Sugar research on show at Australia's largest sugarcane breeding station

About 80 growers, millers and other industry partners gathered at SRA's Meringa Station at Gordonvale, where they had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the researchers and scientists behind the broad scope of SRA's research project work, as well as other local productivity improvement activities.

SRA is the principal research organisation for the Australian sugarcane industry and one of its core functions is crossing and selecting new varieties of sugarcane for commercial use.

SRA's northern variety development manager Dr Felicity Atkin conducted tours of the station's Variety Development Program throughout the day and gave an update on northern cane varieties.

"If you're not familiar with the sugar industry, you're probably unaware that there are over one hundred different varieties of sugarcane that are grown across Australia," Dr Felicity Atkin explained.

"Growers choose which varieties they plant depending on their local farm conditions and the variety's various productivity and agronomic characteristics which includes cane yield, sugar content, ratooning ability, disease resistance, harvestability and more."

Dr Atkin said the crossing and selection process for new varieties and release for commercial use, was a complex process, taking approximately 12 years.

"At any one time, the Meringa experiment station has over 60,000 unique individual seedlings, clones and varieties planted for crossing and selection purposes," Dr Atkin said.

"It makes us (the Meringa Station) the largest sugarcane breeding station for the Australian sugar industry, investing in world-class research and adoption activities year-round, to assist in the long-term sustainability of the industry."

SRA District Manager, Far North, Gavin Rodman said this year's Field Day included an engaging line-up of presentations and displays including variety development processes, automated irrigation technologies, using drones for research, chemical controls and weed management.

Presentations were also delivered by the Bureau of Meteorology, demonstrating weather and forecasting models, including forecast insights and understanding how weather forecasts are produced.

"We always have a good turnout of growers for our field days and this year was no exception," Mr Rodman said.

"The day is intended to give our growers, millers and other stakeholders a first-hand insight into the research projects and adoption activities that are happening here at Meringa, aimed at ensuring a bright future for our industry and growers Australia-wide.

"It's also a great social opportunity for growers to catch up with their mates and have a day away from their farms."

Mr Rodman said the annual Field Day continued to grow in popularity each year and was a great chance to showcase the significant research activities conducted by SRA aimed at meeting industry challenges and opportunities.

"We received a lot of good feedback today and positive interest in the activities we are investing in, as well as other activities contained within our District Productivity Improvement Plans," he said.

"We employ some of the leading sugar researchers in the world, and as an industry-funded organisation, it's important that industry gets to engage with the faces behind our various projects, and for us as an organisation to show industry where their investments are being spent."

Other organisations with displays included the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Wet Tropics Management Authority and CANEGROWERS.