SWET investigated yield reductions for the Mangote and Panela farms in Panama. The investigation included site visits, farm management meetings, examination of past and current field conditions, and a survey overview of the ditching patterns.
SWET was involved with determining the following general impacts on the decrease of yield on the sugarcane farms:
| • | Unusual weather patterns increased adverse yield impacts due to the reduced drainage, increased salinity, increased mechanical harvesting, and physiological effects on cane ripening. |
| • | Low dikes with lack of repair increased salinity and flooding problems |
| • | Mechanical harvesting reduced yields |
| • | Heavy soils (high clay) limited drainage and produced wet soil conditions |
| • | Changes of drainage ditch design reduced drainage |
| • | Inability to properly irrigate fields |
| • | Sugarcane variety testing would be needed to identify wet soil and salinity tolerance of varieties for use in the problem fields. |
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SWET was contacted by a land owner who had purchased two tracts of land in Clay County, FL. that had previously been mined for Titanium. Under contract, once mining was complete, the land was to be returned to a native condition allowing for subsequent use of the land. The land owner noticed that tree growth on these rehabilitated tracts was stunted and suspected that the soil conditions had not been remediated, as required, to allow for natural conditions to exist on the tract. SWET conducted a field sampling program, to determine the composition and depth of the humate mix zones and the soil nutrient and pH statuses. This data was sent to a soil testing laboratory, the results of which were used by SWET to develop a report that could be used in future legal proceedings.
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United States Sugar Corporation (USSC) cropland was evaluated for its operational and maintenance costs in comparison to historical and anticipated crop yields. Both sugar cane and citrus cropland was assessed. The assessment included the review of farm records for crop yields , Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation, fertility and pesticide practices, which was provided by USSC. Additionally, field visits were conducted in late September 2008, to verify and evaluate the current soil, crop, irrigation and drainage infrastructure conditions.,. This assessment was conducted by establishing a representative sampling methodology that would allow for maximum geographical coverage of the USSC cropland, given the limited time constraint. Supplemental data and information received from USSC were analyzed to determine the operational and maintenance costs for the cropland, potential required infrastructure improvements, and cropland productivity. This analysis indicated that the near future (next 5 years) operational and maintenance costs will be remain relatively constant. However, three areas of possible future cropland risks were identified. These risks being; muck subsidence (soil exhaustion), citrus canker, and citrus greening.
 
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