AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING, AGRONOMY AND

EXTENSION WORKSHOP

Theme: Sustainable Solutions

to Production Constraints

WORKING SESSION THEMES:

15 Oct 2014:

Abstract submission &

registration opens

31 Dec 2014:

Deadline for submission

of all abstracts

15 Mar 2015:

Committee to advise on

acceptance of oral

presentations and posters

30 Jun 2015:

Closing date for Workshop

registration

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INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SUGAR CANE TECHNOLOGISTS

SOUTH AFRICA, 24-28 AUGUST 2015

SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT

Theme: Sustainable Solutions

to Production Constraints

Ÿ Sugarcane for energy

Ÿ Innovative farming systems, technologies and practices

Ÿ Sustainable production

Ÿ Improving Adoption of New Technologies and Better Management Practices (BMPs)

ISSCT Workshop

Durban2015 2015

Agricultural Engineering Agronomy ExtensionAgricultural Engineering Agronomy Extension

Durban

The AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING, AGRONOMY AND

EXTENSION WORKSHOP will be hosted by the South

African Sugar Technologists' Association (SASTA) from 24-28

August 2015 near Durban, South Africa, at the Salt Rock

Hotel (http://www.saltrockbeach.co.za). Salt Rock is a small

coastal village situated on the Dolphin Coast, home to

hundreds of resident Bottlenose Dolphins. Salt Rock is 50 km

north of Durban and only 20 minutes from Durban's King

Shaka International Airport.

Nearby Durban is a tourist destination

(www.durbanexperience.co.za) with beautiful beaches and a

subtropical climate all year round. The city hosts a variety of

fashion and craft shops, hotels, restaurants and much more.

While you're in South Africa, why not visit some of the

nearby World Heritage Sites? Take in the magnificent

mountains of the uKhahlamba / Drakensberg Park

(http://www.places.co.za/html/drakensberg_park.html), or

experience the majesty of critically endangered white and

black rhino up close and personal in the iSimangaliso

Wetland Park (http://isimangaliso.com/).

The Workshop will be an exciting opportunity to discuss topics relating to sugar cane research and development in agronomy, extension and agricultural engineering. Participants are encouraged to prepare abstracts related to the theme of the Workshop.

ISSCT Members are hereby invited to submit their abstracts for inclusion into the Workshop programme.

We look forward to this exciting opportunity for knowledge exchange.

Language:

The Workshop will be conducted in English.

Registration:

Workshop delegates can register online at www.issct2015.com. Delegate numbers are limited to 150 people so book your place now!

Workshop Format:

The formal programme will comprise four working sessions, each designed to solve problems common to most countries. Each working session will be preceded by selected oral presentations aimed to set the scene. Delegates are encouraged to contribute through active discussion and poster presentations.

During the week of the Workshop, there will be two field visits. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to visit agricultural equipment manufacturers, view conservation traffic systems on floodplain estates, and engage with small-scale and large-scale farmers growing cane on a 24-month cutting cycle.

See www.issct2015.com for the programme outline.

Working Session Themes:

The themes for the four working sessions will be:

Sugarcane for energy

Besides being used in the production of sugar, the sugar cane plant can serve as an efficient source of renewable energy. This session will deal with agronomic and engineering factors such as efficient recovery of crop residues from harvested fields, processing and the on-farm economics of energy production from sugar cane.

Sustainable production

Changing legislation and increasing scrutiny from the markets is forcing agricultural industries across the world to implement measures to ensure that production occurs in an environmentally and socially responsible fashion. This session will explore sustainable farming practices, market expectations and the emphases of accreditation systems.

Innovative farming systems, technologies and practices

This session will highlight innovations in the form of agronomic practices or agricultural engineering systems that have significantly reduced production costs or increased yields (or even sustained high yields). Discussions will revolve around the characteristics and principles of successful innovative farming systems. There will be an opportunity to share case studies of practical implementation of these innovations.

Improving Adoption of New Technologies and Better Management Practices (BMPs)

While considerable effort is expended in developing new technologies and BMPs, achieving poovieuser acceptance and adoption is often met with mixed responses. This session will allow participants to share experiences and to explore the factors involved in successful promotion and adoption of BMPs.

Upon submission of abstracts, authors will be requested to select the theme towards which their presentation (oral or poster) is

targeted.

