Study reveals cane crop rotation benefits
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A new study has proven that short-term rotation breaks between sugarcane crops helps boost productivity by up to 20 per cent.
The data from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) shows rotating grain legume crops, such as peanuts, decreases the need for nitrogen fertiliser in the plant crop.
DPI spokesman Mike Bell says rotating crops between cane seasons helps reduce the number of pathogens in the soil.
"Putting a legume crop in a sugarcane farming system removes the host plant for a lot of sugarcane pathogens," he said.
"A lot of the sugarcane pathogens can't live on soy bean roots or peanut roots and so you basically starve a lot of those pathogens and reduce their population significantly."
