Last week cane was stolen from one of the HCPSL Approved Seed plots. The variety stolen was SRA36. If you have any information pertaining to the theft it can be reported confidentially to the HCPSL Manager by phoning 0448 084 252 or emailing ldibella@hcpsl.com.au

HCPSL has cameras located at some of its Approved Seed plots to prevent this from occurring. HCPSL is currently reviewing all its camera footage and asks that those involved with this specific activity to come forward to discuss the matter with the HCPSL Manager, free of reprisals in this specific case. HCPSL is concerned that hygiene practices were not followed.

Theft from HCPSL Approved Seed plots means that growers who were allocated cane may unfairly miss out and that hygiene in relation to disease management maybe compromised. The area in which the cane was removed will now be isolated and monitored over the next 12 months to ensure that no diseases (like RSD) has been introduced into the plot.

If a anyone is found trespassing on HCPSL Approved Seed plots and stealing cane, the matter will be forwarded to the police and dealt with accordingly. Entering HCPSL Approved Seed plots and farms is only permitted when accompanied by a HCPSL Employee or when permission is granted by HCPSL.

HCPSL has completed RSD testing of all its farms and Approved Seed plots for 2022, with no RSD being detected. HCPSL is required to follow strict hygiene practices to ensure that the cane sold from Approved Seed plots is free of RSD; with acts of theft compromising our position.
All HCPSL Approved Seed plots are now open, so please contact the appropriate HCPSL staff to collect cane ordered.

To download a copy of the Press Release, view the document below.

Weeds on the HCPSL watch list:

Have you seen this weed?

Ipomoea tuberosa has been recently located in the Abergowrie area.

About the plant

Merremia tuberosa is a climbing vine that is native to Mexico and parts of central America that has become invasive on various Pacific islands and parts of the United States. The vine overgrows tall hardwood forest canopies and smothers native trees and shrubs. The plant is easily identified by its yellow flower and finger like leaf pattern.

The Issue

In the Abergowrie area the weed has inhabited riparian areas, killing trees that it has grown over.

The weed is also a significant problem in sugarcane fields climbing up plants and smothering cane. The plant has the opportunity to re-establish rapidly in the cane crop with multiple sprayings in a growing season to control the weed.

If you have seen this weed, please notify HCPSL on 0400544301 or 0448084252.

Almost 16,000 tissue culture sugarcane plants were received by Herbert growers from HCPSL last week. HCPSL will have ordered over 30,000 tissue cultured plants this year. The next shipment of plants will arrive from the nursery around September this year.

This year growers have ordered new varieties like SRA 26, SRA28, SRA31 and SRA36 and older varieties like Q200, Q208, Q231, Q232 and Q253.

The uptake of tissue cultured cane has been growing steadily over that past 4 years in the region. Many growers have opted to purchase the new SRA varieties, so that they can get more cane on farm next year.

Growers who wish to order tissue cultured cane for next year, please contact Rhiannan Harragon on 4776 1808.

Pictured below: (1) HCPSL Staff Rhiannon Harragon & Jason Caruso with tissue culture plants at Macknade. (2) Herbert Grower, Quentin Bosworth receiving his tissue culture last week. (3) Tissue culture plants ready to be dispatched to Herbert growers.

This year along with a CaNE Plan, Project CaNE growers will have the opportunity to utilise both an Electronic Record Keeping Tool and a Fertiliser Rate & Price Comparison Tool.  

The project team hope that by providing an electronic alternative to traditional record keeping, it will allow for convenient, digital recording of applications for growers.

Additionally, Project CaNE staff developed the Fertiliser Rate & Price Comparison Tool to allow growers to make informed choices, considering the current high price of fertiliser. This tool will allow growers to compare product N, P, K and S, against dollars.

For further information about either of the tools, contact a member of the Project CaNE team (Adam Royle or Graeme Holzberger) on (07) 4776 1808.

Dear Growers,

HCPSL is offering growers the opportunity to undertake early CCS sampling of commercial cane fields for 2022.

Growers will need to undertake the following:

• Collect 8 stalks representative of the cane field.
• Stalks must be topped and stripped free of trash.
• Stalks must be tied off at the butt end of the cane bundle and labelled.
• The label must have the following information:
  • Grower name
  • Grower contact phone number
  • Variety
  • Crop class
  • Farm number
  • Block number

Growers will need to drop the CCS sample in the trailer located in the HCPSL/SRA Herbert car park by 8am on the following dates:

• Friday the 3rd of June
• Tuesday the 7th  of June
• Tuesday the 14th of June

Late samples will not be processed.

HCPSL will contact the grower once the samples have been processed and CCS figures determined. (Please keep in mind these are to be used for guidance only as they are calculated  on assumed fibre figures).

Our friends at Cultivate Farms are changing the game for farmers ready to realise their farm ownership dreams. 

Now open for applications, the Cultivator Investment ready program gets farmers ownership and farm investment-ready. Participants will be resourced and coached to produce a farm pitch, with a financial modelling, a three-minute summary pitch video and the opportunity to pitch to the Cultivate Farm investor panel. 

Applications close 28 of April & for more information, visit https://www.cultivatefarms.com/products/cultivator

HCPSL is working with the Queensland Government Dept of Agriculture & Fisheries to Estimate the economic cost of Navua sedge to the cane industry. The Herbert cane industry is now seeing first hand the impact of Nauva sedge to sugarcane farming land on the northern side of Ingham. The research team has contacted HCPSL to seek assistance to undertake this survey and we are jointly investigating management options for cane production systems .

Please take the time to complete the questionnaire below and forward to olusegun.osunkoya@daf.qld.gov.au who is undertaking the economic assessment.

If you require assistance to complete the form please contact the HCPSL office.

We look forward to your assistance in better managing this aggressive weed.

The RSD workshop is developed for Herbert region growers and planting contractors.
The purpose is to provide growers and local industry with information on RSD including:

• What it is
• How it is spread
• What this means for an individual farm and the industry.

Think about getting your seed inspections done now and which blocks you may use this year.

Inspection of grower seed blocks for planting by HCPSL has commenced again this year.

Once again, HCPSL will be using the new qPCR method to check cane for RSD. The qPCR method uses DNA diagnostic technology to diagnose the presence or not of the RSD bacteria. This method is much more accurate than older methods, but more expensive to operate.

It is currently costing HCPSL over $40/sample to undertake the test, so we are requesting that growers only test blocks they intend to use as planting material this year. HCPSL will be capping growers to 1 sample per 20 hectares under cane, so only target the varieties you intend to use for planting this year. Growers who wish to test more than their allocated cap will be required to meet the cost of the extra qPCR test and it will only be undertaken once all growers seed inspections are completed.
The cap on the number of samples has also been imposed because of the very high demand for the service and to allow HCPSL to get across more farms throughout the district.

The turnaround time from taking the sample to receiving your results can be up to 2 weeks, so we urge growers to contact the HCPSL office ASAP on 47761808 to book in your tests.

If you have any questions concerning the test or RSD management, please contact your HCPSL Extension Agronomist.

Date issued 18/3/2022

Recently, the Soil Science Society of America Journal published an article on controlled-release fertilisers. If you’re interested in finding out more about controlled-release fertilisers, view the article via the link below.