Nitrogen & Pesticide
Survey Questions
Cropping figures
How many hectares of each stage
normally
fallow
Autumn
plant
Spring
Plant
1st. ratoon
2nd ratoon
older ratoons
sands
sandy
loam
loam
/clay
loam
light /
medium
clay
heavy clay
organic
swamp soils
Bare fallow
green
manure
Peanuts
soybeans
cucurbits/
vegetables
pasture /
fodder
Full cult
fallow &
plant and
ratoons
full cult
fallow &
plant. one till
ratoons
full cult
fallow &
plant
no till
ratoons
min cult
fallow &
plant no till
ratoons
min till fallow
no till plant
and ratoons
Zonal till only
before
replanting
cut green
bale
trash
cut green
remove
trash from
row only
Total
How many hectares of each stage 2016
Soil types across the farm
Ha growing sugarcane
Drainage issues
Irrigation types (Furrow, O'H HP, O'H LP,
drip, none)
Cultivation requirements
Weed control issues
Rotations used
lease out
other
full trash
zonal till
full trash
zonal till
cover
crop /
rotation
Normal year process
How many hectares 2013 - 2015
Type of cultivation program
Normal year process
How many hectares 2013 - 2015
Trash retention
Burn cane
and tops
Burn /
retain
tops
cut green
incorporate
trash
full trash no
till ratoons
Usual practice on light soils
Usual practice on medium soils
Usual practice on heavy soils
What were the average yields for last
season
Autumn Plant
Spring Plant
1st Ratoon
2 nd Ratoon
Older ratoons
Autumn Plant
Spring Plant
1st Ratoon
2 nd Ratoon
Older ratoons
What are your yield expectations or
goals for these crop stages?
How much irrigation was applied last
season
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How many irrigations would have been
applied last season
Autumn Plant
Spring Plant
1st Ratoon
2 nd Ratoon
Older ratoons
Notes on production and special problems last season:
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Herbicide use Fallow headlands
drains, row ends
Products and rates light soils
Products and rates medium soils
Products and rates heavy soils
Products
rate / ha
application
No of applications
% cover or
Banded %
Herbicide use Autumn plant
Products and rates light soils
Products and rates medium soils
Products and rates heavy soils
Products
rate / ha
application
No of applications
% cover or
Banded %
Herbicide use Spring plant
Products and rates light soils
Products and rates medium soils
Products and rates heavy soils
Products
rate / ha
application
No of applications
% cover or
Banded %
Herbicide use 1st ratoon
Products and rates light soils
Products and rates medium soils
Products and rates heavy soils
Products
rate / ha
application
No of applications
% cover or
Banded %
Herbicide use 2nd and older ratoons
Products and rates light soils
Products and rates medium soils
Products and rates heavy soils
Products
rate / ha
application
No of applications
% cover or
Banded %
water rate /ha
What major changes have there
been to herbicide products used
on the farm over the last 5 years
reduced or stopped using
increased or started using
What were the major reasons to
change ?
Cheaper
more effective
less
phytotoxicity
changed weeds
environment
changed cult
easier to apply
suit / rotation
less risk drift
new equipment
safer for user
Changes to
registration or
product availability?
Supplier rep
Manufacturer rep
BSES
consultant
internet
news/mags
Canegrowers
herb manual
neighbours
other
Who do you take advice from ?
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NITROGEN USE QUESTIONS:
1. How would you describe your cultivation system?
a. Conventional (ripping, plowing and harrowing)
b. Zonal tillage (ripping and harrowing)
c. Minimal till (harrowing only to break stool)
d. Zero till (spraying out and planting rotation directly to stool)
2. In the crop rotation do you apply organic materials? Choose one or more of the following
a. No organic material applied
b. Use a blend of chemical and organic pellets
c. Filterpress broadcast
d. Use dunder over the row
e. Use feedlot manure or composted manure
f. Green manure crops in the fallow
g. Other__________________________________
3. At what stages of the rotation are organics applied?
a. At cane plough-out before cover/rotation crop
b. After fallow or rotation crop before planting cane
c. Early plant cane stage before filling-in
d. After harvest in early ratoon stage
e. Other ____________________________________
4. Do you use leguminous rotation crops?
a. Soybeans
b. Peanuts
c. Pulses
d. Green manure crops such as lablab or Caloona Pea
e. Other _____________________________________________
5. Do you adjust nitrogen rates when an organic amendment is used, and if so how do you
determine it?
a. Apply normal rates of nitrogen irrespective of added organic material
b. Calculate the available nitrogen in the organic material and reduce the chemical
nitrogen rates accordingly - calculating rate of release.
