Soybean and peanut rotations benefit sugarcane production in the Burdekin

The inclusion of complimentary rotational cash crops in the sugarcane production system offers an opportunity to improve soil health, productivity and profitability. This has been successfully demonstrated in the Bundaberg region. However, in the Burdekin region, there are concerns that growing a soybean or peanut crop in the traditional fallow period may adversely impact sugarcane productivity and profitability due to delays in planting the following sugarcane plant crop. To better understand the impact of soybean and peanut rotations on soil health, sugarcane productivity and gross margins in the Burdekin, a replicated and randomised strip trial comprising three different fallow management treatments (bare, soybeans, peanuts) was established in the Delta area after harvesting the final ratoon crop in 2019. Three nitrogen (N) rate treatments were then applied to the sugarcane plant crop in 2020 to the corresponding soybean (60, 115, 170 kg N/ha) and peanut (40, 105, 170 kg N/ha) treatment areas. Soybean and peanut rotations improved key soil health indicators and sugarcane root-system parameters compared to a bare fallow. The soybean and peanut rotations also contributed to higher gross margins, suggesting that soybean and peanut rotations could be a valuable addition to the sugarcane production system in the Burdekin region.