IMPROVING BURNS WITH DESICCANTS AS AN AID TO MECHANICAL HARVESTING.

The problem of trash in cane is considered to be one of the most important difficulties in the shift to mechanical cutting and loading. Trash in cane is being reduced from 3 to 5% through the use of the desiccant ″Gramoxone″ to improve burns prior to harvest. Investigations have shown that hand cutter performance increases from 50 to 100% in ″Gramoxone″ -treated, well-burned cane by comparison with unburned or poorly burned cane. Studies with chopper-harvesters show their performance to be increased from 15 to 25% in ″Gramoxone″ -treated, well-burned cane. The use of desiccants to improve burns results in a surprising reduction in soil in the cane when it is mechanically cut and loaded.