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Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

SRA invests in and manages a portfolio of research, development and adoption projects that drive productivity, profitability and sustainability for the Australian sugarcane industry. An industry-owned company, we are funded by a statutory levy paid by growing and milling businesses.

The SRA levy payers’ investment is also supported by Commonwealth Government co-investment and grants from the Queensland Government and other bodies.

We know and understand the issues our customers face. We tackle these issues to find research solutions and new and better ways of doing things on-farm and at the mill.

Location

Australia

Organisation type

Research funding body, Research service providers
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Focus areas

Industries

Sustainabilities

Technology areas

Highlights

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Soil testing

Easy as 1, 2 3 …. 4, 5, 6

Sugar Research Australia has worked with local industry in the Rocky Point region to develop sustainable nutrient management guidelines for that area, helping improve profitability and sustainability.

 

Father and son team Larry and Ben Spann grow sugarcane on about 200 hectares of lease country in the Rocky Point region near Norwell in southeast Queensland.

 

They see a solid future for the industry to the point where they are developing more country for planting. However, at the same time, they are also acutely aware that the low sugar price means that they must be efficient with their inputs and reduce costs. 

  • Led by
    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)
Biosecurity

Protecting Australia’s sugarcane industry from biosecurity risks

Investment in biosecurity research is a valuable insurance policy for the sugarcane industry to protect against exotic threats. In this article, we talk with Sugar Research Australia (SRA) researcher Dr Rob Magarey about one of these collaborative research projects. 

 

The Australian sugarcane industry has a strong track record of being prepared well in advance for potential biosecurity risks. Just one such example occurred in 2006 when the then-exotic disease smut was first detected Australia.

 

At the time, the industry had already recognised the risk associated with this disease and the possibility that it could impact the Australian industry.

  • Led by
    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

Research projects

Other research projects
Logo for Evaluate the operational performance and industry application for the final evaporator design at Victoria Mill
Sugar

Evaluate the operational performance and industry application for the final evaporator design at Victoria Mill

This project will analyse the performance of a new SRI Robert evaporator installed at one of Australia's largest sugar mills, Victoria Mill in North Queensland. Designed by the Sugar Research Institute, the Robert evaporator removes water and non-condensable gasses from the sugar juice, to yield high quality sugar crystals.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    9 Jan 2021 - 30 Jul 2022

Logo for Project B Green
Sugar

Project B Green

This project seeks to prove the science and economics of a proposed biorefinery in the Burdekin sugarcane region of Australia, that would convert sugarcane juice to glycols and biomass to energy (syngas and hydrogen). Global research into biorefineries has escalated in recent years, as businesses transition to renewable and sustainable feedstocks and reduce reliance on petrochemicals.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    23 Sep 2021 - 30 Jun 2022

Logo for Use of a purge sensor to improve performance and reduce the need for supervision of batch centrifugals
Sugar

Use of a purge sensor to improve performance and reduce the need for supervision of batch centrifugals

Batch centrifugals that operate like a spinning washing machine are used widely to separate raw sugar crystals from the mother molasses. This project will trial a Danish-made sensor to show when and how long to add wash water to the batch centrifugal, to purify the raw sugar crystals - a job that is usually done by a worker at the sugar mill.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    15 Sep 2021 - 30 Jul 2022

Logo for On-line measurement of the physical properties of each cane consignment at the factory
Sugar

On-line measurement of the physical properties of each cane consignment at the factory

Harvested cane supplied to sugar mills in Australia comprises billets of the cane stalk, leaves, tops and roots, with everything else classified as extraneous matter (EM) that doesn't contribute to the quantity of sugar produced. This project is investigating the use of computer vision and machine learning to measure various parameters in the cane brought to the mill, to improve supply and processing.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    9 Jun 2021 - 30 Jun 2022

  • Research organisation

    Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Logo for Scoping studies for an integrative digital platform for sustainable sugarcane crop management (CaneMAPPS)
Sugar

Scoping studies for an integrative digital platform for sustainable sugarcane crop management (CaneMAPPS)

This project will assess what is required to develop the interactive digital platform, CaneMAPPS - Cane Mapping and Analysis for Productivity, Profitability and Sustainability - as a central point for sugarcane farm data collection, processing and reporting.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    1 Jan 2022 - 14 Apr 2022

  • Research organisation

    University of Southern Queensland (USQ)

Logo for Demonstration of safety, palatability, and efficacy of novel, sugarcane-derived feed ingredients in ruminants
Sugar

Demonstration of safety, palatability, and efficacy of novel, sugarcane-derived feed ingredients in ruminants

Bagasse is the pulpy fibrous material that remains after sugarcane is crushed to extract its juice. The SRA has invested in new technologies to transform it into a nutritious animal feed ingredient, and this project will trial bagasse-derived fibre as a sheep feed and model potential production and markets.
  • Funded by

    Sugar Research Australia (SRA)

  • Project date

    28 Oct 2021 - 30 Aug 2022

  • Research organisation

    Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

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