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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Sugar industry riparian management guidelines
(2001) Lovett, S
The sugar industry is responding to increasing external scrutiny by improving its environmental credentials. The Canegrowers Environmental Audit identified as s high priority the need for the industry to integrate sound strategies and practices for riparian management into industry expansion, property management planning and best management practice. This project has used research conducted into riparian land management through Land & Water Australia’s National Riparian Lands R&D Program, and tailored it to meet the needs of the sugar industry. Through consultation with cane growers and other industry bodies, the project has produced a publication that is based on the practicalities of cane growing and allows users to adapt it easily to their own situation and management objectives. The publication is entitled - Managing Riparian Lands in the Sugar Industry: A Guide to Principles and Practices, and will be made available through industry networks and organisations such as CANEGROWERS, Bureau of Sugar Experiment Station, Department of Natural Resources and catchment management committees.
A stocktake of the levels and sources of nitrate in groundwaters associated with sugarcane areas
(2000) Thorburn, PJ; Weier, KL; Biggs, JS
Water containing high concentrations of nitrate is unfit for human consumption and, if discharging to freshwater or marine habitats, can contribute to algal blooms and eutrophication. Previous studies have found elevated nitrate concentrations in groundwaters underlying sugar-growing areas, particularly the Bundaberg and Burdekin areas, and that in Bundaberg the problem was escalating. Nitrate pollution of groundwaters of the sugar industry is of particular concern because of the proximity of the industry to environmentally sensitive areas and the large number of people (in cities and rural areas) relying on groundwaters for drinking water. However, apart from recent studies in Bundaberg, data on nitrate in groundwater has generally come from inconsistent studies. These studies examining either a limited number of groundwater bores, or large databases of groundwater chemistry where sampling and analytical methods have been variable and, in some cases, inappropriate. So a reliable, consistent, industry-wide definition of the problem does not exist. This project determined the extent of nitrate contamination in groundwater underneath sugargrowing regions of eastern Australia, and examined the likely source of the nitrate. In bores where nitrate concentrations were elevated, and therefore likely to be a result of human activities, concentrations were monitored to provide an assessment of trends in nitrate concentrations. This information was used to promote “best management practices” through relevant extension, industry and regulatory groups, to restrict leaching of nitrate to groundwater.
Maintaining and enhancing core skills and capabilities within the NSWSMC, for a sustainable NSW sugar industry : Final report NSC004
(Sugar Research and Development Corporation (SRDC), 2004) Messiter, GM; Beattie, RN
This report describes a 3 year project to improve industry competitiveness by maintaining and enhancing core skills and capabilities within the NSW sugar industry. The project commenced in July 2001. Seven major objectives to improve industry competitiveness were identified and include the delivery of an efficient plant breeding program; the maximising of productivity by controlling pest and diseases; the development of best practice for the NSW sugar industry for both on farm activities and relationships with the community; the development of new strategies to maintain the competitiveness of the NSW sugar industry; the delivery of an essential extension service to co-operative members; the maintenance of core skills within the co-operative for industry competitiveness and the development of an environmental management system for cane growing and to underpin environmental awareness with NSW cane growers. The project targeted three core areas identified in an activity plan for core competency funding (refer Appendix 1) developed at the commencement of the project.
Adopting systems approaches to water and nutrient management for future cane production in the Burdekin SRDC Research Project CSE020 final report
(2008) Thorburn, P
There is concern about environmental impacts of cropping in catchments of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, especially losses of nitrogen (N) and herbicides from cropping systems. Sugarcane production in the Burdekin region in the dry tropics stands out from other crops/regions because, (1) it is fully irrigated, which may enhance the losses of any chemicals from farms, and (2) it has the highest N fertiliser application rates of any sugarcane producing region in Australia. There are few measurements of N and/or herbicide losses from sugarcane production, especially fully irrigated production. More complete information is needed to evaluate, develop and underpin the adoption of management practices to reduce environmental impacts of sugarcane production. Four streams of work were undertaken to provide this information: Monitoring water quality leaving sugarcane farms. Demonstrating water quality and productivity benefits of farm management practices. Harnessing the information from these two components to describe and classify management practice systems typical of past, current and future ‘best practice’, and estimate the water quality, productivity and economic benefits of these systems. Communicating results of these activities widely within and beyond the region. Water, N and herbicide losses were measured at three sites in different parts of the Burdekin region, covering a range of soil types and irrigation managements. The experimental data were then used to parameterise the APSIM-Sugarcane cropping systems model, and then used to infill missing data and develop complete water and N balances for each of the three crops measured at the sites. N losses in runoff were relatively small, being less than 10 kg N ha-1 crop-1. Herbicide losses were similar to those measured previously. More N was lost via deep drainage than runoff at all sites, even those with slowly permeable soils. The results were consistent with the known ground water nitrate contamination issues in the region.
