NESP TWQ Round 5 - Project 5.11 – Improved water quality outcomes from on-farm nitrogen management

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The sugar industry occupies 350,000ha in Reef catchments, applies >55,000t of nitrogen (N) fertilizer annually and is a major contributor of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to Great Barrier Reef receiving waters. There are many potential mechanisms for reducing on-farm Nusage. However, the comprehensive review of N use in sugarcane (SRA/DoE 2014) identified widespread over-use of N fertilizer and recommended adopting production zone yield potential (PZYP) combined with enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) to reduce ’surplus N’ (where applied N>crop requirements). This project utilized existing farm trials at identified N loss ‘hot spots’ to test PZYP as the basis for determining fertilizer N rates and for comparing EEFs with standard N fertilizers for minimizing N losses. Water quality benefits that derive from such practice changes were evaluated. Productivity, economic and environmental indicators validated these strategies for reducing surplus N and produced recommendations for enhanced Best Management Practices.

NESP TWQ Project Page 

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Datasets

10 March 2021

The dataset consists of tables of means, with statistical differences indicated where they are significant, for measured crop performance, fertilizer N recovery and use efficiency at 6 field sites from Mackay to Freshwater. Runoff losses of N are also shown from sites at Freshwater and Silkwood.

**This dataset is currently under embargo until December 2021.