Farming systems and production management

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://elibrary2.sugarresearch.com.au/handle/11079/13844

Research outcomes: Growers and harvesters benefit from the ongoing research in productivity improvement, production management and agronomical techniques. Developed technologies and management practices that enhance productivity and demonstrate a high rate of return on investment.

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Investigating losses from green and burnt cane harvesting conditions : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2020) Patane, P; Landers, G; Thompson, M; Nothard, B; Norris, CA; Olayemi, M
Despite much research into the impact of high harvester pour rates and fan speeds on harvested cane yields, there has been low adoption of HBP (harvesting best practice) across the industry. Full adoption across the Australian sugarcane industry could increase industry revenue with no necessity for horizontal expansion (increase in cane land). In order to inform industry of the potential for significant gains, 95 replicated harvesting trials and workshops were undertaken during 2017 and 2018 across 12 sugarcane regions in Queensland and New South Wales. The performance of settings recommended by HBP was compared with each harvesting operation’s standard practice by assessing yield, CCS, bin mass, extraneous matter (EM), fibre, sugar loss and revenue. To highlight the strong relationship between cane loss and excessive pour rates and fan speeds, treatments with higher pour rates and fan speeds and lower pour rates and fan speeds were also trialled. Cane loss, production and revenue data from the fully replicated and randomised trials were analysed to identify differences between industry standard harvesting practices and those recommended by HBP. Harvesters typically operate at ground and fan speeds at on average of 0.9 km/h and 95 rpm above those recommended under HBP parameters. The higher ground speed overloads the cleaning capacity of the harvester in delivering an average 21 t/h more cane though the machine. Consequently, fan speeds are increased to remove the additional EM (extraneous matter) entering the machine, which then removes additional cane via the extractor. This cane often disintegrated in the process, making much invisible. Trials indicated the average sugar loss out of the extractor increased by 0.15 t/ha over the HBP settings. However, there was no significant improvement in EM or bin mass. As a result of cane loss though the extractor, less cane per hectare was delivered to the mill. Mill analyses across the trials identified cane and sugar yields for the recommended practice were 4.9 t/ha (cane yield) and 0.7 t/ha (sugar yield) higher than standard practice. Neither CCS nor fibre levels were significantly different. Increased cane and sugar yields generated by the recommended practice translated to an increase in grower gross revenue of $181/ha., but reduced ground speeds increased the cost of harvesting by $61/ha. Subtracting the additional harvesting costs and levies from the additional grower revenue leaves a net benefit of $116/ha for the grower. Preliminary results of “good” burn trials indicate an improvement of $207/ha in grower gross revenue with lower fuel. Based on the green-cane results, full adoption of HBP could improve annual industry revenue by $44 million for growers at an additional cost of $17 million for harvesting (excluding incentives). Milling revenue would also improve by $25 million per year but this does not account for additional milling or transport costs.
Economic evaluation of sugarcane harvesting best practice (HBP) : ASSCT peer-reviewed paper
(ASSCT, 2019) Thompson, M; Nothard, B; Patane, P; Landers, G; Norris, CA
Mechanical sugarcane harvesting is commonly undertaken at ground speeds that exceed the cleaning capacity of modern harvesters, which is likely to increase extraneous matter (EM) levels in the cane supply. To attempt to reduce the higher EM levels, operators typically increase extractor fan speeds above recommendations, resulting in unintended cane loss. Past research indicates that using harvesting best practice (HBP) settings can minimise cane loss and stool damage. These benefits would increase grower revenue and be an incentive for growers to request harvesting contractors operate using HBP settings. Reduced ground speeds would, however, increase harvesting time and generate higher costs per hectare. The key issue remains as to whether the increased grower revenues outweigh the additional harvesting costs. Nine replicated and randomised trials undertaken by Sugar Research Australia in 2017 compared harvesting performance when using both conventional and HBP settings through identifying production and grower revenue differences. Detailed information was collected from each harvesting operation to identify harvesting costs under both conventional practice and HBP. This allowed the net benefit for the grower and harvesting operation from using HBP settings to be determined. On average over the nine trials, recommended harvesting settings generated more grower revenue than the added harvesting costs from reducing ground speeds and generated a net economic benefit of $163/ha (or $1.97/t). The trials show that, while growers would need to pay additional compensation for cane harvested using HBP settings, the compensation would be less than the additional revenue they received, increasing overall grower profitability.
