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Can Australia’s sugar industry boost its productivity and profits, reduce fertiliser use and help the environment all at the same time?

It would seem a tough ask, but the ANU’s Dr Bennet Macdonald thinks it can be done.

“Australia’s sugar farmers apply nitrogen, either directly as a fertiliser or by planting legumes, to boost their crops,” he said. “However, not all of this fertiliser stays in the soil.”

“Recent research indicates that almost 20 per cent of the fertiliser applied to sugar cane crops is lost to the atmosphere as nitrous oxide — a greenhouse gas that’s 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.”

Bennett said that significant amounts of other, indirect, greenhouse gases, including nitrogen oxides, may also be lost.

“Our understanding of nitrogen gas losses is very limited, but these losses are likely to be significant, particularly from waterlogged and acidic soils in southern Australia,” he said.

Bennett’s project aims to identify the drivers of soil nitrogen gas emissions and to develop strategies to reduce them.

“The issue of nitrogen loss from soils is not confined to the sugar industry — it occurs in all agriculture sectors,” he said.

“I’m hoping this study will help us determine how we can reduce emissions and cut back on fertiliser use, providing farmers with welcome relief from rising prices.”

“As Australia becomes increasingly aware of the impact of greenhouse gases and looks to implement a carbon trading scheme, reducing soil nitrogen emissions will provide wide-reachingbenefits to our agricultural industries.”