How do you harvest sugarcane?
- Assess the sugar cane
- Prepare the right equipment
- Perform the cutting
- Tend to the sugar cane roots
- Use a sugarcane harvester
Sugarcane is one of the most valuable crops in the country, along with rice and corn. It is used to produce sugar, which is a necessity for most households and businesses. Because of this, farmers produce million metric tons of sugarcane yearly. If you’re interested in planting this important agricultural commodity, you might be curious about how to harvest sugarcane. You can do this manually or by using a harvester in the Philippines.
To harvest sugarcane manually, you need to cut it by hand. Other than that, you need to know where to cut it to make the most out of your crop. Because of this, it requires plenty of manpower.
On the other hand, some farms prefer to use a sugarcane harvester. This can help increase the yield as it can root down to the bottom level of the crop. On top of that, it also improves ratoon performance — which is the new shoot that springs from the base of the sugarcane after cropping. Through a mechanical harvester, you can deliver your products faster, which means that the quality of the goods is retained.
To learn how to harvest sugarcane, keep on reading!
Assess The Sugarcane
Before you harvest the sugarcane crop, you need to inspect if it’s in the best condition. Some shoots may take more time to grow more than others. To ensure that all shoots grow properly, ample water and fertilizer are needed. For sugarcane, the soil needs to have ample nitrogen and phosphorus.
To know if the sugarcane is ready for harvest, look at the leaves. They should be yellowish and slightly dry. The cane should also make a metallic sound if it’s tapped.
Prepare The Right Equipment
To harvest sugarcane manually, you need to prepare a cutting tool that can trim the tough crop. You can use something sturdy such as a saw or a machete. You can also use a sharp knife, but bigger blades are more efficient when it comes to harvesting sugar cane.
Other than these, you might also want to protect your skin from the sun’s rays, as harvesting sugarcane might take a long time. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeves, and full pants. Gloves will also be useful to prevent cuts and scratches.
Perform The Cutting
Cut the sugarcane stems just above the ground. As the surface of the crop is tough, you can use sawing motions to do this. Make sure to leave the roots while doing this. This way, it can regrow for the next harvesting season. Have a container nearby where you can place the stems.
Next, you need to remove the leaves from the sugarcane shoots. You can do this by pulling off the leaves while wearing gloves, or by using a small blade. After removing the leaves, you can now divide the stem into pieces. This is necessary for shoots that are a few feet tall. This way, you can transport and store them more conveniently later.
Tend to The Sugar Cane Roots
After harvesting, you will be left with excess leaves. Make sure to collect the leaves in a container. You can dispose of them later or use them as mulch to protect the roots left from harvesting. This will act as a shield for excess moisture and prevent weeds from forming.
By looking after the sugar cane roots, you can expect a quality crop come the next harvest time.
Use A Sugarcane Harvester
Apart from manual harvesting, you can also consider using a sugarcane harvester. This machine can help you harvest your crops faster and with reduced manpower. The device can cover a wide area in just a few hours, so it’s suitable for large fields. This will reduce fatigue as manual harvesting might require you to squat down and be under the sun for hours.
A sugarcane harvester can cut rows of sugar cane with ease. The stems are cut at ground level and are then divided into billets. It can also remove the dust and dirt particles and eject the water material to the field, which acts as a fertilizer. The harvester is operated like a tractor from inside the cabin. Some cabins have an air conditioning feature inside, which can help when working long hours.
Key Takeaway
Harvesting sugarcane is a straightforward process. You need to use a sharp tool to cut the stems above the ground to let the roots grow for the next harvest season. But if you’re handling larger fields, a harvesting machine might be beneficial.
If you have more questions on how to harvest sugarcane, you can send us a message here at Ford Tractor! As a trusted supplier of agricultural machinery, we can teach you how to use our sugarcane harvesters. This can help you save labor and time while giving you the opportunity to increase the quality and quantity of your yield. We have branches in Manila, Isabela, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Davao.