sustainability
SUSTAINABLE SUGARCANE CULTIVATION
SASRI has been a long-standing proponent of sustainable sugarcane cultivation, supported by decades of research. Recommendations resulting from laboratory, glasshouse and field trials over the years have considered not only the economic advantages of a practice, but also how socially and environmentally responsible these practices are.
Decision-support Tools
Contour Spacing Design Tool (CoSDT)
This tool can be used for the design of soil and water conservation structures in the South African Sugar Industry and to determine soil losses associated with given agricultural production practices. The objective of this tool is to assist growers in the design of structures to minimise soil losses through erosion. To access the tool, please contact your Extension Specialist for assistance.
The SUSFARMS® sustainability tool
A locally-relevant and globally recognised continuous improvement system called SUSFARMS® has been developed over the years with input from a number of stakeholders. This a practical tool that assists sugarcane farmers implement better management practices (BMPs) while recognising relevant legislation. It consists of a comprehensive manual of BMPs and legislative requirements, accompanied by a self-assessment progress tracker tool.
Ingrid Thompson
Download Progress Tracker (Windows)
This link is for downloading only for the Progress Tracker for the period 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2025.
Upon opening the file, if you receive a message advising that macros have been blocked, do the following: close the file, go to the folder where the file resides, right-click the file name, select properties, and then select ‘unblock’ at the bottom of the pop-up box.
If you wish to download the associated notes, please use the link below.
Download Progress Tracker and associated Notes (Windows)
This is a compressed ZIP file. After unzipping, copy the uncompressed SUSFARMS folder to any location on your PC.
This Progress Tracker covers the period 1 March 2024 – 29 February 2025.
Download Progress Tracker (Mac)
This link is for downloading only for the Progress Tracker for the period 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2025.
If you wish to download the Progress Tracker and the associated notes, please use the link below.
Download Progress Tracker and associated Notes (Mac)
This is a compressed ZIP file. After unzipping, copy the uncompressed SUSFARMS folder to any location on your device.
This Progress Tracker covers the period 1 March 2024 – 28 February 2025.
Important Note for MAC users:
The SUSFARMS Progress Tracker was designed using the Windows operating system and works best on Windows.
However, we have a work-around for Mac users. While the Tracker will work, there are two issues MAC users need to be aware of:
Form Reset: The CLEAR ALL button will not work. This is not a major issue.
Copy and Paste: The original version prevents users from copying answers from one cell and pasting it into another to protect the integrity of the calculations attached to each cell.
Users of this modified Mac version must make sure that they answer each question without copying and pasting answers, as the system does not block this automatically.