Innovative integrated management achieves high productivity and profitability of sugarcane in China with low environmental costs

Sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) production in China faces challenges of high input costs, substantial emissions, and low efficiency. While individual sustainable practices such as fertilizer reduction, enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, organic amendments, and straw return offer partial benefits, they lack integrated effectiveness. We hypothesize that systematically combining these practices could enhance productivity, reduce emissions, and improve soil health through synergistic nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. However, empirical evidence and systematic evaluations of such integrated practices in Chinese sugarcane systems remain limited. To address this, a two-year field study was conducted at two representative sugarcane plantations in Guangxi under straw return conditions to evaluate the effects of five regimes on yield, nutrient use efficiency, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and net ecosystem economic benefit (NEEB). The treatments included CK (no fertilizer), FP (farmer practice), OPT (optimized NPK), IKPS1 (based on OPT, integrating further optimized nutrient inputs with controlled-release urea), and IKPS2 (based on IKPS1, substituting 30 % of N with organic fertilizer). Compared with FP, both IKPS1 and IKPS2 reduced total NPK inputs by 47 %, while increasing cane yield by 4.6–5.8 % (up to 109.3 t ha −1 ) and sugar yield by 6.2–9.0 %. Additionally, compared to FP, nutrient use efficiency for N, P, and K under IKPS1 and IKPS2 improved significantly by 81.2–82.0 %, 148.1–255.8 %, and 76.4–101.6 %, respectively. Environmentally, IKPS1 and IKPS2 markedly reduced Nr losses by 57.7–68.7 % and GHG emissions by 40.7–43.8 % relative to FP. Notably, IKPS2 achieved carbon neutrality (-151.9 kg CO 2 -eq ha −1 ), primarily attributed to enhanced SOC sequestration. Economically, both systems increased NEEB over FP, with gains of 114.5 % under IKPS1 and 61.2 % under IKPS2. Comprehensive evaluation indices further confirmed their superiority (0.59 for IKPS1, 0.81 for IKPS2). A stepwise strategy is proposed to prioritize cost-effective practices of IKPS1, while advancing toward carbon neutrality by IKPS2. Overall, this study provides an evidence-based framework to advance sustainable sugarcane production and support the green transformation of tropical agriculture. • First application of innovative integrated management strategy (IKPS) in sugarcane. • IKPS reduced NPK inputs by 47 % while improving yield and nutrient use efficiency. • IKPS reduced Nr losses by 57.7–68.7 % and GHG emissions by 40.7–43.8 %. • IKPS1 achieved highest NEEB; IKPS2 achieved carbon neutrality by SOC sequestration. • IKPS is a win-win strategy to achieve sustainable sugarcane productivity.