NEW guidelines have been published to inform cane growers as to which variety of cane may be better suited for their region.
Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has produced a new hard copy publication for sugarcane growers and millers covering six regions including Central, Burdekin, Herbert, Northern Southern and NSW.
The 2017/18 Variety Guides have been posted to growers and millers and provide information for growers to help them select the best sugarcane varieties to plant.
SRA Adoption Officer for Varieties, Tracy Hay, said the purpose of the guides was to provide information from variety assessment trials, including valuable data on tonnes, sugar content, disease ratings, and other attributes.
“Plant breeding is the single largest investment area that SRA makes on behalf of the industry, to produce new sugarcane varieties that enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of growers and millers,” Ms Hay said.
“Our aim is to give growers and millers information in a relatable way that helps makes the process of variety selection easier.”
Proserpine grower Lindsay Altmann said that choosing a variety was a crucial foundation of profitable and sustainable sugarcane farming, and that growers were always looking for more information on variety performance.
“The information provided in the Variety Guide is useful in helping to make decisions for planting,” Mr Altmann said.
“Growers need to weigh up a range of factors such as yield and disease tolerance. The guide helps with that information.”
The guides can be viewed at https://sugarresearch.com.au/sra-information/publications/