Prospects for green cane harvesting and cane residue use in Brazil

Mechanisation of sugarcane harvesting is growing rapidly in Southern Brazil where nearly 80% of Brazil's crop is cultivated. Currently a maximum of 20 % of the cane is mechanically harvested and the proportion is expected to r ise to about 50% by 2005. However, most of the cane is burned prior to harv esting and less than 2% is harvested green. Issues such as topography, crop cultivation and management methods, labour costs, machine performance, env ironmental legislation and markets for sugarcane residues will influence th e increase in mechanical harvesting of burned or green cane. This paper dis cusses the prospects for green cane harvesting technology, with emphasis on Southern Brazil, and compares harvesting technologies which are being comm ercialised today. The paper also addresses the recovery of cane residues (d ry and green tops and leaves) and comments on their possible use and commer cialisation, particularly for electricity generation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.