Scoping Study for CaneMAPPS Development

Abstract

This project scopes the development requirements of CaneMAPPS: a digital platform to facilitate growers’ adoption and implementation of sustainable farming practices in sugarcane production. Consultations with SRA staff and selected industry experts were conducted via videoconference, focusing on the data use, the constraints in data use, and the type of tools available to support productivity improvement in the sugar industry. The status and needs of current SRA activities were used as a source of information for CaneMAPPS requirements. Information was cross-validated with inputs from one-to-one conversations with selected actors in the industry including growers, third-service providers and government body representatives. Data in the industry are available for a range of different purposes and in different formats. They are in separate locations and managed by different stakeholders with varying rights to access, use and sharing. These constraints reflect a lack of consistency in data collection, management and use in the industry. Recommendations for the development of CaneMAPPS are suggested to account for these constraints to enable data stewardship and governance and ensure relevance and successful engagement of different stakeholders in the industry. With the adoption of these recommendations, the core module for CaneMAPPS, which sets up the infrastructure foundation of the platform, and its first decision-support component, a nutrient management and budgeting analysis service, may be developed within a three-year project. The implementation of an agile development pipeline is a prerequisite for CaneMAPPS development to clearly articulate its scope and benefits for the industry. This will require a multidisciplinary team with expertise in human-centred software engineering, end-user engagement and sugarcane production.