Category: Media Releases
Media
SRA appoints Regional Coordinator for the Burdekin
SRA appoints Regional Coordinator for Burdekin Region
Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has taken major steps forward in the delivery of the industry-led Adoption Strategy for the Australian sugar industry with the appointment of its Regional Coordinator for the Burdekin Region.
SRA has today announced the appointment of Mr Anthony Curro as Regional Coordinator for the Burdekin. Mr Curro is well-known in the region in particular for his work for SRA as an Adoption Officer and with the Natural Resource Management Group, NQ Dry Tropics.
The Adoption Strategy has been developed in consultation with the Australian sugarcane industry and SRA’s Government investors and stakeholders over the last 12 months. It aims to provide a more strategic focus to increase the uptake and implementation of new and existing technologies in the sugar industry.
SRA Executive Manager, Regional Delivery, Mr Ian McBean, said that Mr Curro comes to the role with experience in innovation, soil health, and precision agriculture. He appreciates the importance of understanding the full farming system before improvements can be made to the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the industry.
“Mr Curro will work closely with the local industry including Burdekin Productivity Services, millers, growers, local CANEGROWERS, the Australian Cane Farmers’ Association, NRM groups and others to deliver strategic outcomes in his region.
In achieving the SRA Adoption Strategy objectives, Mr Curro will also work with SRA researchers and Regional Coordinators and SRA Adoption Officers in other regions to ensure cross regional linkages are established and maintained.
ENDS
Women in Sugar Australia Conference – Media Release
Rhonda Mann, Wendy Zandonadi, Margaret Linton, Deanne Spina, Kathleen Cross, Paula Langdon.
Greenhouse vegetable production tour at Hummock Farms.
Lower Burdekin Water annual shutdown information
Dear Lower Burdekin Water open water customers,
Please find following the dates for the annual open water shutdown as well as dates for special projects effecting SOME Warrens Gully Pumpstation customers and ALL Plantation Creek Pumpstation diversion customers. More information on the scheduled shutdowns is available on Lower Burdekin Water’s website http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/
ALL OPEN WATER USERS: Lower Burdekin Water will be completing capital works and maintenance during the annual open water shutdown from Saturday 2nd June 2018 to Saturday 23rd June. This shutdown coincides with SunWater’s Burdekin Haughton Water Supply Scheme annual maintenance shutdown. Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/
OPEN WATER CUSTOMERS – WARRENS GULLY PUMPSTATION – CUSTOMERS DOWNSTREAM OF INKERMAN STATION ROAD: There may be possible interruptions to water supply from Monday 14 May 2018 to 29 July 2018. Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/
OPEN WATER CUSTOMERS – PLANTATION CREEK PUMPSTATION AND RELIFTS: Water will not be available from Saturday 2 June 2018 to Saturday 7 July 2018. Please see LBW’s website for more information – http://lowerburdekinwater.com.au/notice-board/
Growers should organise their irrigation schedules accordingly.
Ergon Energy Queensland large customer metering investigation
Ergon Energy Queensland large customer metering investigation
- Investigation
The Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) has launched an investigation into Ergon Energy Queensland (Ergon Retail) for breaching the National Energy Retail Law Queensland Act 2014 by overcharging large regional business customers.
Ergon Retail is legally required to charge its large customers the regional retail notified electricity prices, set by the QCA each year.
However, Ergon Retail has been charging large regional businesses for metering costs, in addition to notified prices, since 1 January 2017.
The QCA has written to Ergon Retail to cease charging these amounts immediately and the QCA has commenced a full investigation.
Based on current evidence it appears that no residential or small business customers are affected–only large business customers consuming more than 750MWh per year are affected.
Any large business customers in regional Queensland with concerns about their bills can contact the QCA here.
MEMBER NOTICE – DAF Innovative New Tools to the Cane Industy
DAF innovative new tools available to the Cane Industry.
New spiked wheel applicator, or ‘StoolZippa’ that closes the gap made by a double disc opener – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuhqy9uhEa0&feature=youtu.be This is an innovative closing wheel prototype that has been developed by DAF to reduce the amount of chemicals leaving cane paddocks. The video shows how precision agriculture can reduce run off of pesticides from the cane field by changing the way the pesticide is applied.
Dual herbicide Sprayer, saving time and money for growers and reducing pesticide loss – https://youtu.be/p3X34CoAckA The Dual Herbicide Sprayer is a spray rig that has been developed by DAF to assist growers in targeted application of pesticides. The Dual herbicide sprayer can apply two different pesticides at the same time, reducing time, effort and costs. As well as improving pesticide application, the Dual herbicide sprayer has been shown to reduce pesticide run off and thereby improve the quality of water leaving the catchment.
