Maximising Sugar Recovery Rates in the Australian Sugarcane Industry Stephen Attard Research Agronomist 27 September 2012 ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES/SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FLAGSHIP
Presentation Outline Cane and Sugar production around the world Cane and Sugar yield improvement Variety selection Irrigation management Weed control Mechanical harvesting Sucrose manipulation prior to harvest Economics 2
Cane Yield around the world 140 120 Can ne Yield (t/ha) 100 80 60 40 20 0 3
Sugar Yields around the world Sug gar Yield (t/ha) 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 4
Sugar recovery around the world 11 Tonnes Cane/ Tonnes Sugar 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 5
Sugar production in Australia 25.0 20.0 Suga ar Yield (t/ha) 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Wet Tropics Burdekin Central 6
Sugar yield improvement Variety performance Irrigation 7
Variety Performance 180 11% cane yield improvement Cane Yie eld (t/ha) 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Tellus Q96 0 2004 2005 2006 Average 8
Variety Performance 15.0 4% CCS improvement CCS 14.5 14.0 13.5 CTellus 13.0 Q96 12.5 12.0 11.5 2004 2005 2006 Average 9
Variety Performance 25 16% sugar yield improvement Sugar Yi ield (t/ha) 20 15 10 5 Tellus Q96 0 2004 2005 2006 Average 10
Variety Performance 6000 21% improvement in financial return Gross Retu urn (AU $/ha) 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 Tellus Q96 0 2004 2005 2006 Average 11
Irrigation district wide impact 140 130 Sugarcane Yield (t/ha) 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Burdekin Central 12
Irrigation impact of irrigation system Courtesy of Dr Leonard Ndlovu, Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation 13
Irrigation paddock scale impact Furrow irrigation Standard Practice Improved Irrigation Difference Total no. of Irrigations 21 21 Irrigation duration (h) 18 11 39% Inflow rate (L/s) 1.5 2.0 33% In water limited Total Applied Irrig (ML/ha) 17 13.5 21% regions, water saved can be Cane Yield (t/ha) 112 126 13% applied to other fields to Sugar Content (CCS) 17.0 16.9 0% grow extra sugar. Sugar Yield (t/ha) 19.0 21.3 12% 14
Irrigation impact of irrigation system Cane Yi ield (t/ha) 210 190 170 150 130 110 90 70 50 Additional yield = 130 t/ha from the 4 harvests ie25% more cane. Plant 1R 2R 3R Average Furrow Drip 15
Irrigation impact of irrigation system 35 30 Additional yield = 17 t/ha from the 4 harvests ie21% more cane. Sugar Yi ield (t/ha) 25 20 15 10 5 Plant 1R 2R 3R Average Furrow Drip 16
Optimised processes and management Weed management Mechanical Harvester losses 17
Weed management 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Cane Yield Reduction Nut Grass Control 4 8 12 None Weeks after control applied Yield losses of up to 30% Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 18
Weed management Can ne Yield (t/ha) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Cane Yield Reduction Control 4 8 12 None Weeks after control applied Cane yield improvement by up to 100% Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 19
Weed management CCS 13.5 13 12.5 12 11.5 11 10.5 10 Sucrose Concentration Control 4 8 12 None Weeks after control applied Improvement by up to 20% Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 20
Weed management Sug gar Yield (t/ha) 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Sugar Yield Control 4 8 12 None Weeks after control applied Improvement by up to 100% Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 21
Mechanical Harvesting losses Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 22
Mechanical Harvesting losses Billet length Short billets improves transport costs Cutting shorter billets = more cuts per stalk = more juice lost Extractor fan Higher fan speed improves cleaning Increasing fan speed increases losses Adapted from trials conducted by BSES Ltd 23
Manipulating sugar yields through Dry-down Stopping irrigation prior to harvest Improve natural ripening Concentrate sugar Increase juice quality (eghigher brixand % pol) Increase sugar yield Cane Yield (t/ha) 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 5% 8% Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 short long 11% Dry-down difference is approximately 2 weeks. 24
Irrigation Dry-down Sugar Yield (t/ha) CCS (%) & 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12-7% 0% -6% 5% 1% 4% Severe dry-down reduces cane yield Maintain stalk sugar % Sugar yields improved with correct dry-down Ratoonsgerminate quicker and more consistently. 10 Trial 1 CCS Trial 2 CCS Trial 3 CCS Trial 1 Sugar short long Trial 2 Sugar Trial 3 Sugar Dry-down difference is approximately 2 weeks. 25
Summary Number of opportunities to improve sugar yields exist Exploiting variety differences Irrigation benefit of irrigating v rainfed Impact of different irrigation systems Improved irrigation management Weeds Ripening cane through natural dry-down Harvesting Examination of current sugarcane system to understand what is limiting yield is necessary Crop modelling is very useful to examine (interactions of climate, soil, crop and management) APSIM 26
Thank you Stephen Attard Research Agronomist t +61 7 4783 8622 e steve.attard@csiro.au w www.csiro.au ECOSYSTEM SCIENCES/SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FLAGSHIP