Scientific Programme
The programme is provisional and subject to change.
Monday, 17 August 2026
| 08:30-16:30 | Pre-Congress Tour (Separate registration with limited spaces available) | Meet at OCC main entrance 15 minutes prior to departure |
| Exhibitor set up | OCC Exhibition Arena (Hall 4) |
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Congress Day 1
| 07:30-18:00 | Registration | Exhibition Arena Foyer (Hall 4) | |||
| OPENING SESSION Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Dr Muhammad Kadwa |
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| 09:15-09:30 | Welcome | Dr Muhammad Kadwa, SASTA President | |||
| 09:30-10:15 | Keynote Address: Integration and Innovation for Sustainability Sponsored by Neptek |
Dr Freddy Fernando Garcés Obando Director General, Cenicaña | |||
| 10:15-10:25 | Vote of Thanks | Dr Muhammad Kadwa, SASTA President | |||
| 10:25-11:00 | Tea / Coffee Break | Exhibition Arena (Hall 4) | |||
| PLENARY SESSION Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Dr Sandy Snyman |
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| 11:00-11:25 | A Review of South African Sugarcane Production in the 2025/26 Season: An Agricultural Perspective (Review Paper) | Clark D, Sithole P, Jones M, McFarlane S, Basdew I, Maluleke I and Mlalazi M | |||
| 11:25-11:50 | Biosecurity: An Overview of the 2024/2025 Season (Full Paper) | Basdew I, McFarlane S and Wilkinson D | |||
| 11:50-12:15 | 101st Annual Review of the Milling Season in southern Africa (2025/2026) (Review Paper) | Mbuyazi M, Ndinisa N, Davis S and Bhyrodeyal L | |||
| 12:15-13:00 | SASTA Centenary Presentations | Snyman SJ and Smith GT | |||
| 13:00-14:00 | Lunch Break | Exhibition Arena (Hall 4) | |||
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 1: Precision Agriculture Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Dr Riekert van Heerden |
FACTORY SESSION 1: Extraction and Liming Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Rainer Talanda |
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| 14:00-14:20 | From Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Canopy Reflectance to Selection Decisions: Machine Learning for Accelerated Sugarcane Breeding (Short Communication) | Joshi S, Mdaka S, Furniss N and Radebe T | 14:00-14:25 | Diffuser performance in South Africa over the past 25 years (Review Paper) | Naidoo R and Schorn P |
| 14:20-14:40 | Sugarcane Yield Estimation Using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar and Sentinel-2 Optical Satellite Imagery (Short Communication) | Poona N and Radebe T | 14:25-14:50 | Carbide Block Technology for Hammer Blocks and Design Modifications in Hammer Arrangement for Shredder Rotors and Anvil Openings in South African Sugar Mills, and Its Commercial Benefits (Full Paper) | Jain D, Slater K and Gujare D |
| 14:40-15:00 | Development of a Drying-Off Calculator to Support Precision Sugarcane Quality Management (Short Communication) | Furniss N, Clark D, van Heerden R and Govender P | 14:50-15:10 | Reliable and Accurate Valve Selection for Pre-Lime and Milk of Lime (Operational Paper) | Iqbal S |
| 15:00-15:15 | Transforming Operational Efficiency in Sugarcane Farming Using Drone Technology: A Practical Success Story of Illovo Sugar Malawi, Dwangwa Estate (Practical Success Story) | Chirwa S | 15:10-15:30 | Comparative Evaluation of NIRS, Leadless, and Lead-Based Direct Cane Analysis Methods for Sugarcane Juice (Short Communication) | Mutatu W, Siyakisa F and Sithole S |
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 2: Posters Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Surashna Jithoo |
15:30-15:50 | The Theory and Operation of Liquid Ring Vacuum Pumps (Operational Paper) | Munsamy S | ||
