Precision agriculture options for the Australian sugarcane industry

Abstract

Precision agriculture (PA) has been embraced in other Australian agricultural industries. With the increase in adoption rates of new farming system principles including controlled traffic within the sugarcane industry, many growers and harvesting contactors are turning to PA to improve their profitability and productivity. Recognising the high level of interest among members of the Australian sugarcane industry in the potential of PA, the Sugar Research and Development Corporation called for projects to review and analyse technologies that are applicable to sugarcane farming and harvesting. SRDC commissioned two studies following this call. The first was undertaken by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and examined research and experience with PA in a range of cropping industries worldwide over the last 15 years including sugarcane in Australia, Mauritius, South Africa, the USA and South America. The second study was undertaken by the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture in partnership with FSA Consulting. Their report describes how PA technologies operate, their uses, opportunities, limitations, risks and costs with respect to precision farming in the sugar industry. The report also describes how PA technologies can be integrated into a management system that will have both economic and environmental benefits for sugarcane production and harvesting. Both papers are provided in this publication. These findings were presented at an SRDC-hosted Precision Agriculture workshop on 11 May 2007. The purpose of the workshop was to identify what aspects of precision agriculture would benefit sugarcane farming and harvesting and to determine the priorities for R&D. The reviews were presented by Dr Rob Bramley (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Adelaide) and Rod Davis (FSA Consulting in partnership with NCEA, Toowoomba). Approximately 60 people attended representing growers, millers, BSES Limited, productivity service organisations, CSIRO, QDPI&F, universities, agricultural consultants, CANEGROWERS and agribusiness. The workshop sought to generate priority issues for further R&D to support the Australian sugarcane industry’s adoption of PA technologies. These priorities have been identified below.