Soil-Specific Nutrient Management Guidelines for Sugarcane Production in the Rocky Point District

Soil-Specific Nutrient Management Guidelines for Sugarcane Production in the Rocky Point District

This booklet deals with soils of the Rocky Point district in South East Queensland and describes the appropriate nutrient management guidelines for sugarcane production in the area. The district extends from the coastline adjacent to Jacobs Well in the east to the Albert River in the west, and from the Logan River in the north to the Pimpama River and Pimpama/Coomera residential area in the south. A soils map for this area is included as a useful reference for readers of this booklet. This booklet, and similar booklets developed for various sugarcane production areas, describe the basic principles of soil management and presents nutrient guidelines for the major cane growing soils. The soil-specific nutrient management guidelines for sugarcane grown at Rocky Point are based on a methodology developed within a former SRDC-funded project (Improved nutrient management in the Australian sugar industry). Our philosophy is that knowledge of soils should form the basis for making management decisions on-farm. Not only does soil type influence decisions on which sugarcane cultivar to plant and how much fertiliser to apply, but it also has an impact on the choice of tillage practices, planting techniques, drainage and irrigation requirements, and harvest scheduling.
A major objective of this publication is to help growers integrate their knowledge of different soils. This includes the appearance of soils, their occurrence in the landscape, their properties and how they should be managed. Soil-specific guidelines as presented in this booklet represent a much more precise way of managing fertiliser inputs than the traditional “one size fits all” approach. It provides a benchmark against which soils and soil analyses can be compared. However, it is not intended as a substitute for on-farm soil and leaf testing. Ideally each block on the farm should be sampled every crop cycle for both soil and leaf analyses. A system of record keeping should also be implemented which records nutrient inputs, changes in soil fertility, and crop productivity and profitability. This philosophy is particularly appropriate for the current circumstances in the Australian sugar industry. The escalating costs of fertiliser, the need to reduce production costs and mounting environmental pressures demand responsible soil and nutrient management. The guidelines in this booklet are aimed at providing best-practice soil and nutrient management for Rocky Point cane growers. Use of these will not only maintain or improve crop yields and soil fertility, but will also provide opportunities for cost reductions whilst enhancing sustainability and delivering positive environmental outcomes by minimising possible off-site nutrient movement.

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