The SASEX Fertiliser Advisory Service: Over 40 years' service to the South African sugar industry

In South Africa, as in most other sugarcane growing countries, efficient fertiliser practices have contributed greatly to sugarcane productivity. The South African Sugar Association Experiment Station (SASEX) Fertiliser Advisory Service (FAS), which has been operating for more than 40 years, has played a major role in providing cost effective recommendations to cane producers and in minimising the adverse effects of fertilisers on the environment. The FAS offers the grower and miller-cum-planter a comprehensive range of services, including whole cycle fertiliser advice based on soil samples taken from pre-plant fields, leaf analysis for checking on the adequacy of fertiliser applications, water and effluent analysis to test for suitability for irrigation, analysis of filtercake and poultry litter, salinity/ sodicity tests and soil textural classification. The historical development of the FAS is reviewed, the advances that have been made in soil and leaf methodology are described, and the scope of fertiliser and salinity management advice is discussed. Examples are given of how the FAS database has been used in planning fertiliser strategies and monitoring soil fertility trends.