Browsing by Author "Whiteing, C"

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A review of opportunities to improve the design and performance of sugarcane harvesters
(2010) Davis, RJ; Whiteing, C; Norris, CP
This review is a response to the recognition by the SRDC that the Australian sugarcane industry needs an informed basis from which to make decisions as to appropriate investments in harvesting sector research. There is a renewed interest at a grower and regional level for improved harvester designs and harvesting practices. SRDC continues to receive requests from industry to support sugarcane harvester research and development. This review looks at component research on the Australian type ‘chopped cane’ sugarcane harvester, harvesting performance and harvest and transport system analysis undertaken in Australia and overseas and considers the benefits delivered. Opportunities to improve the design and performance and reduce the costs of sugarcane harvesting along with recommendations for further research, development and extension to facilitate productive and profitable adoption are identified. It is concluded that ‘chopped cane’ harvester and harvesting performance research has delivered significant direct and indirect benefits to the Australian sugar industry and a number of key examples are highlighted to demonstrate these benefits.
Facilitation of best practice to reduce extraneous matter and cane loss : SRDC Final report BSS189
(2002) Whiteing, C; Norris, CP
Green cane harvesting and trash blanketing are important agronomic production techniques in the northern sugar producing areas. Cane losses are accepted to be higher with green cane harvesting and extraneous matter levels can be high, especially in difficult conditions. A series of harvester trials was conducted throughout the north from 1997 to 2000 to quantify the performance characteristics of current cane harvesters. Samples taken in the field and at the mill were assessed to determine the effect of harvester pour rate and extractor fan speed on extraneous matter. In addition, cane loss was measured using yield data and collection of scrap cane from the extractor systems. Mill weighbridge data and laboratory analysis enabled the impact of harvesting on industry returns to be quantified.Results indicate that current harvester designs have limited ability to clean cane effectively without excessive cane loss, especially at current harvesting rates. The results of trials at commercial pour rates imply that significant cane losses, up to 20 t/ha in some cases, are occurring in the harvesting process.Harvesting Best Practice (HBP) guidelines have been developed to enable harvester operators make informed decisions about operational settings. The guidelines aim to produce high quality cane with minimal cane loss. Extension of this information to growers, millers, harvester operators and manufacturers has encouraged more efficient harvesting and widespread recognition of the limitations of current harvesting technology. Adoption of HBP in the Mulgrave district has potentially reduced losses by a conservative estimate of 3-4 t/ha. This equates to 50,000 more tonnes of cane or a 5% boost in productivity for a district cutting one million tonnes.
Measurement of in-field sucrose loss by mobile refractometry : SRDC Final report BSS318
(2013) Whiteing, C
A world-first mobile system to measure sugar loss during harvesting has been developed and successfully field tested. This sugar is lost in all parts of the field residue: trash, tops, smashed billets and juice extracted by the harvester cleaning system. Interaction with industry through focus groups and discussions across all sectors has been a key factor in ensuring that the system being designed addressed industry requirements and expectations. Initial work focussed on confirming that digital Brix refractometer analysis of liquid extracted from field residue provided a measure of sugar content of the samples. Laboratory analysis of 286 field residue samples compared Brix values of the liquid extract to the actual sugar content using HPLC analysis. This showed a strong correlation that paved the way towards developing a mobile system to measure harvesting losses directly in the field during harvest. A field-testing methodology to process field residue was developed whereby trash was collected, weighed, mulched, washed, blended and then placed in a juice press to obtain a liquid extract. A design concept for a mobile system was developed incorporating all the necessary equipment to collect, process and analyse field residue for sugar content in the field. The prototype system was built and rigorously field testing from far-northern Queensland to New South Wales over two harvest seasons with a further 265 samples collected and analysed in the field. Duplicate samples were frozen and later analysed using HPLC (highpressure liquid chromatography) that showed an even stronger correlation to sugar content than the preliminary work (R2 of 0.8225). Losses measured ranged from 0.15 t.sugar/ha to 3 t.sugar/ha with the value of cane extracted by the cleaning system exceeding $1000/ha on some occasions. Dozens of industry stakeholders, including BSES extension staff, productivity service staff, millers, growers and operators, were able to see the system in use, discuss the results and in some cases have hands-on experience using the new technology. There was a high level of acceptance and confidence in the results generated using the mobile prototype. Feedback from industry was positive as result of the ongoing communication of progress and results with stakeholders at every stage of the project. Data generated from field testing of the system has produced harvester performance curves for current harvesting technology that allow operators to balance the pressure to produce high bin weights against the cost of excess cane loss. Being able for the first time to provide accurate data on cane loss immediately during harvest proved invaluable with harvester operators being able to discuss information with researchers in the field and then modify their operation to make financial gains. The increased industry awareness of sugar lost during harvest should not only reduce losses but stimulate discussion and action to tackle some of the value-chain issues that act as barriers to adoption of harvesting best practice. This world-first system is a valuable tool to provide quality data for future harvesting research such as assessing the sugar losses associated with cutting short billets to increase bin weights or evaluating new harvesting technologies/retrofits.
Regional adoption of alternative harvester configurations for sustainable harvesting efficiency : SRDC Final report BSS270
(2008) Whiteing, C; Kingston, G
The project aimed to improve harvester efficiency in a range of crops sizes and conditions by: