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Sugarcane is one of the main commodities in the world economy. An important step in the sugarcane supply chain is the harvest stage, requiring the support of mathematical modeling and optimization tools. Integrating the process of choosing the areas for harvesting according to the sugarcane maturation with the formation of the harvesting fronts and associating them with machine relocation costs is challenging. This paper contributes with a novel integer mathematical model that considers these concerns using three conflicting objectives. The first is that the sugarcane should be harvested as close as possible to its maturity, considering the sugarcane should be harvested as close as possible to its maturity by considering a combined measure of temperature and time since planting. The second aims to minimize the number of harvest fronts. The third objective is to minimize the costs involved with the relocation of the harvesters that cut the cane. Different strategies for obtaining Pareto-optimal solutions were proposed using exact methods, including MIP start and a decomposition technique. In the worst case, solutions with tolerable integrality gaps were obtained (inferior to 3%) in less than 1.5 h. Computational tests in real case studies were conducted in the sugarcane industry in two countries, indicating strong trade-offs in the determined solutions. In the Brazilian case, harvesting as close to maturation as possible, for example, causes an increase of 158% in the number of harvest fronts and 47% in the transportation costs, considering the minimum values for these objectives. Other trade-offs were seen and discussed when one of the other objectives was prioritized. These different compromise solutions help the decision-makers choose the most appropriate harvesting schedule according to their preferences. • We propose a new MIP optimization model to determine the harvesting of sugarcane. • The model aims to optimize three conflicting objectives. • A new method of computing cane maturation is used: the concept of degree-days. • A procedure for determining Pareto solutions by exact methods is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problems existed of sugarcane harvester in China, the paper analyzes the types and characteristics of the existing sugarcane collection mechanism. A new type of three degree of freedom sugarcane harvester hybrid drive collection mechanism was designed in three dimensions. The geometric model of the new configuration related components and the overall assembly was established. And imported into the ADAMS simulation software. After the simulation, the working point and the force curve of the component node were output and analyzed. In order to obtain the motion law of the new three-degree-of-freedom stacking mechanism, verify the correctness of the theoretical model, and provide reference for the in-depth research and prototype trial production of the stacking mechanism in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Time series of optical satellite images acquired at high spatial resolution is a potentially useful source of information for monitoring agricultural practices. However, the information extracted from this source is often hampered by missing acquisitions or uncertain radiometric values. This paper presents a novel approach that addresses this issue by combining time series of satellite images with information from crop growth modeling and expert knowledge. In a fuzzy framework, a decision support system that combines multi-source information was designed to automatically detect the sugarcane harvest at field scale. The formalism that we used deals with the imprecision of the data and the approximation of expert reasoning. System performances were analyzed using a time series of SPOT-5 images. Results obtained were in substantial agreement with ground truth data: overall accuracy reached 97.80% with stability values exceeding 89.21% for all decisions. The contribution of fuzzy sets to overall accuracy reached 15.08%. The approach outlined in this paper is very promising and could be very useful for other agricultural applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper a new revised multi-choice goal programming (RMCGP-LHS) model is proposed to deal with uncertainty in sugar cane harvest scheduling for sugar and ethanol milling companies. The RMCGP-LHS model uses a weekly decision-making horizon and takes into account the time and condition of land management, cane cutting decisions, and agricultural logistics. Its objective is to obtain information in order to harvest sugar cane plots in the period closest to the highest saccharose levels, while also minimizing agro-industrial costs. The RMCGP-LHS model was applied to a real case sugar and ethanol mill, and its optimization has provided harvesting policies that were validated by the company’s managers. Besides that the RMCGP-LHS model is a very practical tool for simulating in a fast way different scenarios involving uncertainties on model parameters and helping the managers in decision making process in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of burning sugarcane obtained by non-mechanized harvesting exposes workers and the people of neighboring towns to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) that is harmful to health, and may trigger a series of cardiorespiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of the micro-particles coming from sugarcane burning residues and to verify the effects of this micro-particulate matter on lung and tracheal tissues. Micro-particulate matter (PM 10 ) was obtained by dissolving filter paper containing burnt residues in NaCl solution. This material was instilled into the Wistar rats׳ nostrils. Histological analyses (hematoxylin and eosin – HE) of cardiac, lung and tracheal tissues were performed. Inflammatory mediators were measured in lung tissues by using ELISA. The chemical composition of the particulate material revealed a large quantity of the phthalic acid ester, high concentrations of phenolic compounds, anthracene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Histological analysis showed a reduction in subjacent conjunctive tissue in the trachea, lung inflammation with inflammatory infiltrate formation and reduction of alveolar spaces and a significant increase ( p <0.05) in the release of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and INF-γ in the group treated with PM 10 when compared to the control group. We concluded that the burning sugarcane residues release many particles, which have toxic chemical compounds. The micro-particulate matter can induce alterations in the respiratory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For millennia farmers have continually improved their crop management and production practices through their