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full report (619k - HINT: right click and save the file to your hard disk
before opening)
or purchase the printed
report online
by Robin Thompson and Sarah Campbell (Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Tasmania)
February 2005
RIRDC Publication No 05/012 RIRDC Project No DAT-40A
Economic Assessment by
Gross Margin Analysis
A preliminary desktop economic
assessment was made prior to the field trials, then refined at their completion,
as new cost of production data was available. Two types of gross margins
were assessed.
The field trial gross margin used trial yields and a high-risk commercial gross margin encompassed all conceivable inputs and represented the worst case scenario. Both gross margins showed a good return to growers relative to many alternative crops available in this region.
Economic Assessment of
By-Products
An assessment was made of
the value of the by-products following beet processing. Advances in processing
technology enable the pulp to be available as a high value animal feed.
This pulp can be fed in the wet form or pressed and dried. The energy value
of this feed is similar to that supplied by grain hence the retail price
of both products should be comparable. A local market for the pulp was
identified and if developed would result in significantly less feed grain
being annually imported into Tasmania.
Agronomic Trials
Two main issues being time
of sowing and varietal performance were evaluated in the agronomic trial.
The results from the Scottsdale site are summarised below.
Sugar Content
Sugar (sucrose) content
of the beet roots was determined by chemical analysis l. The overall average
sucrose content of the beets was 18.27 %, which is optimum for ethanol
production. Sucrose content differed between varieties with Ariana having
the highest, followed by Latoya and then Roberta.
Root Yields
The combined average root
yield for all varieties and sowing times was 77.0 t/ha. There were no differences
in average yields between varieties. August sowing times had the highest
combined yields (91.3 t/ha) and November had the lowest combined yields
(56.6 t/ha). Later sowing times resulted in a reduction in root yields,
which may have been overcome with earlier harvesting and increased irrigation.
Dry Matter
The overall mean dry matter
percentage and production per hectare was 25.86% and 19.92 units respectively.
Variety had no effect on dry matter percentage and dry matter tonnes per
hectare. Sowing time had little effect on percentage dry matter, but dry
matter tonnes per hectare decreased with lateness of sowing time.
Summary of results
Recommendations
At this stage, further development
of an ethanol industry is subject to consideration by CSR in consultation
with the Tasmanian Government. Consequently no further agronomic research
is required at this time.
However the results from this study are a valuable benchmark and update in agronomic recommendations. If an ethanol industry were to be developed, then the results from this trial would be invaluable in increasing the potential success of the crop.
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