Farm management systems training course : Farm Management Systems for the Sugarcane Industry, Sub-program 3
(2007) Pawsey, M
The Farm Management Systems suite of projects came about in response to an increasing need for grower resources and demonstrated capacity to manage the environmental pressures of profitable cane farming. In total 5 projects were raised through contracts with SRDC through funding from the National Heritage Trust (NHT) and a further 3 independently funded by SRDC. The focus for these projects was to develop online information resources and tools to assist growers to manage economic and environmental outcomes, as well as discussion papers and various specific applications. The primary objective of the FMS003 project was to act as a delivery platform for the work completed in earlier FMS resource development projects. The focus was to raise awareness with cane farmers of the economic and environmental benefits of implementing and adopting industry initiatives from the previously completed FMS sub projects. The FMS003 project initially was aimed at “training” 600 growers in the use of the FMS tools developed under FMS001, FMS002 and FMS004. These tools include an online search engine for industry relevant legislation, Codes of Conduct, Regional Indicators, Best Management Practice Guidelines, Self Assessment Checklists, Questionnaires, other resources and sundry documentation. Following the Independent Review delivered by Hassall and Associates in early 2006 the milestones for this phase of the projects were revised. This changed the focus of FMS003 away from grower training in the use of “tools” already developed and towards developing a culture to facilitate sponsorship by service providers and adoption by growers. This would be achieved by providing demonstrable grower value to encourage uptake, utilisation and broad industry support for the tools. The project objectives were not formally revised in concert with the milestones and thus stand as principally to raise awareness. Ongoing communication through the specially established CEO group, a project steering committee and a separate advisory working group found that the sugar industry needed to address environmental and farm practice issues differently to other agricultural sectors. A single prescriptive approach to identifying and managing farm practice systems would not be appropriate given the significant level of difference between and diversity within separate production regions making up the Australian Sugar Industry. The design for the project that was conceived by collaboration between all three groups and consultation across the industry recognised the need for a homogeneous framework covering the entire sugar industry whilst identifying and encouraging regional diversity in farm management practices and modes of service delivery. In this way the sugar industry can communicate to governments, private industry and the community about farming practice as a single industry, while emphasising, supporting and developing regional diversity and individuality. FMS003 addressed this need by restructuring the existing website, enhancing project specific tools and, in collaboration with the industry, developing a grower self-assessment resource that identifies management practices and directs users to relevant local services within each region. We believe that what has been achieved is a coherent industry wide framework or “skeleton” that facilitates communication, comparative analysis, performance benchmarking, measurement and standards of practice upon which existing regional services can be layered and new services identified for funding and/or commercial sponsorship. The Grower Self Assessment component, currently referred to as “FMS Check”, allows growers to quickly clarify, compare and measure their management practices, receive recommendations, and directs them towards participation in relevant regional and extension services to remedy any identified issues of concern. Agrecon collaborated with the sugar industry extensively through the FMS003 project through CEO, steering committee and advisory group meetings, grower forums and organisational communications to most sugar industry regions. Agrecon also initiated a sub contract with BSES Ltd to restructure, revise and further develop the information resources to better reflect regionally relevant industry issues. These collaborations improved Agrecon’s capacity to apply the unique technology and specialist resources which the company has at its disposal to the project and improve overall project outcomes. The final phase of FMS003 assembled and incorporated a series of case studies into a user-friendly but technically robust web-based resource involving 10 growers drawn from 3 main regions to identify the industry wide values, grower specific benefits, and service sector relevance.
Canegrowing and sustainability - a survey of Australian cane growers with particular reference to the Code of Practice for Sustainable Cane Growing in Queensland : final report BSS238
(2000) O'Grady, C; Christiansen, I
The sustainable management of soil and water resources is crucial both for the productivity of sugarcane growing and for the protection of the environment. Canegrowers recognise the importance of maintaining the condition of the natural resource base for farm viability. Community concern over recent years has focused attention on the potential impacts of agricultural practices on the off-farm environment, particularly aquatic and marine ecosystems and regional biodiversity.The Australian sugar industry has responded to these concerns by taking a proactive approach to environmental management. The Code of Practice for Sustainable Cane Growing in Queensland (CANEGROWERS, 1998) and the New South Wales (NSW) sugar industry?s Best Practice Guidelines for Acid Sulfate Soils are examples of the industry?s initiatives towards environmental management and self-regulation.A survey of all cane farmers in Queensland and NSW was carried out in April 2000. The survey had several aims. Firstly, to benchmark awareness and opinions of the Queensland Code of Practice and the NSW Best Practice Guidelines. It also benchmarked current farming practices in relation to industry-accepted best practice, an indication of the level of adoption of the Code. Growers? perceptions of environmental issues in cane farming areas were also sought. Additionally, the survey served as a prompter to cane farmers about the Code and Guidelines.

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