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= MAURITIUS SUGARCANE INDUSTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE =

Mission Statement
The mission of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute is to carry out high quality research and development on sugar cane and other crops that meet the agricultural, commercial, and societal needs of Mauritius. The Institute seeks to enhance its role as a centre of excellence.

Services
The Annual Plan of Operation is prepared on the basis of the five-year Research and Development Programme, which, being dynamic, may be modified according to the changing and evolving needs of the industry.

Agricultural Chemistry
1. A number of tests are being offered within the scope of accreditation to conform with ISO17025


 * Analysis of pH of water, soil and sugars * Determination of electrical conductivity and salinity of water * Quantitative estimation of total N, mineral N and acid total P and K in soils * Determination of N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg in plant materials * Quantification of organochlorine pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, triazines and phenylureas in water, sugars and molasses

Irrigation
1. Irrigation feasibility studies 2. Soil physical investigations 3. Studies on irrigation water requirement, crop water use and yield response to water 4. Assessment and recommendations on land use, land suitability, land planning, application of GIS, and large scale contour mapping by using the GPS (Global Positioning System) 5. Assessment and recommendations on land use and land suitability 6. GIS application 7. Large-scale contour mapping by using the GPS (Global Positioning System)

Cultural Operations and Weed Agronomy
1. Counselling and training on best cultural practices including weed management to growers 2.Herbicide testing for registration purposes (sole responsibility towards Pesticides Control Board) and for development of new molecules (contract project with main pesticides manufacturing companies) 3.Weed identification and recommendation of herbicide treatments for weed control in sugar cane (recommendations listed on website) 4.Calibration of sprayers and recommending best nozzles 5. Production of farm plans for mechanization and soil conservation

Biotechnology
1. We produce in vitro plantlets of sugar cane, potato, banana, aloe vera and pineapple. Other crops can be micropropagated on request 2. DNA fingerprinting of sugar cane varieties can be carried out on request 3. We offer training in the following fields:

- tissue culture of sugar cane and other crops

- DNA fingerprinting of sugar cane varieties

- molecular diagnostic tests

Plant Breeding
1.Advisory services to growers on variety policy 2.Consultancy services on breeding of new sugar cane varieties, which includes seed production, selection from “fuzz”, policies and proposals for the introduction and evaluation of new varieties of sugar cane 3.Export of sugar cane seeds ("fuzz") for establishing on-site selection programme 4.Export of sugar cane varieties for evaluation of agronomic potential to suit local environment 5.Training attachment in the Plant Breeding Department on ‘Breeding and Selection of New Sugar Cane Varieties’ 6.Training on experimental designs and analysis of experimental data

Entomology
1.Advisory service to growers on the identification and management of insects, mites and nematodes affecting crops 2.Identification of insects 3.Provide training in entomological techniques and insect identification

Plant Pathology
1. Advisory service to growers on plant diseases (laboratory identification, field inspection) 2. Identification of diseases 3. Seed potato production 4. Training in plant pathology and seed production 5. Microbiological analysis of sugars

Sugar Technology and Sugar Engineering
A number of analyses are carried out using the facilities in the Sugar Technology Laboratory under the aegis of the Agricultural Chemistry Department of MSIRI

1. Analysis of industrial effluents (COD, turbidity, pH, oil &amp; grease, conductivity, total suspended solids) 2. Water flow measurements in closed and open channels 3. Design and calibration of flumes and weirs 4. Calibration of pressure and vacuum gauges 5. Energy audits 6. Noise level monitoring 7. Analysis of sugar (pol, colour, turbidity, grain size, pH, reducing sugars, moisture, conductivity, ash) 8. Analysis of molasses (brix, sucrose, reducing sugars) 9. Analysis of bagasse and trash (moisture, ash, particle size) 10. Laboratory audits - Control Board labs, sugar estate labs 11. Sugar cane analysis (pol, fiber) 12. Training on analysis of sugar factory products 13. Analysis of sugar containing intermediate products