Podcast by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) - Formulating a Sweeter Future for Sugarcane. Hear from SRA experts, including specialists in plant breeding, pathology, entomology, and more - the driving forces behind research, development, and adoption in the Australian sugarcane industry. SRA's specialist team is dedicated to enhancing productivity, profitability, and sustainability, delivering world-class science, innovative solutions, and practical farming advancements for growers and millers.
What can five sticks of cane become? For Central grower Colin Vassallo, they became the start of a 20-year success story with SRA9 — a variety that now makes up 40 per cent of his crop. In this podcast, Colin shares how SRA9 first caught his eye in a trial plot, why he backed it before its commercial release, and how it earned the farm nickname “HP” — for “high producer”. Hear Colin’s practical tips on where SRA9 performs best, how he manages it and why its steady growth and strong ratooning ...
30 Jun 2026
Boosting productivity in the Herbert through improved soil health
Targeting balanced nutrition and productivity constraints in the Herbert was a two-year project conducted in the Herbert River catchment, involving 19 cane growers across more than 5000 hectares of cane land. In this episode, we hear from one of those growers who participated in the project. The project was delivered by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) in partnership with Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited (HCPSL). It was funded under the $4.38 million Sugarcane Practice Change Program,...
31 Mar 2026
Examining root systems of different varieties
In this episode we catch up with Sugar Research Australia, District Manager Central, Dylan Wedel to discuss a demonstration project examining root system differences across sugarcane varieties, and what they could mean for crop management. Interest in root systems has been growing among Central growers, particularly around how different varieties establish, and perform under varying conditions. That interest helped spark a proof-of-concept project, that is being run as part of Central’s Distr...
23 Jan 2026
Beyond Imidacloprid - The search for new options for canegrub control
In this episode, we unpack a high-priority SRA project that is accelerating the search for alternatives to imidacloprid, for effective canegrub management for Australian cane growers. Join SRA’s Lead Entomologist Dr Kevin Powell as he answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the project and shares the latest updates on current field trials investigating effective and economic agrichemical alternatives to imidacloprid. With a regulatory cloud hanging over the future use of imi...
15 Dec 2025
Increasing soil carbon through changes to trash management
In this episode, SRA Translation Research Manager Dr Barry Salter discusses new long-term soil health trials that are examining practice changes to trash management, to increase soil carbon. The project is assessing farming systems and residue management practices through monitoring of soils over time, assessment of sugarcane productivity and economic analysis of practice changes, to understand potential longer-term outcomes across a wide range of environments. Soil health remains a significa...
25 Nov 2025
Quantifying RSD presence in milling areas – SRA Research Project gains momentum
In this episode we hear about an SRA-funded research project that is progressing technology aiming to allow the quantification of Ratoon Stunting Disease (RSD) in every rake of cane that enters a mill. If successful, the project could revolutionise industry’s understanding of the true distribution of this bacterial disease, within each milling region. Leading this significant project is Lead Field Pathologist, Dr Seona Casonato, who joins us for this latest episode of Cane Matters.
3 Nov 2025
SRA District Managers on-the-ground for growers
At Sugar Research Australia (SRA) our District Managers are the key point of contact with SRA, for growers, millers and other industry partners. They are located in Queensland’s Far North and Northern districts, the Burdekin, Central and Southern districts including Northern New South Wales. All SRA District Managers have one thing in common – a passion for problem solving, innovation and adoption-focused projects, developed in response to local needs and industry-related issues. In this epis...
3 Oct 2025
Estimating cane CCS with drones and hyperspectral imaging
In this episode we sit down with remote sensing specialist Johan Deutschenbaur, discussing an exciting new research project investigating the use of drones - equipped with hyperspectral technology - to predict sugar content (or CCS) in sugarcane, in real-time, in the field. As you will discover, the project aims to enhance the efficiency of SRA's Variety Breeding Program by replacing labour-intensive CCS estimation methods. It also aims to one day (in the not-too-distant future) provide growe...
3 Sept 2025
Weed identification app - Pl@ntNet
Hear from Sugar Research Australia (SRA) Weed Science Leader Emilie Fillols explaining the game changing new App, helping Australian sugarcane growers to easily identify weeds and other invasive flora on-farm. Pl@ntNet is a free app that uses automated recognition technology to identify plants, by uploading images onto the platform. Ms Fillols collaborated with the developers of the global App to create a sugarcane-specific micro-project on the platform, titled 'Weeds of S...
26 Aug 2025
World-leading work at Woodford
In this podcast we speak with Shamsul Bhuiyan, SRA Manager – Biosecurity & Disease Screening. We learn about the world-leading research conducted at SRA's Woodford Pathology Research station, protecting the Australian sugar industry from the threat of disease. For almost 30 years, researchers at Woodford have not only developed preeminent disease screening techniques to help develop disease-resistant varieties of cane, their research has seen them emerge as global experts in disease eradi...
18 Aug 2025
Cane Harvesting app - Harvest Mate Auto
Explore the Harvest Mate Auto project, led by SRA District Manager Central Dylan Wedel, which is building on previous investment into the original Harvest Mate web-based portal and app. Harvest Mate Auto integrates live data from harvester monitoring systems and enables automation of data entry to generate real time predictions of optimal harvesting practices. Harvest Mate Auto will expand the capabilities of Harvest Mate, by collecting data from harvest trials in burnt cane and from dual row...
11 Aug 2025
Breeding new sugarcane varieties - Part 2
Did you know it takes at least 12 years to breed, trial and release a new variety of sugarcane for Australian commercial farming use? In this episode – the second in our two-part series examining SRA’s Variety Breeding Program - we examine the different trial phases of the program, to produce new cane varieties with superior productivity and agronomic traits, such as high yield, sugar content (CCS) and good resistance to disease. All traits that are central to helping the Australian sugar ind...
6 Aug 2025
Breeding new sugarcane varieties - Part 1
In the first of a two-part series, we explore the meticulous process of breeding new varieties of sugarcane for the Australian sugar industry. Developing varieties with superior productivity and agronomic traits such as high yield, sugar content (CCS), and good resistance to disease is central to helping the industry to remain productive, sustainable and profitable. It's a process that takes many years of experimental genetic crossing, research and development. In this podcast, Northern Varie...
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