Advances in harvesting and transport of sugarcane Rianto van Antwerpen, South African Sugarcane Research Institute and University of the Free State, South Africa; Philipus Daniel Riekert van Heerden, South African Sugarcane Research Institute and University of Pretoria, South Africa; Ng Cheong and Vivian Rivière, Mauritius Sugarcane Industry Research Institute (MSIRI), Mauritius

Advances in harvesting and transport of sugarcane Rianto van Antwerpen1,2, South African Sugarcane Research Institute and University of the Free State, South Africa; Philipus Daniel Riekert van Heerden1,3, South African Sugarcane Research Institute and University of Pretoria, South Africa; Peter Tweddle1, South African Sugarcane Research Institute, South Africa; Ronald Ng Cheong4 and Vivian Rivière4, Mauritius Sugarcane Industry Research Institute (MSIRI), Mauritius

1 Introduction

2 Pre-harvest ripening of sugarcane

3 Manual harvesting of sugarcane

4 Mechanical harvesting of sugarcane

5 Loading and transportation of sugarcane

6 Conclusion

7 Future trends

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

The best time to harvest sugarcane is almost at the end of the winter season when growth is significantly reduced and sucrose accumulation is maximised. In the northern hemisphere, February is the best month to harvest the crop and in the southern hemisphere, September is best suited for this purpose (Singels et al., 2014). However, because of its sheer volume, most sugarcane is harvested outside the optimal period. One limiting factor is extending of the harvesting season into the rainy season, which results in increased field damage (deep ruts) and compaction, and stalk deterioration, leading to reduced cane quality.