Agricultural Engineering
Sucrose losses from the field to the mill in a sugar mill in southwestern Colombia
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025This study was carried out during the year 2024, covering all climatic scenarios encountered under normal milling conditions. To identify sucrose losses (Sucrose%Cane), three different scenarios were evaluated: Field, Core Sampler, and Cane Yards, The study involved over 10 sugarcane varieties, with the four most significant varieties being CC05-430, CC01-1940, CC85-92, and CC11-595.
Mitigating soil compaction during sugarcane ratoons by managing the subsoil under residue retention
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025In Colombia, after sugarcane harvests, chisel-type subsoiling implements are used to mitigate soil compaction. Usually, harvest residues are cleared from two interrows that will be decompacted and moved to the adjacent third interrowrrow (2×1 arrangement). However, performing chisel subsoiling operations while preserving residues in all interrows is likely to improve the relationship between the machine-soil-plant system and stimulates sugarcane production.
Correcting furrow shape in sugarcane
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025In Estrella Sugar Mill, Panama, due to excessive damage caused to the cane harvester and the cane left in the field during the harvest process, it was decided to improve the conditions of the furrow in all its sugarcane fields. Furrow shape was improved after the harvest by a double subsoiling and disc cultivation of soil.
Site-specific precision agriculture to improve production in sugarcane
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025At La Estrella sugar mill in Panama, site-specific precision agriculture is being used on some sugarcane blocks where production had declined rapidly by the second-ratoon harvest. The study area is about 150 ha at three sites within the plantation.
Using a portable MicroNIR as a key tool for the sugarcane industry
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025Sugarcane companies face challenges in optimizing their harvest timing, as a critical date exists where harvesting achieves maximum efficiency. Missing this date by even a few days can lead to substantial revenue losses. Traditional wet chemistry analyses of limited stalk samples lack representativeness, leading to suboptimal decisions. Industry 4.0T promotes the integration of advanced technologies such as NIR, internet connectivity (IoT) and the processing of data in cloud base type solutions to transform the way sugarcane industry operates, evaluates and produce sugar.
Increasing sugarcane productivity at Hacienda Génova through the implementation of an efficient irrigation system
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025Génova is a hacienda located in the municipality of Cerrito, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, with a sugarcane cultivation area of 645 ha. The estate's environment is semi-arid, with soils of low moisture content and an average annual precipitation of 750 to 800 mm, requiring supplemental irrigation
Effect of soil-tillage practices on water use in irrigated sugarcane cultivation
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025In the Valle del Río Cacua, most of the sugarcane area is irrigated using surface irrigation. This is applied up to five times per crop cycle, using between 1,200 and 2,500 m³/ha, according to environmental factors, crop stage, soil characteristics, and preparation practices. With the current reduction in water availability, there has been a push to find strategies to optimize the soil-water relationship and improve surface irrigation efficiency.
Actual harvester extractor cane loss: the elephant we can no longer ignore
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025Since mechanised harvesting of sugarcane became established in the 1970s, farmers, manufacturers and researchers have been attempting to improve harvester performance and optimise harvest efficiency. The move to green-cane harvesting and the introduction of pneumatic extractor systems on sugarcane harvesters both increased cane loss significantly.
Irrigation management strategies for improving water-use efficiency in sugarcane
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025Water resources limitation is a major challenge faced by farmers in Iran. To address this issue, sugarcane industries must find ways to increase irrigation water-use efficiency. Currently, sugarcane is irrigated using a furrow irrigation system through gated pipes. A study was conducted at Karun Agro, Industry to explore different strategies for improving water-use efficiency using several experiments.
Data-driven agricultural management and technology use for risk assessment in sugarcane crop management
Last Updated: junio 11, 2025The objective of this paper was to describe the integration of information, algorithms, and technologies for quantitative risk assessment through forecasts, with the aim of optimizing agricultural management and achieving productivity and unit cost targets. Since 2022, at Azucarera Nacional, located in the central region of Panama, innovations in work planning and budgeting have been implemented, based on long-term climate and production forecasts.