Soil physicochemical characteristics and leaf nutrient contents on banana farms of North Queensland, Australia
Ryan Orr
A * , Tobin D. Northfield B , Anthony Pattison C and Paul N. Nelson A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A James Cook University, College of Science and Engineering, Cairns, Qld 4878, Australia.
B Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Wenatchee, WA, USA.
C Qld Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, South Johnstone, Qld 4859, Australia.
Crop & Pasture Science 74(5) 483-493 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP22306
Submitted: 14 September 2022 Accepted: 29 November 2022 Published: 20 February 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Context: Banana production in Australia is in three primary sub-regions within tropical North Queensland and the industry faces a variety of challenges including costs of production, disease and pests, and environmental impacts. The range of soil characteristics and banana leaf nutrient status on banana farms has not previously been systematically described. This knowledge gap makes it difficult to adapt research, management recommendations, and regulations to the needs of the three primary growing sub-regions.
Aims: In this work, we aimed to identify key soil factors that differentiate growing sub-regions, and provide context for future research and industry regulation.
Methods: We characterised soil and banana leaf samples from 28 banana farms on soil types accounting for >85% of Australia’s banana production.
Key results and conclusions: Variation in soil properties and leaf nutrient concentrations were driven largely by site- (principal component 1 in both cases) and management-related variables (principal component 2 in both cases). Management-related foliar nutrient concentrations did not differ between regions despite differences in the associated soil variables. The most important site characteristics appeared to be soil parent material and climate. The Mareeba sub-region has basaltic soils, low rainfall and temperature, whereas the other two sub-regions are hotter, wetter and have a variety of soil parent materials. Leaf nitrogen concentrations were mostly below the regulated limit for additional nitrogen fertiliser application.
Implications: Our findings can facilitate sub-region-specific site selection for research, extension, and monitoring and more targeted regulation of banana production- and environment-related issues.
Keywords: agronomy, climate, crop management, nitrogen allocation, phosphorus nutrition, soil parent material, tropical crops, tropical soils.
References
ABGC (2017) The Australian banana industry. Available at https://abgc.org.au/our-industry/key-facts [Accessed 31 January 2021]Anderson DW (1988) The effect of parent material and soil development on nutrient cycling in temperate ecosystems. Biogeochemistry 5, 71–97.
| The effect of parent material and soil development on nutrient cycling in temperate ecosystems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Armour J (2018) Nutrient management plan for the banana industry (of north Queensland). Available at https://abgc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Ban-NMP_submit-R1.pdf
Armour JD, Nelson PN, Daniells JW, Rasiah V, Inman-Bamber NG (2013) Nitrogen leaching from the root zone of sugarcane and bananas in the humid tropics of Australia. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 180, 68–78.
| Nitrogen leaching from the root zone of sugarcane and bananas in the humid tropics of Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Biosecurity Queensland (2016) Commercial banana production areas for Panama disease tropical race 4 program – North Queensland. (Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries: Brisbane, Australia)
Bowen A, Orr R, McBeath AV, Pattison A, Nelson PN (2019) Suppressiveness or conduciveness to Fusarium wilt of bananas differs between key Australian soils. Soil Research 57, 158–165.
| Suppressiveness or conduciveness to Fusarium wilt of bananas differs between key Australian soils.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brady NC, Weil RR (2000) ‘Elements of the nature and properties of soils.’ (Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA)
Broadley R, Rigden P, Chay-Prove P, Daniells J (2004) ‘Subtropical banana grower’s handbook.’ pp. 1–206. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane, Qld)
Cannon MG, Smith CD, Murtha GG (1992) Soils of the Cardwell–Tully area, North Queensland. (CSIRO: Glen Osmond, SA, Australia)
Clark A, McKechnie J (2020) Detecting banana plantations in the wet tropics, Australia, using aerial photography and U-Net. Applied Sciences 10, 2017
| Detecting banana plantations in the wet tropics, Australia, using aerial photography and U-Net.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cook DC, Taylor AS, Meldrum RA, Drenth A (2015) Potential economic impact of panama disease (Tropical race 4) on the Australian banana industry. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection 122, 229–237.
| Potential economic impact of panama disease (Tropical race 4) on the Australian banana industry.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Daniells JW (1984) The banana industry in north Queensland. Queensland Agricultural Journal 110, 282–290.
