Completed projects and reports

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Sugar Research Australia, Sugar Research Development Corporation and BSES reports from completed research projects and papers.

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Optimising productivity and variety recommendations through analysis of mill data : Final report 2016/32
(Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2021) Stringer, Joanne
The annual productivity of the Australia sugarcane industry fluctuates significantly across most sugarcane growing regions. Although some of this regional variation can be explained by extreme weather events or disease incursions it is important to identify those causes which can be controlled in order to increase profitability for industry. Development of innovative tools to analyse and summarise mill data within a region can be used to identify those farm production units performing below potential and the factors associated with this. An increased understanding of these factors will broaden the adoption of improved farming practices by working with local industry to enable more appropriate selection of varieties to match field conditions, addressing impediments to farm productivity and Nutrient Management Planning.
Optimising productivity and variety recommendations through analysis of mill data : ASSCT peer reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2016) Stringer, JK; Croft, B; Di Bella, L; Sefton, M; Nielsen, R; Larsen, P; De Lai, R; Davies, I
Production peaked in the Herbert River mills in 2005 but since then productivity has declined. Analysis of mill data in the Herbert has successfully identified groups of farms with similar productivity over time and the major factors associated with these groupings. The major finding of the study was that those growers who have adopted new farming systems had significantly higher productivity than those who use traditional practices. The impact of the Pachymetra resistance of previous varieties on yield of the current crop was also significant, suggesting this may be a major factor contributing to poor ratooning in the Herbert. In the small farm size groups, low and high performing growers had similar levels of % plant, % young crops, % old crops and % old varieties. However, the low and high performing groups varied significantly in terms of new varieties, suggesting that the small farm size low performing group were not adopting the new, more productive varieties to the same extent as the small farm size high performing group. Manager’s age was also an important factor associated with cane yields. Growers who regularly (five or six years out of six) obtained clean seed had more than 10% higher yields than growers who never or infrequently obtained clean seed and greater than 6% higher yields than growers who only obtained clean seed in three or four years out of six. Results from this research has allowed the Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited (HCPSL) to design targeted extension strategies with the region. This will result in better variety recommendations and increase productivity.
Sugarcane root systems for increased productivity; development and application of a root health assay : final report 2015/002
(Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2018) Rae, A; Pierre, J
A better understanding of the sugarcane root system has the potential to improve productivity and overcome soil constraints. By adapting the digital methods that have been developed in other crops, we have developed a toolkit of reliable methods that enable analysis of large numbers of root samples. These methods have been used to provide a baseline understanding of the range and variation of root parameters for sugarcane, including root/shoot ratios, root opening angle, root length, proportion of fine roots, branching density, average diameter and diameter in each size class. We found a consistently high proportion of fine roots, but there was genetic variation for many other key traits amongst current commercial lines. Importantly, there were no significant reductions in root system size or quality in modern varieties compared to older varieties. The methods and baseline were then applied to test the response to stresses encountered in Australian growing environments. When comparing plants with or without YCS symptoms, we found no differences in root system structure, despite significant reductions in shoot mass. Limiting growth by removal of tillers or by restricting nitrogen availability identified plasticity in specific root traits that enabled the plants to adapt to the restrictions. Root system distribution by depth, and relative allocation of resources to the root system showed adaptations to stress while root angle appeared to be stable. With the new methods and knowledge of trait plasticity, we can now start to test which traits provide a benefit in various agronomic situations and develop an integrated understanding of root health which can be used to monitor soil health and promote the adoption of better agronomic practices.
Factors affecting cane farm productivity and profitability in the Bundaberg district
(1993) Queensland Department of Primary Industries
At the request of the Bundaberg Cane Productivity Committee, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries carried out a study to identify factors affecting the level of sugar yields and reasons for variation in the level of farm input use and to examine other on-farm influences affecting the profitability of cane growing in the Bundaberg district. A purposive sample of 53 cane growers was selected and information obtained through personal interview. The study examined a wide range of farm characteristics which were expected to affect sugar yields in the district. The study found that 70% of the variation in sugar yields over the survey period could be explained by: - the percentage of harvested cane consisting of Autumn plant cane; - type of irrigation use (flood or non-flood); - number of days to irrigate the crop (length of irrigation cycle); - amount of nitrogen applied to ratoon crops; - soil type; and - water use. Sugar yield and farm size were identified as important factors affecting the profitability of cane growing on specialist cane farms.
Enhanced Productivity Information to Improve Extension Programs and Research Data : final report BS128S
(1997) Cox, J
A project was undertaken to extend previously available productivity software tools. Using the end product of a previous project as a prototype, a new application was recreated in a different programming language. The new application enhanced the areas lacking in the previous version of the software, and increased the target user group considerably. Software titled PRODIV V2x was rewritten to manipulate productivity data. The software and manual was distributed to all interested extension and productivity centres. The new version of the software included previously available report options along with several new options useful for summarising the increased block parameters. These automated reports assist extension in collating and displaying aproductivity reports in an easy to comprehend format. All project objectives were achieved and the program is currently available for use in any mill area where the data are available. The project supervisor is continuing research within the productivity area and will utilise existing research in a new project.
The contribution of mechanical cane harvesting to the productivity plateau
(1992)
The invention of mechanical cane harvesters has been important in the development of the Australian sugar industry. Mechanisation of the harvest has brought many benefits. However associated with mechanical cane harvesting there are aspects which impact on crop productivity matters and hence on industry profitability. These issues are being addressed in BSES research and extension programs.
Soil constraints to productivity improvement
(1991) Croft, BJ; Magarey, RC; Hurney, AP; Reghenzani, JR
Evidence from investigations into fumigation, fungicide application, fallowing and growth of sugarcane on recently cultivated soils strongly suggests that yields in established cane growing areas are being restricted by soil-borne biological factors. The yield restriction may be in the order of 20-40%. The soil-borne pathogens Pachymetra, Pythium and also nematodes probably account for a proportion of this yield loss, but other unknown deleterious microorganisms may be involved. In most cases nutrient deficiencies do not appear to be limiting growth. Zinc deficiency which has recently been identified in northern districts may be affecting growth on some soil types. Excesses of some nutrients, such as phosphorus may be interacting with other nutrients and/or soil-borne pathogens. A multi-disciplinary study of soil-borne limits to yield in sugarcane is needed to identify the major factors involved and to develop satisfactory treatments to ameliorate the problem.
Soil constraints to productivity improvement
(1990) Croft, BJ; Magarey, RC; Hurney, AP; Reghenzani, JR
Yields of most crops are known to decrease if that crop is grown continuously without fallowing or rotation with other crop species. Sugarcane has been grown continuously on many fields in Queensland for 50-100 years. As early as 1934 soil-borne factors which restricted root and shoot growth were identified in fields which had grown sugarcane for a number of years. During the 1970s nematodes were found to be causing serious losses in Bundaberg on certain soil types and a serious root disease complex known as poor root syndrome was identified in northern Queensland. During the 1980s intensive research into poor root syndrome identified the important new disease Pachymetra root rot and a number of minor fungal pathogens. Poor root syndrome has been identified in all regions of Queensland and general poor root health has been noted in all soils which have grown sugarcane for a number of years. Yield increases of 50-100% were obtained in areas severely affected by poor root syndrome in northern Queensland by soil fumigation with methyl bromide and metham sodium, and by soil solarisation. Recent experiments have recorded yield responses of 20-40% to methyl bromide fumigation in all major sugarcane regions. These experiments suggested that yield losses due to soil-borne factors may be greatly restricting yields throughout the sugar industry. Research to identify the causes of the yield losses has commenced and progress to date is summarised in this paper.

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