Episode
Sugarcane Smut and the Industry's Fight Back
- Published
- Jun 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 113
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Summary
Twenty years ago, a devastating fungal outbreak known as sugarcane smut crippled Queensland’s sugar industry, forcing a complete rethink of biosecurity and crop resilience. Starting at Joe Russo’s farm in 2006, the disease spread rapidly, shutting down harvests and infecting nearly every major sugarcane region by 2008. Instead of fighting it head-on, the industry pivoted to proactive risk management, global threat monitoring, and aggressive breeding programs. Today, over 90% of sugarcane varieties are resistant thanks to initiatives like the Smut Buster Program — turning a once-catastrophic crisis into a blueprint for future resilience. Support the show: Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: [email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/5811b361fc364536