Brazilian research shows removing cane straw from the ground can double fertilizer needs

In Brazil, a study conducted in Brazil and published in the journal BioEnergy Research shows that removing straw instead of leaving it on the ground after the harvest could double the amount of fertilizer required by Brazilian sugarcane plantations by 2050. For the first time, researchers calculated the amount of nutrients retained by sugarcane straw and the amount of fertilizer that would be required without the straw layer. Keeping the straw on the ground helps nutrient cycling. Soil nutrients are absorbed and stored in the leaves, and the nutrients are returned to the soil when the leaves die and decompose, which ensures that a new cycle can begin. Removing the straw interrupts this process.