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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Sodic soils and rising groundwater management in the Burdekin
(2013) Milla, R
Sodic soils are a production limiting issue for large areas of the Burdekin region. Saline soils, saline groundwater and rising groundwater tables also have a high possibility to further limit yield potential. Rising groundwater levels are a very serious threat and there is some urgency in being able to efficiently deal with the issue. Many growers and advisors in the region are not well educated about the interaction between all of these factors, as well as the most appropriate management strategies. This project developed structured workshops to build awareness and understanding by growers and advisors in the underlying science of sodic and saline soils and groundwater interaction. It presented and discussed management options for a range of scenarios. The workshop help to identify the best amelioration strategies (gypsum, lime, mill mud) for growers and with gypsum prices increasing significantly (from $100 to $180/T spread over the last few years) the most cost effective solution needs to be adopted to promote more sustainable farming systems. The project assisted the private consultant Roger Shaw to travel to the Burdekin region and share his knowledge on the issues described. These workshops were facilitated by Rob Milla (Burdekin Productivity Services) and attended by 22 technical advisors and 39 growers. The workshops were an excellent opportunity for growers and advisors to increase their knowledge and be able to discuss practical management options with a very experienced consultant. Collective agreement with advisors and growers was that an industry wide (and industry led) approach is required to address the very serious and potentially production limiting issue of rising groundwater and conjunctive use of this high conductivity water with low conductivity channel water.
A regional partnership approach to developing a sustainable sugar cane system : SRDC Final report MAS001
(SRDC, 2007) Rudd, A; Parker, D
The Mossman milling area has a unique place in the Australian sugar industry; not only is it the most northern of all mill areas but the Mossman Central Mill is one of the oldest independent milling companies and still substantially owned by its cane suppliers. It also has also established a reputation for innovation in both the processing and growing of sugarcane. By 2002 Mossman and most of the Australian sugar industry was suffering significant financial difficulties following a decade of expansion.
Knowledge of sugarcane physiology and climate-crop-soil interactions : SRDC final report
(2003) Inman-Bamber, NG
Compared to other crops, knowledge of growth mechanisms in sugarcane is inadequate. The question arises as to how much longer can we continue to prosper from sugarcane if knowledge of the growth processes on which our industry depends, remains outdated? Sucrose accumulation and efficient use of resources are primary concerns for this industry. To date we have only limited understanding of climate and management links to sucrose content or CCS and this undermines our ability to manage water, nutrients, varieties and the harvest schedule for maximum CCS and optimum cane yield. Cane and sucrose yields are often below potential for reasons about which we can only speculate (Leslie and Byth, 2000). In the past, research funds have been directed at opportunities for raising limitations to yield and efficiency of resource use at the gene and enzyme level as well as at the crop and paddock level. There has been no attempt to integrate research or information across these disciplines or to assess where progress toward sustainable production is most likely to be achieved. SRDC recognized that it was now time for each discipline interested in the same processes to get together to find out how their different approaches could be complementary. SRDC also recognised the need to review past data relating to crop growth in the later stages of crop development to see if something could be done about under performing crops during this stage.
Clean Cane Workshop 2000 : SRDC final report
(SRDC, 2000) Wilson, MF
The Corporation has identified clean cane as a strategic issue that transcends several of its programs of research.
Workshop on new technologies in sugarcane crop forecasting : SRDC Final report WS004
(2001) Wood, A; De Lai, R
Work over the last 3 years in the Herbert Resource Information Centre has demonstrated that it is possible to use remotely sensed satellite imagery to produce a reasonably accurate crop forecast provided there is limited ground truthing to validate spectral signatures. In both the 1999 and 2000 harvest seasons, the estimates derived from the Landsat TM images were closer to the actual yield for the Herbert than the crop estimates derived from conventional methods. SRDC agreed to fund a project in the Herbert involving the HRIC and the University of Queensland to develop the technology further (project UQ037 Development of an a11- weather sugarcane crop yield model using satellite image data). The project was led by Mr Mark Noonan who was employed by the HRlC and was doing this work as part of a Masters degree at UQ. CRC Sugar also agreed to provide funding to assist Mr Noonan with his Masters project. Mr Noonan left the HRIC in November 2000 and arrangements have been made to complete the project through the university. The project is due for completion in June 2001. In the last year there has been a large amount of interest in this methodology from other mill areas such as Mossman, Mulgrave and Mackay and all sugar mills are searching for ways of producing accurate crop estimates without having to simd out large numbers of people to inspect every block of cane on every farm. QSL have also' expressed interest in this technology given the importance of accurate and timely estimates of sugar production for their operation. Initially the HRlC agreed to assist some of the mills in using the model, but with the departure ofMr Noonan this is no longer possible. Some mills (and QSL) are now approaching a variety of commercial companies to see whether they are able to perfect this methodology and customize it for their specific requirements. With the HRlC being placed under increasing pressure from different users to provide advice and expertise, and with the HRlC Board having decided that they should not get involved in research and development, CRC Sugar was requested to coordinate an industry workshop which focused on new technologies in sugarcane crop forecastin
