Griggs, Peter (2003) Australian scientists, sugar cane growers and the search for new gummosis-resistant and sucrose-rich varieties of sugar cane 1890-1920. Historical Records of Australian Science, 14 (3). pp. 291-311.

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Abstract

The Australian sugar industry in the 1890s faced an agricultural crisis, as the standard cane varieties succumbed to the disease gummosis. Australian scientists were engaged by the Queensland government and the Colonial Sugar Refining Company to identify new, gummosis-resistant cane varieties. This paper begins by outlining the organisations and personalities involved in this research. The diffusion of the new varieties throughout Australian sugar-producing districts is reconstructed in the second part of the paper. In the final section, the economic benefits of the new varieties are reviewed. The discussion will show that the scientists sought not only gummosis-resistant cane varieties, but also those that were sucrose-rich. Hence, what began as a crisis benefited the Australian sugar industry in the long-term, for the new varieties yielded more sugar and a damaging disease was defeated, albeit temporarily.

Item ID:	290
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1448-5508
Keywords:	Queensland sugar industry, gummosis, gumming disease, Colonial Sugar Refining Company, CSR, Ebenezer Cowley, Badila, Fairymead, Bingera, Queensland Acclimitisation Society
Date Deposited:	08 Sep 2006
FoR Codes:	07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0799 Other Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences > 079999 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences not elsewhere classified @ 34% 07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0703 Crop and Pasture Production > 070308 Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds) @ 33% 07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0703 Crop and Pasture Production > 070399 Crop and Pasture Production not elsewhere classified @ 33%
SEO Codes:	82 PLANT PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 8203 Industrial Crops > 820304 Sugar @ 51% 91 ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK > 9104 Management and Productivity > 910404 Productivity (excl. Public Sector) @ 49%
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