Request for Expressions of Interest: Developing controls for sugarcane soldier flies
Background
Soldier flies are native root-feeding insect pests which have traditionally been localised in distribution, but recent evidence suggests that they represent an emerging issue for the Australian sugarcane industry. In some sugarcane-growing regions, soldier fly infestations can cause substantial economic loss to affected cane growers. Larvae feed on the root system and affect shoot growth which can result in substantial yield losses due to poor ratooning, particularly after the third ratoon when larval populations have built up from year to year. Although soldier fly primarily impacts the Central and Southern regions, they can also cause damage to sugarcane locally in NSW, Innisfail, the Burdekin and the Atherton Tablelands.
Other than cultural control, which is not widely practiced by the industry, there is no current recommended control method. Earlier attempts at identifying chemical control agents have failed, partly because the presence and abundance of larvae in the soil is highly variable and difficult to predict and therefore selecting sites for field trials has proved to be difficult. Furthermore, damage peaks in 3rd and 4th ratoon crops, and effective chemical application at this stage is challenging.
Given the difficulties of field testing, a preferred approach would be to first identify the most promising chemicals under lab conditions using an artificial diet, and then only take the most promising products through for evaluation under field conditions.
Specific EOI Aims
SRA are calling for EOIs to address the following three objectives:
- To develop an effective artificial diet suitable for rearing Inopus flavus (or other sugarcane soldier fly species) for approximately 3 months in the laboratory.
- To utilise the artificial diet to screen commercially available synthetic insecticides and other relevant control agents to identify products with promising efficacy against the target soldier fly species. This will require agreements with chemical companies to ensure access to chemicals and willingness to proceed to field trials and registration of promising products.
- To undertake field trials with the most promising product(s) over two seasons and multiple sites to determine efficacy under field conditions. Trial design needs to meet the requirements of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for efficacy trials.
Submission Guidelines and Information
- Please read the Submission Requirements document before submitting your application.
- Proposals must be submitted through SRA’s on-line Grant Management Portal available here: https://investments.sugarresearch.com.au/
- EOI Submissions must be received by 5 August 2026
Timeframes
9 July 2026 – Call for EOIs by SRA
- 5pm 5th August 2026 – Closing date for submission of EOI
- August 2026 – EOI Assessment Period
- September 2026 – Successful applicants notified
- October 2026 – SRA project agreement finalised and project commenced.