OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANAGING HARVESTING COSTS IN THE HERBERT: AN EVALUATION OF THE CORRADINI TWO IN ONE ® FOR COST AND CANE QUALITY PERFORMANCE

CONTAINING harvesting cost is a key challenge for the Australian sugar industry and, in recent seasons, several devices that allow conventional sugarcane harvesters to harvest more than one row at a time in lighter crops have been developed and are now in common use. A survey of harvester operators in the Herbert identified that they wanted research to investigate grower concerns of multi-row harvesting, specifically field losses, cane quality and ratooning. As a result, two trials were undertaken to evaluate the Corradini Two in One®; one at Abergowrie in 2003 and one in the Seymour area in 2004. These trials showed that the Two in One® can help to contain harvesting costs in lower yielding crops without adversely affecting cane loss, cane quality or subsequent ratoons. Crop presentation, a grower-controlled factor, is critical to harvest best practice with multiple-row harvesting devices. To minimise cane pickup loss and soil in cane and to achieve consistent feeding for better cleaning, it is important that row profile, hill height and row spacing are both consistent and matched to the harvester.