c. Rely on recommendations from an agronomist after a soil test
6. If you have reduced nitrogen fertilizer rate of use when using organic material would the
reduction have been approximately:
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-25%
c. 25-50%
d. 50-75%
e. 75-100%
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7. If you have used reduced nitrogen fertilizer rates after a leguminous rotation would it be:
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-25%
c. 25-50%
d. 50-75%
e. 75-100%
8. Have you changed nitrogen applications in the last 5 years by:
a. changing products
b. changing application method
c. changing rates of application
d. changing the timing of applications
9. If you have changed products have you changed to:
a. slow release formulations
b. forms less prone to denitrification
c. organic forms
d. liquid forms
10. What percentage of the nitrogen applied do you think you would lose in an average year
a. Less than 10%
b. 10-25%
c. 25-50%
d. 50-75%
e. 75-100%
11. How much N would you apply to plant cane:
a. Less than 80kg/Ha
b. 80 - 100kg/Ha
c. 100 – 120kg/Ha
d. 120 – 140kg/Ha
e. 140 – 160kg/Ha
f. 160 – 180kg/Ha
g. 180 – 200kg/Ha
h. More than 200kg/Ha
12. How much N would you apply to ratoon cane:
a. Less than 80kg/Ha
b. 80 - 100kg/Ha
c. 100 – 120kg/Ha
d. 120 – 140kg/Ha
e. 140 – 160kg/Ha
f. 160 – 180kg/Ha
g. 180 – 200kg/Ha
h. More than 200kg/Ha
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13. When deciding on nitrogen rate how important are each of the following factors (rate
each on a 0-5 likert scale)
a. seasonal outlook/weather
b. sugar price
c. available irrigation water
d. the yield potential of the stool (ratoons)
e. cost of fertilizer
f. soil test and agronomist advice
g. other___________________________________________________________________
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14. What changes to cultural practices could allow you to reduce your nitrogen rates?
a. grow legume cover crops
b. Increase organic fertilizer applications
c. slow release fertilizer
d. fertigation
e. Split applications
f. Don’t believe it is feasible to reduce N rates
g. Other__________________________________________________________________
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15. Are you aware of any incentives available to adopt more sustainable practices?
Y/N
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16. How often do you use soil testing to determine fertiliser application rates?
a. Annually
b. Before planting only
c. Very occasionally
d. Never
17. Do you think soil testing can lead to more accurate nitrogen applications?
a. Definitely
b. May be helpful in some soils
c. Soil Testing is only useful for determining how much N to apply at planting
d. Soil Testing is not accurate enough to determine N requirements for Cane
e. Other
comment_______________________________________________________________
18. Do you think soil testing is a good indicator for crop requirement of Potassium and
Phosphorus? ______________________________________________________________
19. What is your usual application rate for phosphorus in plant cane? ___________________
20. What is your usual application rate for potassium in plant cane? ___________________
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21. What is your usual application rate for phosphorus in ratoon cane? __________________
22. What is your usual application rate for potassium in ratoon cane? ___________________
23. Do you have an objective yield target in mind for each block? _______________________
24. Do you develop application rates for those specific situations? ______________________
25. Have you used yield potential to determine fertiliser rates? _________________________
26. What fertilizer products do you normally use at planting
a. NPK mixtures DAP, KCl, Urea, as dry blends.
b. Compound NPK products, e.g. nitraphoska,
c. Straights - e.g. TSP, KCl, Urea
d. Organic pellets of organic blends
27. What fertilizer products do you normally use after planting
a. NPK mixtures DAP, KCl, Urea, as dry blends.
b. Compound NPK products, e.g. nitraphoska,
c. Straights - e.g. KCl, Urea
d. Liquids - UAN,
e. Organic pellets of organic blends
28. What best describes your N application method plant cane
a. Broadcast on surface and irrigated to incorporate
b. Broadcast on surface and cultivated to incorporate
c. Drilled into the soil beside the stool
d. Fertigated in overhead irrigation
e. Fertigated in a drip system
f. Other __________________________________________________________________
29. What fertilizer products do you normally use on ratoons
a. NPK mixtures DAP, KCl, Urea, as dry blends in a "one shot".
b. NPK mixtures DAP, KCl, Urea, as dry blends in split applications.
c. Straights - e.g. KCl, Urea
d. Liquids - UAN,
e. Organic pellets of organic blends
30. What best describes your N application method in ratoon cane
a. Broadcast on surface and irrigated to incorporate
b. Broadcast on surface and cultivated to incorporate
c. Drilled into the soil beside the stool
d. Fertigated in overhead irrigation
e. Fertigated in a drip system
f. Other _______________________________________________________________
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