Trashing has the potential to improve yield by conserving water, soil C and soil N in sugarcane
production. However, the benefits of trashing are complex to determine because of variability in
rainfall (between regions and seasons) and the long-term effect of cropping soil systems on N
dynamics. In a companion paper a cropping systems model, which accounts for the impacts of
water and N stress on sugarcane growth, was shown to predict the long-term response of cane yield
and soil organic matter changes under a range of trashing treatments. This paper expands the
modelling analysis by examining the benefits of trashing over a wider range of soils and climatic
conditions. Possible changes to cane production management practices in the South African sugar
industry following the adoption of trashing are discussed