By Dr Garry Rosewarne, General Manager – Variety Development

Crossing, trials and planting

Photoperiod crossing peaked in August. About 100,000 seedlings were progressing well across the northern, Burdekin and central regions, ready for September planting.

Harvesting and planting were underway in most regions. Progeny Assessment Trials (PATs) were harvested at core breeding sites, Clone Assessment Trials (CATs) were planted in the north, Final Assessment Trials (FATs) were harvested across all regions, and the first trials for next season were planted. Ten casual team members joined the team to help during this busy period.

Testing and new technologies

Quality testing was completed in the central region, and fibre quality assessments were finished. Plant Breeders’ Rights descriptions were completed for last year’s releases, SRA 49 and SRA 50, and submitted.

RSD testing, propagation counts and DNA audits were completed. More than 5,000 DNA samples were sent for genotyping as the team continues to build SRA’s genomic selection capability.

In pathology, screening and disease testing were progressed for smut, leaf scald, Fiji gall, red rot, mosaic and Pachymetra. September planting at Woodford has begun.

A new project focused on Fusarium wilt control has been agreed to, with Manager, Biosecurity and Disease Screening, Dr Shamsul Bhuiyan starting work.

Data science and trial design

The data science team completed several drone flights and worked on new trial designs to improve analysis accuracy. A key focus is improving links between trials, especially across regions, by using a shared set of germplasm. This will help the team better understand clone performance and local adaptation.

Visitors at Meringa

SRA Meringa hosted visitors from the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Predictive Breeding, including representatives from the University of Queensland. The group toured trials, crossings, the juice lab and field sites, and heard presentations from students and SRA staff. The visit highlighted the scale and complexity of running a sugarcane breeding program, with good discussion on ways to reduce genotyping costs.

New expertise in the team

SRA’s Variety Development team has welcomed new expertise as it works toward creating one of the world’s most advanced sugarcane breeding programs. The program combines advanced statistics, genomic selection, tissue culture and international germplasm exchange, supported by around 60 full-time staff and casual teams across nine sites.

• David Hughes has joined as a Research Scientist, bringing statistics expertise to support better decision-making across the program.

• Dr Eder Dias dos Santos is managing variety development across north Queensland, with a focus on connecting science, data and industry needs.

• Dr Ankush Wankhade is a Plant Breeder in Mackay, combining traditional breeding with genomics, data analysis and statistical tools.

• Alison Jensen has returned to SRA as a Plant Breeder in Bundaberg, with interests in disease resistance, collaboration, data capture and new technologies.

• Dr Yichen Kang is overseeing early generation breeding and looks after crossing and the PAT (Stage 1) trials.

These new team members bring fresh skills and perspectives across plant breeding, data science, disease resistance, grower engagement and emerging technologies. Their work will help strengthen SRA’s pipeline of improved varieties for growers.

Contact Dr Rosewarne with any questions at grosewarne@sugarresearch.com.au