observations and experience. More recently modern science and research methods based on controlled experiments became the most visible instrument of technological change in agriculture, nevertheless farmers continued to develop and implement new technologies based on their own observations made under commercial conditions. Modern information technology and social organization of producers make it possible to use operational research, which is based on the observation and analysis of operations so as to improve them, to manage crops better. The article describes two cases, coffee and sugarcane, in which observation of the results obtained by farmers, with the natural variation in the environment and the distinct management practices they apply can be used to determine site specific crop management practices. The basis of the methodology is to (a) obtain data from a series of cropping events that characterizes the conditions under which each crop is grown, how it is managed and how it performs under commercial conditions (data capture), (b) to manage and analyze the data in centralized databases (data management and analysis) and (c) make the information derived from the data analysis available to growers so that they can use it to make better informed decisions (interpretation). All aspects of the methodology depend on the social organization of the growers and the supply chain of which they form a part, and hence social organization is an integral part of the methodology. The processes of characterization of the growing conditions, including both environmental and management parameters, the establishment of databases, the data analysis and interpretation, and mechanisms of interacting with producers are described with emphasis on the importance of social organization and farmers’ groups. Examples are given of how this approach can be used to better understand the crop response to variation in the environment and management, and how this can be used by farmers to improve productivity and quality in two contrasting crops. The paper demonstrates that operational research can be used to evaluate farmers’ experiences and to share that knowledge amongst them so as to improve their production practices in the context of their particular environment. It is suggested that the operation research approach is particularly effective in heterogeneous landscapes with perennial crops that have not been the subject of intense research. Furthermore operational research is effective in determining the crop response to variables that are not readily studied in small plots and in determining optimal combinations of multiple variables. Producers believe in the results obtained as there are none of the problems of scaling up from experimental plots to commercial conditions. It is proposed that the approaches described can readily be applied to other crop species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The main objective of this paper is to present a yield monitor specifically designed for the implementation of precision agriculture in sugar cane crops. The overall system includes a mass flow sensor, a global positioning system receiver, and a data acquisition system. The concept for the sensor is based on the sugar cane yield monitor sensor developed previously at The State University of Campinas. A modified version of the sensor was designed to address the specific needs of a harvesting system, including several sensors to eliminate signal interference, and to monitor the harvesting operation. Field testing of the sugar cane yield monitor system was done during the 2004–2005 harvesting season. The system was mounted on a Case 7700 sugar cane harvester. In order to evaluate the accuracy of the system, each loaded truck was weighed on an electronic platform scale upon arrival at the sugarcane mill. The results showed that the output of the sugar cane yield monitor and the harvested load weight present a correlation of 0·66, and the system performance was stable and reliable during tests. A sugar cane yield map was generated in a 43ha area plot of a sugar plantation, located in Araras, the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The results showed that the yield monitor designed and evaluated is accurate, with a mean error of 4·3% where the maximum error never exceeds 6·4%, and is capable of measuring the yield variability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Field trials were conducted for a period of 5 years at two locations in north Queensland and with four sugarcane varieties to quantify the effect of harvest traffic on soil physical properties and sugarcane growth. The trials were conducted under rain-fed conditions. Treatments consisted of wheel traffic directly over the planted row, 0.1m from the row and down the middle of the inter-row, by fully laden haulout equipment immediately after harvest. The equipment varied between sites, with low ground pressure tyres being used at one-site and high ground pressure tyres being used at the other site. This reflected commonly used harvesting equipment for each area. Gravimetric soil water content was 23–29 and 26.5–33% at the time of treatment application, which corresponds, to 0.7–0.9 and 0.8–1.0 of the plastic limit for the respective soils. Undisturbed cores were extracted for determination of bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Soil cone resistance was measured in the field. All measurements were made before and after impact on the plant crop and after impact on each ratoon crop. Stalk numbers, heights of stalks and number of gaps in cane rows were recorded to assess treatment effects, and final yield was measured. Experimental design was split-plot, with the main plot being position of wheel impact and the plot being split by varieties. Saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased and bulk density increased and soil cone resistance was variable in the row after traffic over the row compared with the near- and inter-row positions. Stalk numbers and heights and yield indicated little difference with respect to treatment, but there was a significant varietal difference. The varieties Q138 and Q124 were taller and had greater yield than Q117 and Q115. The effect of traffic appeared to be cumulative, as the degree of soil compactness and bulk density increased, with treatment differences becoming significant with each additional year of traffic. Traffic over the row resulted in a yield loss compared with traffic near-the-row and down the inter-row. To predict crop response to machinery traffic in the Australian sugar industry the model of Arvidsson and Håkansson [Arvidsson J., Håkansson, I., 1991. A model for estimating crop yield losses caused by soil compaction. Soil Tallage Res. 20, 319–332] was modified. Several changes were necessary, since the original model was developed for a cropping system based on