Investigating Visible Cane Loss and Stump Damage Due to Sugarcane Chopper Harvester Usage in Thailand

Abstract

Sugarcane farmers face a primary concern regarding cane losses when employing mechanized harvesters. The present study aimed to investigate visible cane losses resulting from the use of large- and medium-sized chopper harvesters. Investigation of the cane losses by sugarcane harvesters was focused on the loss from remaining cane stumps, the extractors, and the elevators. The damage index of sugarcane stumps was investigated in the presented study. Large harvester usage led to cane losses of 2.19, 0.53, and 0.27 t/ha attributed to remaining sugarcane stumps, extractor-stage losses, and elevator-stage losses, respectively. The total cane loss from using large harvesters amounted to 2.99 t/ha (4.0% of total yield). Similarly, the use of medium-sized harvesters led to cane losses of 2.21, 0.44, and 0.20 t/ha attributed to remaining sugarcane stumps, extractor-stage losses, and elevator-stage losses, respectively. The total cane loss from using medium-sized harvesters was 2.85 t/ha (3.4% of total yield). Notably, the primary factor contributing to visible cane loss from sugarcane harvesters was the remaining stumps, which account for 71% and 76% of the total cane loss when using large- and medium-sized harvesters, respectively. The damage index for sugarcane stumps due to large- and medium-sized harvester usage was 0.04 and 0.12, respectively. Overall, these findings emphasize that resolving cane loss and stump damage caused by sugarcane harvesters is crucial for improving harvesting efficiency.