Gillian Eggleston1 and Harjeet Singh Bola2
1Audubon Sugar Institute, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, St. Gabriel, LA, USA
2IPRO INDIA Private Limited, SCO- 236, Sector 40 D, Chandigarh, India
The joint workshop of the Engineering and Processing Sections of the ISSCT Factory Commission was held in Berlin, Germany from 6 to 10 October 2024. It was the best attended ISSCT workshop with 120 registered delegates from 20 countries. The theme of the workshop was Innovations in the Sugarcane Industry – Enhancing Sustainability, Quality and Efficiency. The plenary session highlighted the use of biochar from sugarcane bagasse or leafy residues as a soil amendment to contribute to the sustainability of global fields and for increased crop yields. Numerous relevant topics were covered comprehensively in seven sessions: Industry 4.0, NIRS Instrument Technology Applications and Updates, Energy Management, Sugar Quality, Green Cane Harvesting, Sustainable Processing Practices, Beet and Cane Processing – Similarities and Differences, Factory Data Analyses and Trends, and Material Handling and Testing. The Workshop finished with an instructive tour of the Klein Wanzleben beet sugar factory of Nordzucker group.