Water quality monitoring at Barratta Creek and implications for pesticide use – https://youtu.be/YTO2SfupLsA The Barratta Creek catchment has been the focus of a number of innovative projects aiming to improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef. DAF together with other partners and sugar cane farmers has looked at the results of water quality testing in this area to guide the development of projects. The video describes some of these projects, including recommendations around the use of Metolachlor and Pendimethalin and the construction of a wetland treatment system.
Les Elphinstone
Manager / Company Secretary
Kalamia Cane Growers Organisation Ltd
Kalagro Ltd
140 Young Street Ayr Qld 4807
PO Box 597 Ayr Qld 4807
Tel: 07 4783 1312
Mob: 0447 128 312
Email: [email protected]
DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and any attachments to it (the ‘Communication’) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient of the Communication, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete the Communication, and do not read, copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Communication. We do not guarantee the integrity of the Communication, or that it is free from errors, viruses or interference.
Closing the gap on pesticide run off in sugarcane
National Irrigators Council – Media Release
Harvesting Efficiency: dollars in your pocket, not in the paddock
Harvesting efficiency: dollars in your pocket, not in the paddock
27 February, 2018
Sugarcane growers, millers and harvester operators will hear how they can harvest the maximum amount of sugar and cane from the paddock at a series of upcoming regional forums across the Australian industry.
Harvesting efficiency and optimisation is a major focus area of Sugar Research Australia’s investment on behalf of the Australian sugarcane industry, and will be the topic of the regional forums being held in 12 locations over the coming weeks leading up to the 2018 harvest.
SRA Adoption Officer for Harvesting, Mr Phil Patane, said improving harvesting efficiency is a complex problem that involves multiple stakeholders and considerations, but is also a major opportunity for the Australian industry to extract more from value chain.
“SRA has trial results building to show cane and sugar loss as a result of a range of economic drivers across the harvesting, transport, and milling value chain,” Mr Patane said.
“In some cases, practice change may come with additional costs, but SRA is working with growers, millers, and harvesting groups across the industry to provide them with precise information to help inform their decisions.
“In order to make practice change, the industry needs detailed information on what losses are occurring and what they stand to gain if they change practice to further optimise the harvest.
“This has been the focus of on-farm demonstration trials in 2017, where we have worked with local harvesting groups, in their own conditions, to define what sugar and cane loss they may be incurring.
“The 2018 forums will report extensively on the results of these demonstration trials. The forums will also be an opportunity for harvesting groups to take part in a new round of demonstration trials for the coming harvest. This will allow them to assess harvesting efficiency in their own local region, and local conditions.
“The forums will also present information from a range of innovative research activities.
“We will hear about research that is looking at the design and function of harvesters to see if improvements can be made to ensure we are harvesting more sugar. We will also hear about a new online tool, called SCHLOT, which provides advice for harvester operators to optimise the harvest.”
BPS SMUT UPDATE
BPS – SMUT UPDATE
There have been some concerns regarding ongoing smut issues with SRA8 in the district. Following the discovery of smut in SRA8 in some plots last year, there has been some misinformation regarding the management and spread of the disease. SRA pathologists have advised that SRA8 grown commercially with minimal stress is unlikely to contract smut in high levels early in the crop cycle. Growers who have planted SRA8 should ensure it is well irrigated with appropriate nutrition and weed control. Anyone planting SRA8 or other intermediate rated varieties, should plant with the fungicide Sinker to assist in control of the disease and minimise stress. General farm biosecurity such as cleaning and sterlisiation of equipment should also occur. Growers should also be aware that other varieties in the region are rated as intermediate for smut. Q252 is rated intermediate-susceptible, and Q208 and Q183 are rated as intermediate-resistant.
SRA 8 has been planted on the P&K farm and there is some smut in SRA 8 1st ratoons. This is the commercial cane that is sold to the mill, not growers. Smut has not been detected in any of the cane in the distribution plots that is sold as approved seed cane. BPS will be regularly inspecting and monitoring the approved seed cane and should any smut be detected in the approved seed cane it will not be sold to growers. Please contact your field officer if you have any questions.
KCGOL endorses the need for growers to remain vigilant at all times especially during heightened level of smut activity in the district due to favourable climatic conditions.