Farming systems and production management
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://elibrary2.sugarresearch.com.au/handle/11079/13844
Research outcomes: Growers and harvesters benefit from the ongoing research in productivity improvement, production management and agronomical techniques. Developed technologies and management practices that enhance productivity and demonstrate a high rate of return on investment.
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Item Sustaining un-burnt production systems in cool wet environments : SRDC Final report BSS168(2002) Kingston, G; Davis, RJ; Parsons, D; Chapman, FL; Aitken, RL; Nielsen, PJThis project was initiated because the Green Cane Trash Blanket (GCTB) system had been rapidly adopted within tropical districts of the Queensland sugar industry between 1984 and 1990, yet there was minimal adoption in the cool and humid districts in northern NSW. Broad adoption in the tropics was interpreted by the community as a signal that the GCTB system was suitable for the whole of the Australian sugar industry; this was particularly the case in northern NSW where there is a high reliance on the tourist industry, with an little tolerance of the ash and smoke fall-out associated with the burnt-cane system. Additionally this region has a significant non-cane affiliated population, which is also non-sympathetic to the issues associated with the pre-harvest burning of sugarcane.Item Statewide adoption of best irrigation practices for supplementary and full irrigation districts : SRDC Final report BS183S(2000) Robertson, LN; Giblin-Davis, RM; Oehlschlager, AC; Gries, RProject BS183S has researched and identified a number of means by which on-farm water use efficiency may be improved. These include the use of irrigation scheduling devices, improved furrow irrigation design and management, and use of modelling tools by local extension staff.Field trials demonstrated that deep drainage losses associated with furrow irrigation can be reduced by the use of surge irrigation and improved furrow irrigation management. Use of the furrow irrigation simulation model SIRMOD has enabled advisory staff to measure and optimise furrow irrigation events under typical sugar growing conditions. Difficulties however remain with deep drainage losses from furrow irrigation under trash blankets. Capacitance soil moisture meters and tensiometers were demonstrated to be effective tools for scheduling sugarcane irrigation. These devices enable growers to time irrigations to minimise crop water stress. APSFront~Sugar was developed in conjunction with APRSU to enable local advisory staff to investigate a range of issues related to sugarcane production. Despite difficulties with high rainfall, field trials demonstrated that in the absence of watertables APSIM produced reasonable predictions of crop yield. APSIM was employed to determine effective rainfall, crop response to irrigation, water use efficiency and irrigation requirement for the Mackay, Bundaberg, Mareeba, Proserpine, Atherton, Childers, and Sarina districts. APSIM was also able to identify a number of improved strategies for the use of limited allocation in supplementary irrigation districts. Project BS183S provided considerable training and support to research and extension staff.Item Development of a trash rake : SRDC Final report BS144S(1999) Davis, RJ; Chapman, FLObjectives of project were: to evaluate the performance of selected commercial rakes under various field conditions; to assess the ratooning vigour of varieties after raking trash from the stool area; to develop an improved trash rake to remove trash from the stool; to disseminate information derived from this project to the industry via publications and extension programs and enable demonstrations of trash raking.