| 15:25-15:30 | Precision Agriculture in Sugarcane Production: Application of Drone-Based Variable Rate Spraying at Kilombero Sugar Company Limited (KSCL) (Poster) | Ligonja E and Nguvu G | |||
| 15:30-15:35 | Stalk Borer Banquet: The Fungus That Turns Sugarcane Into a Feast (Poster) | Rutherford R, Buthelezi K, Mofurutsi T and McFarlane S | |||
| 15:35-15:40 | Making Sense of Sight and Smell in the Trapping of Eldana saccharina (Poster) | Rutherford R | |||
| 15:40-15:45 | Going Viral: A Potential New Weapon Against Eldana! (Poster) | Mothibi K and Rutherford R | |||
| 15:45-15:50 | Epitope Tagging Enables Detection of Novel Bacillus thuringiensis CRY Proteins in Transgenic Sugarcane (Poster) | Albertse E, Jacob R, Singh S, Meyer G and Snyman S | |||
| 15:50-15:55 | Evaluation of Selected Insecticide Classes Against Sipha flava in Sugarcane (Poster) | Makhaye G, Jithoo S and Malinga L | |||
| 15:55-16:00 | Water Table Effects on YSA and Sugarcane Production – Dwangwa Sugar Estate Case Study (Poster) | Tfwala C, Chirwa S, Mwale H and Musopole A | |||
| 16:00-16:05 | Evaluation of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) as a Trap Crop for Yellow Sugarcane Aphid (Sipha flava) Management at Dwangwa Estate (Poster) | Mwale H | |||
| 16:15 – 18:30 | Meet & Greet Welcome Reception | Exhibition Arena (Hall4) | |||
Wedneday, 19 August 2026
Congress Day 2
| 07:30 – 17:00 | Registration | Exhibition Arena Foyer (Hall 4) | |||
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 3: Cane quality, Breeding Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Kerry Redshaw |
FACTORY SESSION 2: Process House Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Shaun Madho |
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| 09:00-09:25 | A Review of Operational Factors That Affect the Colour of VHP Crystals (Review Paper) | Munsamy S | |||
| 09:00-09:20 | An Assessment of Trinexapac-ethyl as a Ripener on Some Sugarcane Varieties in the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Industry (Short Communication) | Chinorumba S | 09:25-09:30 | Syrup Brix Control in Multiple-Effect Evaporator Stations (Poster) | Love D |
| 09:20-09:35 | Development of New Sugarcane Breeding Programs in West and Central Africa: Promising Initial Results and Challenges to Overcome (Practical Success Story) | Dumont T, Mellin M and Barau L | 09:30-09:35 | Identification and Characterisation of Hard-to-Boil Molasses Behaviour (Poster) | Barker B |
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 4: Posters Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Dr Motselisi Koetle |
09:35-09:40 | Performance improvements in A-vacuum pan with dimpled tubes in Pongola Sugar Mill (Poster) | Kraai S | ||
| 09:40-09:45 | The Effect of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) vs Incandescent Lights on Sugarcane Flowering and Pollen Production at the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (Poster) | Lichakane M and Zhou M | 09:40-10:00 | Reducing crystal breakage in continuous centrifuges (Short Communication) | Lehnberger A and Bartsch E |
| 09:45-09:50 | 100 Years of Sugarcane Pathology Research in South Africa (Poster) | McFarlane S, Koch A, Kistan C, Mofurutsi T, Mfeka Y and Rutherford R | 10:00-10:25 | A New C-Massecuite Reheater at Eston (Full Paper) | Love D, Ntuli P, Sikhosana K and Malevu G |
| 09:50-09:55 | Shedding light on sugarcane smut resistance (Poster) | Rutherford R | 10:25-10:30 | SMRI C-Centrifuge Camera: Using Computer Vision to Manage Sucrose Losses to Molasses (Poster) | Loubser R, Naidoo R, Barker B and Mbuthuma Y |
| 09:55-10:00 | Estimating the Economic Impact of Ratoon Stunt (RSD) in South Africa: 2019/20 to 2024/25 (Poster) | Kadwa M and McFarlane S | 10:30-10:35 | Comparative evaluation of portable and benchtop NIRS instruments for raw sugar quality parameters (Poster) | Booysen K |
