New farming systems for sugarcane production

Mechanisation of the Australian industry has contributed to its high efficiency but has also led to farming practices that optimise neither crop production nor the use of machinery. The current system contributes significantly to increasing soil compaction, declining soil health, poor weed control plus crop loss and stool damage during the harvest/haulout operation. It is time to redress these deficiencies by developing new farming systems. Recent research has shown that narrow row spacings significantly increase yields and can therefore provide the economic engine to drive the adoption of best practices in improved farming systems. A sequence of systems based on dual, triple and quadruple row spacings is proposed. These systems overcome the constraints of light and water interception, soil compaction and soil health, weed control, and water use efficiency, and avoid crop loss and stool damage during harvest. The two closer row spacings cannot be managed with current machinery; they require modifications to existing equipment or new multi-row equipment designed to suit the system. Consequently, evaluation and implementation of the new systems will involve the establishment of model farms by large growers and/or progressive plantings by cooperatives or groups of smaller growers to rationalise the cost and use of narrow row equipment.