Henrry B Tarapues, Samuel A Galeano, Alejandro Estrada, Julio C Largo, Juan P Vélez and Juan F Viteri
Centro de investigación de la caña de azúcar de Colombia, CENICAÑA, Cali, Colombia
This study evaluated the performance of carrier discs with modified angles and cutting blades with different edge configurations to enhance base-cutting practices in the mechanical sugarcane harvesting. In the first phase, discs with angles of 0°, 15°, and 30° were analyzed. Discs with a 30° angle improved the base cutting quality index by 13% and 6% compared to those with 15° and 0°, respectively. In the second phase, 4-edge and 6-edge blades were compared under similar field conditions. The 6-edge blades exhibited lower wear and enhanced the base cutting quality index by 20% compared to the 4-edge blades. These findings highlight that the proper configuration of discs and blades enhances cutting quality, extends component durability, and reduces operational costs, contributing to the sustainability of sugarcane fields.