| 10:00-10:05 | The Effect of Hexazinone Based Herbicide Cocktails as Operational Grass Control Alternative for MSMA During Supply Shortages (Poster) | Chiumbuzo C, Tfwala C and Musopole A | |||
| 10:05-10:10 | Targeted Gene Editing of the Acetolactate Synthase (ALS) Gene in Sugarcane Using CRISPR/Cas9 (Poster) | Fick C, Rossouw A, van der Vyver C and Lloyd J | |||
| 10:10-10:15 | Controlled-Release Fertilizers: How Adaptive is the Sugarcane Industry? (Poster) | Rambwawasvika H, Mutatu W, Chibarabada T, Chinorumba S, Rwei A and Vanommen R | |||
| 10:15-10:20 | Advancing Soil Health Diagnosis for Sugarcane Production: A Review on Integrating Genomic and Computational Approaches (Poster) | Makhetha T, Elephant D and Mdlambuzi T | |||
| 10:20-10:25 | Updating of Mechanisation Performance Standards (Poster) | Tweddle P | |||
| 10:25 | Tea / Coffee Break | Exhibition Arena | 10:35 | Tea / Coffee Break | Exhibition Arena |
| PLENARY SESSION Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Dr Kitty Foxon |
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| 11:00-11:40 | Invited Speaker: Oilcane: Metabolic Engineering of Sugarcane for the Production of Biomass Oil Sponsored by SASTA and Biosafety South Africa |
Altpeter F, Cao V, Kannan B, Brant E, Xu N, Eid A, Oz T, Luo G, Alfanar S C, Liu H, Maitra S, Singh V and Shanklin J | |||
| 11:40-12:00 | A Historical Time-Series Analysis of National Sugarcane Production Statistics for South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe (Short Communication) | Kadwa M, Dlamini N, Chibarabada T and Landman M | |||
| 12:00-12:25 | The History of the Annual Review of the Milling Season at SASTA Congresses: 1927-2025 (Review Paper) | Davis S | |||
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 5: SSG Sustainability Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Mthandazo Mlalazi |
FACTORY SESSION 3: Micro Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Malesedi Mbuyazi |
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| 12:35-12:50 | Lucerne Project: A Promising Viable Cash Crop for Small-Scale Sugarcane Growers in Northern Zululand (Practical Success Story) | Mdlozini M, Theunissen T and Maluleke I | 12:30-12:35 | Dextran Trilogy Part I: Development and Validation of a Micro-Scale Haze Dextran Determination Method (Poster) | Tshutsha M and Nel S |
| 12:50-13:10 | Enhancing Small-Scale Grower Agriculture Advisory Service Through Soil Information Training (Short Communication) | Mdlambuzi T, Nonxuba S, Shelembe W, Hlela S, Mkhabela N, Buthelezi M, Chonco B, Velem T and Thwala S | 12:35-12:40 | Dextran Trilogy Part II: Dextran Detection in the Palm of Your Hand (Poster) | Nel S |
| 13:10-13:15 | The overview of the contractor rates on the profitability of Small-Scale Growers in the Amatikulu area over a 5-year period (Poster) | Khanyile S and Msimango S | 12:40-12:45 | Dextran Trilogy Part III: Laboratory Evaluation of Two Commercial Dextranase Enzymes Under Simulated Factory Conditions (Poster) | Nel S |
| 12:45-12:50 | Invisible Threats: The Role of Microbiological Control in Sugar Production (Poster) | Arunachellam Y, Naidoo Y and Naicker A | |||
| 12:50-13:10 | The Role of Online Water Quality Monitoring in Improving Process Control and Operational Decision-Making in Sugar Mills (Operational Paper) | Esop A, Daya V, Naicker S and Sewnarain S | |||
| 13:15 – 14:00 | Lunch Break | Exhibition Arena | 13:10 | Lunch Break | Exhibition Arena |
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 6: Advances in Pest Management Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Dr Lawrence Malinga |
FACTORY SESSION 4: Refining/Laboratory Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Steve Davis |