Sensors for improved harvesting feedback: evaluation of suitability : Final report 2016/954
(Sugar Research Australia Limited, 2017) Keeffe, E
A feasibility study was conducted to investigate the value and application of sensors in the harvesting environment for improved feedback for quality and loss control. A desktop study, this project (a) investigated the current practices and processes of the harvesting community, including the present use of sensors, (b) Isolated the cause and effect of harvest quality and loss and the issues that are currently preventing change, (c) identified what contractors, growers and millers need and/or wish to achieve from the addition of sensors on harvesters (d) identified and evaluated commercially available sensors and other measurement systems for their suitability to measure certain parameters in the harvesting environment, and (e) identified four sensing systems most likely to succeed in future efficacy testing. The project was conducted with a strong consultative approach with industry, using surveys, focus groups, presentations and one-on-one meetings to discuss regional issues and potential solutions. Ultimately, industry has prioritised the following quality and loss pathways: (1) extractor losses, (2) basecutter quality (height control), and (3) cane supply quality. Spectral imaging, proximal NIR spectroscopy and radar technologies were favoured solutions.
Harvester performance testing literature review; loss measurement in sugarcane harvesting : Final report CO02008
(BSES, 2002) Brotherton, A
In the process of development of a performance testing protocol for sugarcane harvesters, the need for an independent review of the literature pertaining to sugarcane loss measurement became apparent. This review was commissioned by SRDC to concentrate on the methodology of testing. The loss process is shown to be complex and the subject is one where the statistical aid to engineering investigation is so affected by this complexity that great care needs to be taken in trial procedures and analysis to ensure the validity of results. From the examination of recent detailed data, backed up by the historical information, suggestions for future development are included. The obvious facts from the literature are that: (a) the classical approach of taking measurements, in the field, of inputs and outputs of the desired clean cane is subject to the effect of variability such that the resources required for the establishment of adequate significance of differences makes the procedure almost impractical; (b) such testing in a test facility of machine processes can produce adequate results; (c) the direct method of collecting cane 'lost' does not cater for juice and minute fragment loss. This 'invisible' loss is shown to be a major consideration and its variability between treatments may invalidate comparisons using direct collection methods. A less obvious matter is the apparent reduction in the sucrose content of the desired clean cane as it passes through the harvest process. The latter consideration suggests that the measurement of the sucrose weight loss (a dry weight measure) would be of more value than the cane weight loss. Some recent trials have provided information on the sucrose weight of the input and output, and the results indicate that control of variability is superior to that obtained in the clean cane weight analysis. Future development approaches suggested are: (a) developing test facility techniques for machine process evaluation. Aim to establish the closure error; (b) examining the sucrose loss measurement.
Development of an improved method of harvester performance testing - in association with the jet-clean system project : Final report NCA001
(2001) Harry, H
In seeking to evaluate the performance of some advanced cleaning system concepts such as the NCEA Jet Clean System (NCA 006) and the NCEA Clean Flow Fan the NCEA became aware of the lack of objective automated harvester performance assessment systems. On this basis the research team set out to apply some greater level of automation and objectivity to the assessment of Extraneous Matter and Cane Loss during field experimentation. As a result of these investigations an automated billet sampler was built and trailed successfully, a trash sampling mechanism was commissioned but not adopted due to field difficulties, an improved acoustic cane loss monitor based on billet/fan-blade impact recognition was successfully commissioned and trailed and a multi purpose CANBUS based on board data management system developed in conjunction with a commercial yield monitoring product. All of these tools were used in the assessment of the NCEA Cleaning system research projects and the Cane Loss monitor will be subjected to extensive laboratory and field evaluation by the BSES in the 2002 season.
The effect of harvester settings on cane loss and subsequent ratoon cane yield
(1992) Smith, MA
This replicated trial at Tully showed that harvester settings (basecutter height, forward speed, and direction of travel in relation to crop lodging) can significantly influence the amount of cane left in the paddock after harvest. The trial also showed that the yield components of the subsequent ratoon crop could be significantly affected by the same harvester settings.

Farming systems and production management

Browse

Filters

Advanced Search

Filter by

Settings

Sort By

Results per page

Search Results