DES (2019) ‘Agricultural ERA standard for banana cultivation – version 1.’ (Queensland Government: Queensland)
Domínguez J, Negrín MA, Rodríguez CM (2001) Aggregate water-stability, particle-size and soil solution properties in conducive and suppressive soils to Fusarium wilt of banana from Canary Islands (Spain). Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33, 449–455.
| Aggregate water-stability, particle-size and soil solution properties in conducive and suppressive soils to Fusarium wilt of banana from Canary Islands (Spain).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
DSITI (2015) Land use mapping – 1999 to 2015 – wet tropics NRM region. (Queensland Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation: Brisbane) Available at http://qldspatial.information.qld.gov.au/catalogue/custom/detail.page?fid={0082B3DB-A37F-44A1-B4CD-FC9C70644CA7}
Enderlin NG, Barry EV, Philip SR (1997) ‘Soils of the Mareeba-Dimbulah irrigation area (MDIA).’ (Queensland Department of Natural Resources: Mareeba, Qld)
Garbeva P, van Veen JA, van Elsas JD (2004) Microbial Diversity in Soil: selection of microbial populations by plant and soil type and implications for disease suppressiveness. Annual Review of Phytopathology 42, 243–270.
| Microbial Diversity in Soil: selection of microbial populations by plant and soil type and implications for disease suppressiveness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gee GW, Or D (2002) Particle-size analysis. In ‘Methods of soil analysis: part 4 physical methods’. (Eds JH Dane, GC Topp) pp. 255–293. (Soil Science Society of America: Madison, WI, USA)
Geense P, Pattison AB, Kukulies TL, Scholberg JMS, Molina AB (2015) Can changes in soil properties in organic banana production suppress Fusarium wilt? Natural Resources 6, 181–195.
| Can changes in soil properties in organic banana production suppress Fusarium wilt?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Grundy MJ, Heiner IJ (1994) Soils of Lakeland Downs. (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane, Qld, Australia)
Harvey S, Cook S, Poggio M (2018) Economic assessment of best management practices for banana growing. (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland: Queensland, Australia). Available at https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/banana-economics/resource/498cb877-4dad-4773-8e17-14b8cab3a525
Haysom MBC, Chapman LS (1975) Some aspects of the calcium silicate trials at Mackay. Proceedings Queensland Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 42, 117–122.
Jeffrey SJ, Carter JO, Moodie KB, Beswick AR (2001) Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data. Environmental Modelling & Software 16, 309–330.
| Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kaiser HF (1991) Coefficient alpha for a principal component and the Kaiser-Guttman rule. Psychological Reports 68, 855–858.
| Coefficient alpha for a principal component and the Kaiser-Guttman rule.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kalra Y (1997) ‘Handbook of reference methods for plant analysis.’ (CRC Press)
Laffan MD (1988) ‘Soils and land use on the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland.’ (CSIRO Australia, Division of Soils: Adelaide, SA, Australia)
Masters BL (2019) Nitrous oxide emissions from soil in mango and banana fields: effects of nitrogen rate, fertiliser type, and ground cover practices. Masters Thesis, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, Australia.
McKergow LA, Prosser IP, Grayson RB, Heiner D (2004) Performance of grass and rainforest riparian buffers in the wet tropics, Far North Queensland. 2. Water quality. Soil Research 42, 485–498.
| Performance of grass and rainforest riparian buffers in the wet tropics, Far North Queensland. 2. Water quality.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morrison D, Enderlin N, Barker M, Whiteing T, Kolkert S (2021) Soils and agricultural land suitability of the Lakeland District, North Queensland. (Queensland Department of Resources: Brisbane, Qld, Australia)
Murtha GG (1986) Soils of the Tully-Innisfail area North Queensland. (CSIRO Division of Soils: Canberra, ACT, Australia)
Murtha GG, Cannon MG, Smith CD (1996) Soils of the Babinda-Cairns area, North Queensland. (CSIRO Division of Soils: Glen Osmond, SA, Australia)
Orr R, Nelson PN (2018) Impacts of soil abiotic attributes on Fusarium wilt, focusing on bananas. Applied Soil Ecology 132, 20–33.