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING, AGRONOMY AND

EXTENSION WORKSHOP

SOUTH AFRICA, 24-28 AUGUST 2015

ISSCT 2015

Workshop Proceedings:

The Workshop is informal and therefore no proceedings will be published. Extended abstracts will be distributed to participants at the Workshop. Pending author permission, Power Point presentations of oral presentations made at the Workshop will be available in PDF format on the website following the event. The abstracts and presentations will be included in the Members’ Corner of ISSCT website which is accessible to compliant ISSCT members only.

Outcomes and Action Plans from each working session will be summarised in a workshop report which will be available from the workshop website after the event.

Abstract Submission: see www.issct2015.com for details.

In an effort to maintain the ‘workshopping’ function of this event, rather than turning it into another congress, the number of oral presentations will be limited. The bulk of the abstracts, therefore, will be presented as posters. Each working session will have its own theme and objectives, and the oral presentations selected for each session will aim to achieve these goals. During these working sessions, each participant will have ample opportunity to contribute in smaller break-away groups.

Extended abstracts (approximately 400 words, or a maximum of ONE A4 PAGE) should be submitted.

Abstracts should be submitted as an attached MS Word document via e-mail to issct2015@sugar.org.za.

All abstracts must be submitted on the ISSCT 2015 Workshop abstract submission template, which can be obtained from the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com) or from issct2015@sugar.org.za. Authors should read the Authors’ guidelines, also available on the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com). Only Abstracts received on the ISSCT 2015 Workshop abstract submission template will be considered.

NOTE: Authors need to select the appropriate working session theme for each abstract submitted; selection of the theme can be made on the abstract submission template.

Abstracts must be submitted by 31 December 2014.

Authors will be notified of Abstract acceptance by 15 March 2015.

Abstract acceptance and editing:

Abstracts will be subject to a peer evaluation process. The author is responsible for making all changes and additions suggested by the referees/editors. A set number of abstracts which align strongly with the working session themes will be selected for oral presentation; all other authors will be requested to present their work as posters.

Social functions:

Social functions for delegates will include a welcoming function on the night before the start of the Workshop (23rd August 2015), a braai/barbeque (24th August) as well as a Workshop Gala Dinner on the last night of the Workshop (27th August 2015). These functions will be included in the registration costs.

Add-on Sugarcane Congress:

The local South African Sugar Technologists’ Association (SASTA) annual congress will be held in Durban the week before the ISSCT Workshop, from 19-21 August 2015. Workshop delegates are encouraged to register for and attend this congress too. International delegates are welcomed at SASTA so take advantage of this special opportunity!

See for details.www.sasta.co.za

Leisure Programme:

If you’re coming all the way to South Africa, why not enjoy some of the natural splendour of the surrounding province of KwaZulu-Natal? Private two-, three- or four-day tours can be arranged to nearby nature reserves or other places of interest, either before or after the Workshop. See the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com) for details.

Accommodation:

The workshop will be held at the Salt Rock hotel (http://www.saltrockbeach.co.za) in Salt Rock, 50 km north of Durban. Accommodation at this hotel will be available for delegates at a reduced Workshop Rate. See the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com) for booking details. Note: delegates are requested to book accommodation by 30 June 2015 in order to take advantage of the Workshop rates.

Airport transfers:

Airport transfers between the Salt Rock Hotel and nearby King Shaka International Airport can be arranged. Please see the Workshop website for details.

Entry Visas:

Citizens of some countries will require a visitor’s visa to enter South Africa. Please check the website below for information on applying for South African entry visas, as well as for a list of those countries whose citizens do not require visas for entry.

http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/index.php/applying-for-sa-visa

NOTE: Workshop delegates from all countries should confirm their requirement for a visa with a travel agent to avoid potential difficulties and disappointment.

Typically, a visa takes anywhere from 2 days to 15 days to process in the South African Embassy/Consulate depending on the consulate to which the application is sent.

Important Deadlines:

Ÿ 31 December 2014: Deadline for submission of abstract(s) (oral or poster).

Ÿ 15 March 2015: Organizing Committee to advise on acceptance of oral presentations and posters.

Ÿ 30 June 2015: Closing date for Workshop registration.

Costs:

Participants at the Workshop must meet their own costs of travel, accommodation, meals and other incidentals.

Queries:

Please consult the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com) for further information, or else e-mail Ursula at issct2015@sugar.org.za.

We welcome you to the East Coast of South Africa. Come and experience the warmth of the Rainbow Nation while working towards the development of sustainable sugarcane farming solutions.

Please consult the Workshop website (www.issct2015.com) for further information,

or else e-mail Ursula at ursula.paulsen@sugar.org.za.