• The soil as an important factor in sustainable cane production
• The soil in relation to yield decline, bio-fertilisers, soil and leaf testing aids
• Crop rotation and the effect of monoculture on soil fertility and yield decline

(b) Agricultural Engineering

• Cultural practices and equipment performance
• Mechanization of small farms

• Genetic transformation & analysis
• Performance evaluations of transgenic sugarcane

(b) Breeding

• Prioritizing breeding objectives
• New methods & technologies
• Evaluation of genotype by environment effect

(c) Pathology

• Yellow leaf syndrome causal agent(s), mode of transmission, effects on cane growth and quality, control methods
• Ratoon stunting disease, diagnostic procedures, control strategies, selection of resistant varieties
• New diseases

(d) Entomology

• Entomopathogens
• Molecular biology for pest control

• Retrospective hazard analyses
• Control of air pollution
• Cogeneration
• Cane cleaning
• Sugar handling, storage & packing

(b) Processing

• Cane payment schemes
• Sugar boiling schemes
• Total quality management
• Control of colour
• Developments in on-line monitoring and control

• Waste water treatment and control
• Bio-technology as support for the development of high value co-products
• New co-products in the pulp and paper industry
• Progress in bagasse utilization
• Control and utilization of solid wastes from a factory