Regional Variety Committee meetings are being held across the industry.

The Burdekin RVC was first off the blocks on 27 March followed by NSW RVC, Central RVC, and Southern RVC. The Northern RVC and Herbert RVC meetings are due later this month.

Each RVC approves the release of new varieties based on specific approval processes for the region, with approval conferred by voting members from local grower representative organisations and milling companies.

The committees are supported by non-voting growers who have hosted SRA trials, technical staff from the milling companies, private agronomists, productivity service organisations and SRA staff.

The varieties presented at the RVCs have been assessed on their performance, disease ratings, milling characteristics and industry needs.

This data is included in a regional variety guide for each of the six cane growing regions in Queensland and NSW to support growers selecting new varieties to plant and trial on their farm.

These are released as soon as possible after the RVC meetings so that SRA and the Productivity Services can talk to growers and industry groups about adopting new varieties.

Productivity Services plant their own trials of small plots with some rows of each new variety. Regular observations are collected and shared with growers. Farm walks are later held by Productivity Services and SRA to inspect and discuss the new varieties.

Further down the track, commercial mill data for a variety provides further information on how the new varieties are performing.

All this data is relevant to each particular region and finetunes the new variety recommendations released by SRA and signed off by the RVCs. It’s the final ground truthing step that enables growers to choose the best varieties for their farms, according to their soil types, microclimates and farming practices.

The new varieties will be propagated in approved seed plots to minimise the risk of disease. Growers can also receive new varieties through tissue culture material.

The industry relies on science and the dissemination of accurate variety data to the industry from district to district. This involves a chain of people working together as a collaborative team, from SRA staff, to the committees, to the productivity services organisations, to the growers and the millers. SRA thanks all who work to bring the industry greater productivity, profitability and sustainability each year.

SRA variety guides will be available by June.

Parts 1 and 2 of the story of SRA’s sugarcane breeding program at Meringa can be read in Cane Matters Summer 2024/25 (Part 1) and Autumn 2025 (Part 2).