annual cultivation, whereas sugarcane is a perennial crop grown in rows with no annual cultivation. The modified model was validated using data from the trials described in this paper. Agreement between measured yield loss and predicted yield loss was reasonable. This is the first attempt to provide the Australian sugar industry with a tool to assess the yield loss due to harvesting traffic and the economic cost of that loss. The model has the potential to provide, with further development, an indication to growers as to the benefit of restricting traffic to the inter-row area, restricting the number of passes by haulouts, harvesting under drier soil conditions and using high flotation haulout equipment. This should aid in more informed management decisions with respect to harvesting equipment or to the consequences of harvesting under adverse soil conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An important aspect of logistics supply systems in agro industries is to manage the processes of harvesting and transporting raw materials, from the rural fields to the processing plants. The truck waiting times in the various queues of the plant reception area are of particular concern. This paper applies discrete simulation techniques to study the reception area processes of a sugarcane plant, analyzing the performance of the system and investigating alternative configurations and policies for its operations. The analysis is also useful for other agro industries with similar supply systems, such as orange and wood industries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Australian sugar industry is seeking to increase profitability through better integration across a value chain fragmented among many owners. Within the cane harvesting and transport sectors, many existing inefficiencies are a result of excessive numbers of harvesting machines owned by harvester contractors and growers, and the fact that most harvesters operate within a short time window each day. In order to improve the complex system from a tactical and strategic planning perspective, leading to reduced costs of production, a modelling framework identifying the key drivers and links must first be developed. Upon developing the framework, techniques in operations research, financial modelling, and simulation can be applied to investigate opportunities to enhance the system in partnership with industry. This paper describes the development of such a framework through participation with two case-study mill areas within the Australian sugar industry, along with its application to improve the efficiency of the harvesting and transport system. Through reducing the number of harvesters in the region and implementing best practice principles for harvesting, one of the case study mills showed potential gains in profitability of up to AU$1 million per annum. Implementation took place in one of the case study regions during the 2003 harvest season for which the region is now pursuing further adoption in 2004. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A typical supply chain is composed of three main echelons: upstream, mid-stream and downstream. In the case of sugarcane, the upstream echelon includes several activities, such as growth, harvest, and transportation to mills. As multiple authors have pointed out the importance of proper scheduling for these supply chain echelons, as well as the need to develop more realistic optimization models, the present investigation proposes a multi-objective stochastic optimization model for upstream scheduling, with a sustainable approach. The model involves robust planning for harvest, maintenance, and transportation. It also sets the operations schedule for workforce, agricultural machinery, and vehicles. In contrast to previous contributions regarding sugarcane supply chain optimization, the effect of sugarcane yield uncertainty on harvest scheduling and resource allocation is incorporated. Further, upstream operations performance was analyzed, using a sustainable approach. A real-life cases study is examined in this paper. We used compromise programing approach to seek the best trade-off with respect to the utilization of different harvesting methods. Linked to the above, our computational results show that the sugarcane harvesting should be mostly carry out using mechanical method. Through the use of harvesting machinery, the total operation costs and negative environmental is significantly smaller compared to the manual harvesting. Results also show that social goals (job creation) is positively impact by greater utilization of manual harvesting. Most importantly, our computational outcomes are useable to find a proper balance between mechanical and manual harvesting; achieving at the same time, the best possible performance values for the studied sustainable goals. • An optimization model to schedule a sustainable sugarcane supply chain is presented. • The model involves robust planning for harvest, maintenance, and transportation. • The effect of sugarcane yield uncertainty on scheduling is analyzed. • The impact of harvesting and transport decisions on sustainability was assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Thailand, the harvesting season for sugarcane usually begins in November and ends the following May. At the beginning of each harvesting season, the Royal Thai government sets the price of two types of sugarcane, namely fresh and fired, based on sweetness (sugar content) and gross weight of sugarcane delivered to the sugar factories. The aim of the present research is to determine optimal harvesting policies for the two types of sugarcane in sugarcane producing regions of Thailand in order to maximize revenue and minimize harvesting cost. In this paper, a harvesting policy is defined as the amount of each type of sugarcane harvested and delivered to the sugar factories during each 15-day period of a harvesting season. Two optimization methods have been used to solve this optimization problem, namely the ε-constraints method and a quasi-Newton optimization method. In the ε-constraints method, the problem is considered as a bi-objective optimization problem with the main objective being to determine harvesting policies that maximize the total revenue subject to upper bounds on the harvesting cost. In the quasi-Newton method, the aim is to determine the harvesting policy which gives maximum profit to the farmers subject to constraints on the maximum amount that can be cut in a 15-day period. The methods are used to determine optimal harvesting policies for the north, central, east, and north-east regions of Thailand for harvesting seasons 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2014/15 based on the data obtained from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives of the Royal Thai government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]