Australia in hardcopy and electronic formats.

Sugar Research Australia CEO Neil Fisher said good crop nutrition was fundamental to the industry’s productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

READ: New research ideas sought to benefit Australian sugarcane industry

“This new manual arms the Australian sugarcane industry with valuable information to gain a better understanding of their crop’s nutrition, which is underpinned by the Six Easy Steps nutrient management program for fertiliser guidelines,” said Fisher.

“Six Easy Steps is a science-based nutrient management tool that enables the adoption of best practice nutrient management on-farm. It is acknowledged as industry best-practice for nutrient management to optimise productivity and profitability without adversely influencing soil fertility or causing off-farm impacts,” he said.

The Australian sugarcane industry had already made huge improvements to its nutrient management, which was delivering positive environmental outcomes and improved profitability, said Fisher.

“The nutrition manual is another valuable tool in the toolbox to help growers and advisors access this information,” he said.

Sugar Research Australia had exciting research projects underway that looked at important topics such as the nitrogen use efficiency of sugarcane varieties and the viability of enhanced efficiency fertilisers, said Fisher.

“Growers, millers, and industry will hear more about these projects as results are gathered in the months and years ahead,” he said.

Herbert region grower Chris Bosworth said marrying profitability and sustainability was crucial.

“The Great Barrier Reef is right off our coast. We want to protect the reef as we have already been doing. If we are losing nutrients from our farm to the reef, it’s not growing any cane out there and it is costing us money,” he said.

“I don’t want nutrients leaving my paddock, and this manual is a tool that can help with that. The least amount of nutrient that I can put on to grow a good crop, the better,” said Bosworth.

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