Maturity and Harvesting of Sugarcane

• Cane should be harvested only when it is mature. Practical tests to judge maturity are (a) general yellowish colour of whole crop, (b) cessation of growth, (c) swelling of eye buds, (d) metallic sound of cane, (e) breaking of cane at the nodes and (f) Brix saccharometer reading between 21 and 24.
• Irrigation should be withheld for about 10 to 15 days prior to harvesting.
• Harvesting should be done with sharp cane cutting knife and very close to ground.
• The cane should be crushed within 24 hours to get high recovery.
• Average yield of ratoon crop is 100 t/ha, pre-seasonal crop is 125 t/ha and that of adsali is 150 t/ha. With best management practices, potential yield of 200 t/ha (ratoon crop), 250 t/ha (pre-seasonal crop) and 300 t/ha (adsali crop) can be harvested.