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| 14:00-14:20 | Optimization of UAV Spraying Parameters for Enhanced Application Efficacy of Acetamiprid in Sugarcane (Short Communication) | Hadzinavanhu P, Chibarabada T, Mukanga C and Shayanewako N | 13:40-14:00 | Start-Up Challenges and Operational Performance of a Standalone Sugar Refinery (Operational Paper) | Nkwekam M, Ansari H, Abede D, Kumar P and Rodrigues J |
| 14:20-14:30 | From Promise to Practice: Using Biological Products Effectively (Commercial) | Matteucci D | 14:00-14:10 | De Smet’s Innovative Sugar Refinery Process and Its Future Developments (Commercial) | Vandemoortele M and Philippart L |
| 14:30-14:50 | Deciphering Molecular Defence Pathways Underlying Sugarcane Resistance to Eldana saccharina (Short Communication) | Jacob R, Ghai M and Joshi S | 14:10-14:35 | Single stage refining of by SMB chromatography (Full Paper) | Kesarwani A, Singhal S and Balyan V |
| 14:50-15:10 | The Combined Effect of Fibre Content and Self-Trashing on Eldana Damage and Implications for Resistance Breeding (Short Communication) | Nxumalo P, van der Merwe R, Labuschagne M and Zhou M | 14:35-14:55 | Evaluating Laboratory Sucrose Measurement Accuracy Across the Crushing Season (Short Communication) | Tfwala C, Kaonga J, Mthini R and Musopole A |
| 15:10-15:35 | Benefits of Enhanced Silicon Nutrition in South African Sugarcane: A Research Update (Review Paper) | Keeping M, Meyer J, Titshall L and Elephant D | 14:55-15:20 | Determination of Iron and Manganese Levels in Sugar Mill Products Using FAAS (Full Paper) | Mutatu W and Sithole S |
| 15:20-15:40 | Laboratory-Scale Evaluation of Sucrose Extraction and Recovery from Sugar Beet in Zimbabwe (Short Communication) | Mutatu W and Marungudze A | |||
| 15:40-16:05 | Inter-Laboratory Performance of Sugarcane Quality Analysis Using Exchange Data in the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry (2020-2025) (Full Paper) | Sithole S and Mutatu W | |||
| 14:00 – 17:00 | Exhibition Open Afternoon | Exhibition Arena | |||
| Evening | SASTA Gala Dinner (by Invitation Only) | ||||
Thursday, 20 August 2026
Congress Day 3
| 07:30 – 17:00 | Registration | Exhibition Arena Foyer (Hall4) | |||
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 7: Managing Water, Soils and Crop Nutrition Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Dr Njabulo Dlamini |
FACTORY SESSION 5: Energy/Boilers/Power Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Dave Meadows |
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| 09:00-09:20 | Towards Resource-Efficient Sugarcane Production in Semi-Arid Conditions Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation (Short Communication) | Mabaya G, Hamah D and Mabveni A | 09:00-09:20 | Steps taken in Reducing Supplementary Fuel Costs and Increased Pith Revenue at Maidstone Mill (Operational Paper) | Bobat A, Dlamini S, Naidoo S and Kalua N |
| 09:20-09:40 | Re-Acidification Dynamics in Lime-Amended Acidic Sugarcane Soils (Short Communication) | Nonxuba C, Elephant D and Mdlambuzi T | 09:20-09:30 | Reducing Energy Intensity and Improving Resource Utilisation in South African Sugar Mills (Commercial) | Chauhan A, Smith G and Agarwal S |
| 09:40-10:00 | Foliar Nutrient Status of Sugarcane in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld: A Longitudinal Assessment (2021-2025) (Short Communication) | Rambwawasvika H and Mutatu W | 09:30-09:40 | Shaping the Future of the Cane Sugar Industry with Significant Energy Savings (Commercial) | Laurent J-P and Aravind J |
| 10:00-10:20 | Preliminary Evaluation of the Mehlich-3 Multi-Element Extraction Method for Soil Phosphorus Determination (Short Communication) | Madlala N, Mdlambuzi T, Elephant D and Muchaonyerwa P | 09:40-09:50 | Improved Annual Outage Execution to Extend Boiler Grate Service Life (Commercial) | Morrow R and Wannenburg E |