Continuous improvement and innovation workshop : final report WS008
(2005) Tims, J
Reports and programs associated with the sugar industry have highlighted significant needs and opportunities for the industry including: ~ The need for significant performance improvement across all sectors ~ Effective transfer and implementation of best practices in relation to farm performance, harvesting and mill performance ~ Commitment to implementing best practice extension methods ~ Increasing the efficiency of industry bodies ~ Adoption of "whole-of-system" solutions, to enhance revenue and cost efficiency, and to facilitate environmental and social sustainability across the industry chain. These needs and opportunities pose a significant challenge to sugar industry R&D and extension (RD&E) service providers to improve their own performance, while also supporting their clients to achieve improved performance. A 12 month Continuous Improvement and Innovation (CI&I) program was proposed for people involved in sugar industry RD&E. The aim of the program was to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of R&D and extension services in the sugar industry through building the capacity of participants in continuous improvement and innovation (CI&I). The objective was to deliver a workshop on the principles, processes and tools of continuous improvement and innovation (CI&I) to up to 20 sugar industry service providers, with support over a 12 month period for participants to apply the skills and knowledge learnt in the workshop. Overall, the program achieved its aim and objective, but was less successful in achieving some of the higher leverage benefits targeted at the beginning of the project such as: ~ The involvement of the right proportion of practitioners, leaders and managers ~ The implementation of an effective and efficient R&D and extension service system. A system design was documented, but no action was taken to purposefully use it to implement a more effective and efficient service system. ~ The design of services to equip and support customers to continuously improve and innovate their thinking, and their on-farm practices, processes and systems. Program participants focused on improving existing services or successfully implementing new projects, rather than on leading the design and implementation of CI&I services for/with customers.
Developing an integrated cropping-systems RD&E program for the sugar industry
(2008) Allsopp, PG
Sugarcane trash is used extensively as garden mulch in an industry with a value in excess of $20 million per annum. The incursion of sugarcane smut has complicated the movement of trash by companies that provide sugarcane mulch products,this assessment considers the survival of smut spores in relation to the proposal to store baled trash until there was a low risk of viable spores being present.The project aimed to develop industry-wide integration of cropping-systems RD&E to maximise effectiveness and efficiency of RD&E expenditure and expertise.
Everything you wanted to know about cane payment but were too afraid to ask - information workshops for female business partners in the sugar industry : final report BSS289
(2007) Burgess, DJW; Ward, MJ
After a grower shed meeting at a Tableland cane farm, Drewe Burgess from BSES and Mick Ward from Bundaberg Sugar spent quite some time answering questions from the grower?s wife on cane payment, why harvesters cut in rounds, relative CCS, sugar pricing and general industry matters.As a result, Drewe and Mick successfully put a proposal to SRDC to support, with BSES, Bundaberg Sugar, QSL and CANEGROWERS a series of female ?Farm Business Partners? workshops on these issues in the Tableland and Innisfail-Babinda region.Workshops were run in Mareeba, Innisfail and Babinda in October 2006. Feedback from the 60 participants was excellent.As a result of the workshops, the investigators believe that female farm business partners value opportunities to increase their industry knowledge so that they can contribute more effectively to the farm business, and that just as traditional primarily male-participant activities cater for a male farmer environment (eg shed meetings), a feature of the success of these workshops was that they catered specifically for women. Hence, the workshops were designed with start and finish times to allow for children to be dropped off and picked up from school, an equal or greater number of female presenters, venues away from the (male-domain) farm shed, and workshop activities that build on women?s propensity to network and share information.
Adoption of an optimal season length for increased profitability; findings from the 2006 'maximising profitability in the Herbert sugar industry workshop' : Final report BSS264
(2006) Di Bella, LP
In 2003, the Herbert sugar industry established an industry working team to investigate ways to manage the harvest and processing of larger crops and investigate methods of increasing industry profitability. In 2004 SRDC funded the BSS264 adoption of an optimal season length for increased profitability project. The project aims are to maximise CCS, sugar yields and industry profitability in the Herbert region by exploiting regional variation in CCS, soil moisture and trafficability. The project was also funded to develop economic models, SugarMax and Rainrisk models specific to the Herbert region. In 2005, SRDC funded the Herbert industry study tour of Southern Africa to investigate the season length issues and farm management systems. This report presents the findings from an industry workshop conducted within BSS264.

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