Uprooting of cane stubbles by mechanical harvesters
| MSI03P3918 | |
| Claite, G. Rivière, V. Jacquin, E. Pyneeandee, D. | |
| Uprooting of cane stubbles by mechanical harvesters | |
| Lalouette, J. A., Bachraz, D. Y., Bheenick, K. J.(eds), Proceedings Sixth Meeting of Agricultural Scientists, Boname Hall, MSIRI, Réduit, Mauritius, 8-9 May 2003. Réduit: Food and Agricultural Research Council. 340 p. | |
| book chapter | |
| 2004 | |
| p. 215-220 | |
| Also appeared in Revue agric. sucr. Ile Maurice 84(1-3): 101-105 (2005) | |
| En | |
| En | |
| Mechanized harvesting of sugar cane has been identified as one of the most important means of reducing production costs in Mauritius. However, gappy stands have been observed in some trials with this mode of harvesting, mainly attributed to stubbles being uprooted by base cutter blades. Effects of two settings (ground level and 3 cm above ground level) of the base cutter on the extent of gaps were evaluated in 2001 and 2002 on cane varieties R 570 and M 695/69. Gaps equal to or greater than 60 cm were measured 12 weeks after harvest. In situ stool profile studies were conducted in fields that have been mechanically harvested for three years or more. Soil was excavated around the stool to observe the position and record the depth at which new shoots emerge. The root distribution was also studied. When base cutter blades were placed at ground level, the level of gaps with variety M 695/69 compared to variety R 570 increased by 2.7 percent and 5.8 percent in 2001 and 2002 respectively. With the other base cutter setting the increases were 0.9 percent and 1.5 percent. Observations of the stool profiles explain the difference in the behaviour of these two varieties. The position of emergence of new shoots, the depth of regrowth and the root distribution, which were studied also for varieties M 1658/78 and M 1176/77, are the main factors that contribute to uprooting of stubbles. | |
| Sugarcane Mechanical harvest base cutter gaps stool profile lodging stool tipping shoot emergence variety R 570 Variety M 695/69 variety M 1658/78 Variety M 1176/77 Cane stubbles Mechanical harvesters Harvesters | |
| Mauritius | |
| Sugarcane | |
| 2003-05-09 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| LIB | |
| cat | |
| Mechan |