| 09:50-10:15 | Influence of Overfire Air Strategies on Combustion Stability Under Bagasse Moisture Variability in Industrial Grate-Fired Boilers (Full Paper) | Rawlins B, Marais F and van der Merwe S | |||
| 10:15-10:35 | Best Practices for Boiler Fan Maintenance in Sugar Mill Operations (Short Communication) | Scheepers M | |||
| 10:30-11:15 | Tea / Coffee Break | 10:35-11:15 | Tea / Coffee Break | Exhibition Arena | |
| Best Exhibition Stand Awards | |||||
| AGRICULTURE SESSION 8: Food for Thought! Agriculture Hall (Hall 2) Chairperson: Alasdair Harris |
FACTORY SESSION 6: Chairperson: Nico Stolz |
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| 11:15-11:40 | Tons-Time: A More Appropriate Metric for Quantifying Haulage Effort in Sugarcane Supply Chains in Terrain-Variable Environments (Full Paper) | Jansen van Rensburg H | 11:15-11:40 | Causes and Operational Impact of Decreased Efficiency in Ash Multicyclones for Bagasse Boilers (Full Paper) | Mienie B and Dauvellier R |
| 11:40-11:50 | Smartcane: Harvest Intelligence for Outgrower Supply Chains | Weitkamp T and Levelt D | 11:40-12:05 | IE3 Motor Efficiency – an Industry Perspective (Review Paper) | Wewege A |
| 11:50-12:10 | Macroeconomic Volatility and Its Implications for RV Pricing and Grower Sustainability (Short Communication) | Maluleke I and Kadwa M | 12:05-12:15 | WEG Africa: WEG Turbo Guardian 900 for Complete Turbogenerator Control (Commercial) | Oliveira J and van Pype R |
| 12:10-12:35 | Reaping the Benefits of Near Infrared Spectroscopy in the South African Sugarcane Industry: A Research Update (Review Paper) | Meyer J, Elephant D, Naven N and Collings K | 12:15-12:25 | Lewatit Ion Exchange Resin for Inverted Sugar Production (Commercial) | Phokwane K, Hermsdorf N, Falconer J, Rolfe W and Hardwick E |
| 12:35-12:55 | Opportunities, Potential Challenges and Feasibility for Hydroponically Grown Sugarcane in South Africa (Short Communication) | Elephant D, Zhou M, McFarlane S, Malinga L, Clark D, Mobe N, van Heerden R, Kadwa M, Sithole P, Mdlambuzi T and Kroukamp C | 12:25-12:30 | Hydrothermal Synthesis and Characterisation of Low-Cost Zeolites from Sugarcane Bagasse Fly Ash (Poster) | Rambwawasvika H, Mutatu W and Muchemwa P |
| 12:30-12:40 | Voltage Stability and Power Quality Management in Sugarcane Production and Sugar Milling Operations (Commercial) | Girdari P, Howarth BE and Dawson CR | |||
| 12:40-12:50 | Online Transformer Oil Monitoring as a Diagnostic Tool for Improved Asset Reliability in Sugar Industry Power Networks (Commercial) | Howarth B, Dawson C and Girdari P | |||
| 12:55-13:30 | Lunch Break | Exhibition Arena | 12:50-13:30 | Lunch Break | Exhibition Arena |
| PLENARY SESSION Plenary Auditorium (Hall 1) Chairperson: Gavin Smith |
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| 13:30-13:40 | Closure of Noodsberg Cane Yard: A Review (Poster) | Ngidi K | |||
| 13:40-14:05 | Impact of Carryover Cane on Processability and Quality Parameters of Selected Sugarcane Varieties in the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry (Full Paper) | Mutatu W, Rambwawasvika H and Mambanje C | |||
| 14:05-14:30 | Assessing the Millability and Colour of Pre-Release Sugarcane Varieties (Full Paper) | Barker B, Davis S and Zhou M | |||
| 14:30 | Congress Closing and Lucky Draw Prizes by Dr Sumita Ramgareeb, Chair: SASTA Congress Organising Committee | Plenary Auditorium | |||
Friday, 21 August 2026
| 07:00-15:00 | SASTA Golf Day | Mount Edgecombe Country Club |
| 09:00-14:00 | Workshop: Prof Fredy Altpeter (SASTA International Travel Grant Recipient; co-sponsored by Biosafety SA); by invitation only | SASA/SASRI, Mount Edgecombe |
