Abstract
FIELD experiments were established at Bundaberg (South Queensland) and Abergowrie (North Queensland) to quantify the impact of different durations of bare fallow and inputs of organic materials of differing quality (grass, legume or grass/legume mixtures) and origin (grown in situ or imported) on soil biota and growth and yield of sugarcane crops. Fallow lengths ranged from 1 month to 30 (Bundaberg) or 35 months (Abergowrie). Imported organic materials were added as finely chopped hays to add 10 t C/ha, while C inputs from crops grown in situ varied depending on crop frequency and seasonal conditions. The impacts of tillage prior to cane planting were also investigated for the in situ organic matter treatments at both sites, while soil fumigation was used to benchmark potential biological constraints in the bare fallow treatments. Significant differences between treatments were recorded in soil C, general soil biology and the incidence of known cane pathogens. All parameters declined with increasing length of bare fallow, although cane specific pathogens like Pratylenchus zeae declined more rapidly than general biological activity. Imported organic amendments caused only small changes in soil biology and chemistry, but in situ grass pastures were able to achieve soil C and biological activity similar to those found in soil in the cane rows. Long-term legume cropping generally resulted in less soil C and biological activity, especially when plots were tilled conventionally. There were significant differences in the resident soil microbial communities under cane, grass pastures and legume cropping. Despite the large changes in soil biota in the long bare fallows and in situ grass or legume treatments, growth responses of a subsequent plant cane crop were negligible at Abergowrie and relatively small at Bundaberg (10�30%). No treatment was able to match improvements achieved in fumigated ploughout/replant. The best crop responses were achieved from the in situ organic matter treatments, especially the grass pastures, with part of this response possibly due to slower re-establishment of pathogens like lesion nematode. Tillage after both grass pasture and legume cropping increased the rate of recovery of lesion nematode populations. Results have implications for management of residues and cane trash in the sugarcane cropping system. Future cropping systems need to maximise the soil health benefits of sugarcane cropping (perennial growth, regular returns of organic matter) by adopting complementary management strategies (short legume fallows, reduced tillage, optimal use of cane trash) that build on these strengths.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Treatments significantly differed in soil carbon, general soil biology and incidence of known cane pathogens.
- Treatment
- treatmentse0
- Outcome
- soil C, general soil biology and the incidence of known cane pathogense0
Not reportedTaxonComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Significant differences between treatments were recorded in soil C, general soil biology and the incidence of known cane pathogens.”
Claim · model-written summary
Longer bare fallows reduced soil carbon, general soil biology and cane pathogen incidence.
- Treatment
- increasing length of bare fallowe1
- Outcome
- soil C, general soil biology and the incidence of known cane pathogense0
- Direction
- declinede1
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Significant differences between treatments were recorded in soil C, general soil biology and the incidence of known cane pathogens.”
e1“All parameters declined with increasing length of bare fallow”
Claim · model-written summary
Pratylenchus zeae declined more rapidly with bare fallow than general biological activity.
- Taxon
- Pratylenchus zeae
Pratylenchus zeaee0 - Treatment
- increasing length of bare fallowe0
- Interactor
- Pratylenchus zeaePratylenchus zeaee0pathogen
- Outcome
- cane specific pathogense0
- Direction
- declined more rapidlye0
- Comparator
- general biological activitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All parameters declined with increasing length of bare fallow, although cane specific pathogens like Pratylenchus zeae declined more rapidly than general biological activity.”
Claim · model-written summary
Imported organic amendments caused only small soil biology and chemistry changes.
- Treatment
- Imported organic amendmentse0
- Outcome
- soil biology and chemistrye0
- Qualifier
- only small changese0
Not reportedTaxonComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Imported organic amendments caused only small changes in soil biology and chemistry”
Claim · model-written summary
In situ grass pastures achieved soil carbon and biological activity similar to cane-row soil.
- Treatment
- in situ grass pasturese0
- Outcome
- soil C and biological activitye0
- Direction
- similare0
- Comparator
- soil in the cane rowse0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“in situ grass pastures were able to achieve soil C and biological activity similar to those found in soil in the cane rows.”
Claim · model-written summary
Long-term legume cropping generally produced less soil carbon and biological activity, especially with conventional tillage.
- Treatment
- Long-term legume croppinge0
- Outcome
- soil C and biological activitye0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Qualifier
- especially when plots were tilled conventionallye0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Long-term legume cropping generally resulted in less soil C and biological activity, especially when plots were tilled conventionally.”
Claim · model-written summary
Resident soil microbial communities differed significantly under cane, grass pastures and legume cropping.
- Outcome
- resident soil microbial communitiese0
- Qualifier
- under cane, grass pastures and legume croppinge0
Not reportedTaxonDirection
Verbatim
e0“There were significant differences in the resident soil microbial communities under cane, grass pastures and legume cropping.”
Claim · model-written summary
Subsequent sugarcane growth responses at Abergowrie were negligible despite large soil biota changes.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- long bare fallows and in situ grass or legume treatmentse0
- Outcome
- growth responsese0
- Qualifier
- negligiblee0
- Setting
- Abergowriee0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Despite the large changes in soil biota in the long bare fallows and in situ grass or legume treatments, growth responses of a subsequent plant cane crop were negligible at Abergowrie and relatively small at Bundaberg (10�30%).”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Subsequent sugarcane growth responses at Bundaberg were relatively small, at 10�30%.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- long bare fallows and in situ grass or legume treatmentse0
- Outcome
- growth responsese0
- Value
- 10�30%e0
- Qualifier
- relatively smalle0
- Setting
- Bundaberge0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Despite the large changes in soil biota in the long bare fallows and in situ grass or legume treatments, growth responses of a subsequent plant cane crop were negligible at Abergowrie and relatively small at Bundaberg (10�30%).”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
No sugarcane treatment matched the improvements from fumigated ploughout/replant.
Verbatim
e0“No treatment was able to match improvements achieved in fumigated ploughout/replant.”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
The best sugarcane crop responses came from in situ organic matter treatments, especially grass pastures.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Treatment
- in situ organic matter treatmentse0
- Outcome
- crop responsese0
- Direction
- beste0
- Qualifier
- especially the grass pasturese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The best crop responses were achieved from the in situ organic matter treatments, especially the grass pastures”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Slower pathogen re-establishment may partly explain the crop response to in situ organic matter treatments.
Verbatim
e0“The best crop responses were achieved from the in situ organic matter treatments, especially the grass pastures, with part of this response possibly due to slower re-establishment of pathogens like lesion nematode.”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage after grass pasture increased lesion nematode population recovery rate.
- Taxon
- lesion nematodee0
- Treatment
- Tillagee0
- Interactor
- lesion nematodee0pathogen
- Outcome
- rate of recovery of lesion nematode populationse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- grass pasturee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Tillage after both grass pasture and legume cropping increased the rate of recovery of lesion nematode populations.”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage after legume cropping increased lesion nematode population recovery rate.
- Taxon
- lesion nematodee0
- Treatment
- Tillagee0
- Interactor
- lesion nematodee0pathogen
- Outcome
- rate of recovery of lesion nematode populationse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- legume croppinge0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Tillage after both grass pasture and legume cropping increased the rate of recovery of lesion nematode populations.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend short legume fallows, reduced tillage and optimal cane trash use to maximize soil health benefits of sugarcane cropping.
Verbatim
e0“Future cropping systems need to maximise the soil health benefits of sugarcane cropping (perennial growth, regular returns of organic matter) by adopting complementary management strategies (short legume fallows, reduced tillage, optimal use of cane trash) that build on these strengths.”
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