| Impacts of soil abiotic attributes on Fusarium wilt, focusing on bananas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Orr R, Nelson P (2021) North Queensland banana farm survey 2017. (James Cook University) https://doi.org/10.25903/mvp4-2759
O’Neill WT, Henderson J, Pattemore JA, O’Dwyer C, Perry S, Beasley DR, Tan YP, Smyth AL, Goosem CH, Thomson KM, Hobbs RL, Grice KRE, Trevorrow P, Vawdrey LL, Pathania N, Shivas RG (2016) Detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 strain in northern Queensland. Australasian Plant Disease Notes 11, 33
| Detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 strain in northern Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pattison T, Smith L, Moody P, Armour J, Badcock K, Cobon J, Rasiah V, Lindsay S, Gulino L (2005) ‘Banana root and soil health project – Australia.’ pp. 149–165. (International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP): Montpellier, France)
Pattison AB, Moody PW, Badcock KA, Smith LJ, Armour JA, Rasiah V, Cobon JA, Gulino L-M, Mayer R (2008) Development of key soil health indicators for the Australian banana industry. Applied Soil Ecology 40, 155–164.
| Development of key soil health indicators for the Australian banana industry.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pattison AB, Kukulies T, Smith MK, Sciacca F (2018a) Soil indicators respond to changes in banana plantation management. Acta Horticulturae 1196, 147–154.
| Soil indicators respond to changes in banana plantation management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pattison AB, East D, Ferro K, Dickinson G (2018b) Agronomic consequences of vegetative groundcovers and reduced nitrogen applications for banana production systems. Acta Horticulturae 1196, 155–162.
| Agronomic consequences of vegetative groundcovers and reduced nitrogen applications for banana production systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Peng HX, Sivasithamparam K, Turner DW (1999) Chlamydospore germination and Fusarium wilt of banana plantlets in suppressive and conducive soils are affected by physical and chemical factors. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 31, 1363–1374.
| Chlamydospore germination and Fusarium wilt of banana plantlets in suppressive and conducive soils are affected by physical and chemical factors.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Prasertsak P, Freney JR, Saffigna PG, Denmead OT, Prove BG (2001) Fate of urea nitrogen applied to a banana crop in the wet tropics of Queensland. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 59, 65–73.
| Fate of urea nitrogen applied to a banana crop in the wet tropics of Queensland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2017) ‘R: a language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria)
Rasiah V, Armour JD (2001) Nitrate accumulation under cropping in the Ferrosols of Far North Queensland wet tropics. Soil Research 39, 329–341.
| Nitrate accumulation under cropping in the Ferrosols of Far North Queensland wet tropics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rasiah V, Armour JD, Moody PW, Pattison AB, Lindsay S, Florentine S (2009) Characterising and improving the deteriorating trends in soil physical quality under banana. Soil Research 47, 574–584.
| Characterising and improving the deteriorating trends in soil physical quality under banana.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rasiah V, Armour JD, Cogle AL, Florentine SK (2010) Nitrate import–export dynamics in groundwater interacting with surface-water in a wet-tropical environment. Soil Research 48, 361–370.
| Nitrate import–export dynamics in groundwater interacting with surface-water in a wet-tropical environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rayment GE, Lyons DJ (2011) ‘Soil chemical methods: Australasia.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)
Reuter D, Robinson JB (1997) ‘Plant analysis: an interpretation manual.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne, Vic., Australia)
Shen Z, Penton CR, Lv N, Xue C, Yuan X, Ruan Y, Li R, Shen Q (2018) Banana Fusarium wilt disease incidence is influenced by shifts of soil microbial communities under different monoculture spans. Microbial Ecology 75, 739–750.
| Banana Fusarium wilt disease incidence is influenced by shifts of soil microbial communities under different monoculture spans.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Singh B, Schulze DG (2015) Soil minerals and plant nutrition. Nature Education Knowledge 6, 1
Smalla K, Wieland G, Buchner A, Zock A, Parzy J, Kaiser S, Roskot N, Heuer H, Berg G (2001) Bulk and rhizosphere soil bacterial communities studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis: plant-dependent enrichment and seasonal shifts revealed. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 67, 4742–4751.
| Bulk and rhizosphere soil bacterial communities studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis: plant-dependent enrichment and seasonal shifts revealed.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stotzky G, Torrence Martin R (1963) Soil mineralogy in relation to the spread of Fusarium wilt of banana in central America. Plant and Soil 18, 317–337.
| Soil mineralogy in relation to the spread of Fusarium wilt of banana in central America.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stotzky G, Dawson JE, Martin RT, Ter Kuile CHH (1961) Soil mineralogy as factor in spread of Fusarium wilt of banana. Science 133, 1483–1485.
| Soil mineralogy as factor in spread of Fusarium wilt of banana.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Turner DW, Lahav E (1983) The growth of banana plants in relation to temperature. Functional Plant Biology 10, 43–53.
| The growth of banana plants in relation to temperature.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
