Harvesting System Design and Performance - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 114

Table 5.4 ComparativefeaturesofsugarcaneharvestingtechnologiesusedinBrazil a
Type of harvesting

Parameter Semi-mechanized Mechanized—chopped cane Mechanized—whole cane

System features Hand cutting with mechanical grab loading Stalk and top cutting with simultaneous

cleaning and loading

Stalk and top cutting with cane bundling

Fraction of today's
harvest

About80%(decreasing) <20%(increasing) <2 %

Harvesting capacity Cutting:4-7tman −1 day −1 400tmachine −1 day −1 (mayachieve600) 600tmachine −1 day −1 (mayachieve700)

Loading:400tmachine −1 day −1

Cost(US$t −1 ) 3-4(cuttingandloading) 2 1.5

Main restrictions Lack of labor obliging import of labor from

other states in the country

Loss of raw material from base cutter, conveyor
rollers, chopper, and extractors

Losses of raw material originate from base cutting and
elevating rollers

Interruption of production because of regional
strikes

Intense trafic between lines, two transits
by the harvester, and the transport vehicle

Trafic between lines; two transits by the harvesters

Need for training to maintain quality
and productivity

Overload of decanters at the factory Damaged stalks by the base cutter and transporting

rollers

Makes green cane harvesting more costly

Advantages Better quality (e.g., lower soil content) Reduced labor compared with manual cutting Minimum incidence of labor (only in operation and

maintenance)

Lower raw material losses Reduced harvesting costs Independence of cutting and transporting operations

which eases the operation management

Avoids the setup of operation and maintenance
infrastructure of harvesters and specialized
operation teams

Easy harvesting operations Increases productivity of cutting and transporting

operations