2. Post harvest losses in Promising Sugarcane Genotypes
By   Ghulam Abbas Assistant Agri. Chemist Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad

3. Significance
Identification of cane genotypes to post harvest deterioration is needed to device scientific supply and crushing schedule with minimal loss of recover able sugar.

4. Objectives
To indentify the promising sugarcane genotypes with better juice quality maintenance during post harvest period in order to select the varieties most resistant to the post harvest inversion by the breeders for crossing program to develop the desirable genotypes.

5. Causes
Sugarcane has poor post harvest as well as post maturity keeping quality due to which sugar deterioration of harvested canes starts immediately.
The sucrose decreases while the invert sugars increase which in turn hinder the normal sugar recovery.
During post harvest period sugarcane is subjected to many physical and chemical changes.
The most important physical change is the loss in cane weight due the evaporation of water from the cut portion of the cane and chemical change due to loss in sugar through inversion.

6. Methology
Sugarcane genotypes = HSF-240, S-2003-US-633, S-2003-US-694, S-2003-US , S-2003-US-165 and S-2003-US-704
Location = SRI, Faisalabad.
Year of study =
Design = RCBD split plot
Replications = 3

7. Magnitude of losses in 8 days
In Pakistan and other Asian countries, payment to the farmers is made on weight basis so the delay in supply of harvested cane to the sugar industries could lead to major economic loss to cane growers.
At the prevailing cane payment price in Districts of the Punjab province, monetary losses to cane growers (calculation based on 8th day) are estimated to be around Rs. 522 (US$ 6.00) per tonne of cane supplied to the sugar mills.

8. Direct losses
Inversion leads to unit loss in recovery; for a 5000 TCD mill we may lose cane sugar bags which amounts to Rs lac per day.

9. Indirect losses
Dextran sucrase enzyme (of Leuconostoc mesenteroides bacteria) produces dextran and fructose.
Fructose is oxidized to organic acids and pH of the juice is lowered. As a result, more lime is required and scaling increases.
Dextran production increases juice viscosity, filtration becomes difficult, more energy is needed for processing and due to c-axis elongation needle shaped sugar crystals are produced which lead to poor quality of sugar.

10. % Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Results
Effect of staling on % loss in cane weight a. 9th month old crop (November- 2009)
Variety/Days
% Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Average% weight loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
0.0
1.32
2.98
4.11
5.50
6.80
7.96
8.92
9.68
5.90
S-2003-US-633
2.13
3.24
4.54
5.56
6.79
7.76
9.67
6.07
S-2003-US-694
1.93
3.28
4.57
5.88
6.90
7.91
9.09
10.81
6.29
S-2003-US-247
1.85
3.20
4.29
5.59
6.78
7.84
9.47
10.27
6.16
S-2003-US-165
1.70
3.10
4.40
5.53
6.83
7.89
9.36
10.08
6.11
S-2003-US-704
1.90
3.05
4.34
5.51
6.75
7.88
9.29
10.30
6.12
Average
6.11 B

11. % Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Effect of staling on % loss in cane weight b. 11th month old crop (January- 2010)
Variety/Days
% Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Average% weight loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
0.0
1.22
2.12
3.39
4.53
5.80
6.97
8.07
8.96
5.13
S-2003-US-633
1.50
2.90
3.95
4.92
6.01
6.98
7.92
9.03
5.40
S-2003-US-694
1.29
2.21
3.22
4.49
5.46
6.39
7.62
8.68
S-2003-US-247
1.25
2.72
3.73
4.45
5.69
6.95
8.22
9.24
5.28
S-2003-US-165
2.56
3.64
4.55
5.51
6.61
7.91
8.85
5.11
S-2003-US-704
1.36
2.54
3.63
4.56
5.58
6.77
8.09
8.99
5.19
Average
5.17 C

12. % Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Effect of staling on % loss in cane weight c. 13th month old crop (March- 2010)
Variety/Days
% Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Average% weight loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
0.0
1.73
3.23
4.38
5.87
7.03
8.49
9.83
11.27
6.48
S-2003-US-633
2.30
3.97
5.62
7.21
8.69
10.01
11.30
12.61
7.71
S-2003-US-694
2.34
4.11
5.79
7.48
8.89
10.30
11.75
13.17
7.98
S-2003-US-247
2.45
4.19
5.95
7.56
9.10
10.64
12.00
13.44
8.17
S-2003-US-165
1.88
3.53
4.76
6.00
7.41
8.76
10.00
11.20
6.69
S-2003-US-704
2.01
3.61
5.02
6.49
8.08
9.45
11.03
12.37
7.26
Average
7.38 A

13. % Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Average of three months (Season)
Variety/Days
% Loss in cane weight during 8 days
Average% weight loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
0.0
1.42
2.78
3.96
5.30
6.54
7.80
8.94
9.97
5.84 C
S-2003-US-633
1.98
3.37
4.70
5.89
7.16
8.25
9.38
10.43
6.39 AB
S-2003-US-694
1.85
3.20
4.52
5.95
7.08
8.20
9.48
10.68
6.36 AB
S-2003-US-247
4.65
5.86
7.19
8.48
9.90
10.98
6.54 A
S-2003-US-165
1.62
3.06
4.26
5.36
6.58
7.75
9.09
10.04
5.97 C
S-2003-US-704
1.76
3.07
4.33
5.52
6.80
8.03
9.47
10.55
6.19 B
Average
6.22
LSD alpha = 0.05
Month = , Variety = , Days = 0.195, Month x variety = , Month x days = , Days x variety =

14. % loss in CCS (%) on 8th day
Effect of staling on % loss in CCS (%) a. 9th month old crop (November- 2010)
Variety/Days
% Loss CCS during 8 days
% loss in CCS (%) on 8th day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
11.92
12.00
12.08
12.06
11.84
11.50
11.14
10.87
8.81
S-2003-US-633
13.08
13.06
13.01
12.85
12.72
12.33
11.69
10.63
S-2003-US-694
12.79
12.78
12.76
12.65
12.25
12.11
11.75
11.55
9.69
S-2003-US-247
12.71
12.73
12.67
12.18
11.94
11.83
11.45
11.36
10.97
S-2003-US-165
12.70
12.57
12.49
12.12
11.98
11.64
11.49
9.95
S-2003-US-704
12.64
12.61
12.59
12.39
12.14
11.88
11.68
11.54
11.33
10.36
Average C
10.07

15. % Loss in CCS during 8 days % loss in CCS (%) on 8th day
Effect of staling on % loss in CCS (%) b. 11th month old crop (January- 2010)
Variety/Days
% Loss in CCS during 8 days
% loss in CCS (%) on 8th day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
12.99
13.02
13.03
12.95
12.85
12.78
12.48
12.25
11.89
8.46
S-2003-US-633
13.22
13.26
13.20
13.13
13.00
12.93
12.82
12.61
12.22
7.56
S-2003-US-694
13.08
13.06
12.96
12.90
12.83
12.70
12.38
12.21
7.00
S-2003-US-247
12.81
12.80
12.79
12.63
12.47
12.28
12.11
11.95
6.71
S-2003-US-165
13.07
12.94
12.65
12.45
6.12
S-2003-US-704
12.77
12.75
12.52
12.19
12.06
11.79
7.89
Average B
7.29

16. % Loss in CCS during 8 days % loss in CCS (%) on 8th day
Effect of staling on % loss in CCS (%) c. 13th month old crop (March- 2010)
Variety/Days
% Loss in CCS during 8 days
% loss in CCS (%) on 8th day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
13.62
13.59
13.40
13.34
13.06
12.78
12.40
12.34
12.19
10.49
S-2003-US-633
13.90
13.92
13.72
13.52
13.20
12.80
12.44
12.30
11.51
S-2003-US-694
13.51
13.44
13.24
13.01
12.79
12.48
12.25
12.13
11.98
11.32
S-2003-US-247
13.05
13.02
12.95
12.82
12.49
12.23
12.08
11.96
11.85
9.19
S-2003-US-165
13.35
13.18
13.04
12.76
12.66
12.32
11.88
11.01
S-2003-US-704
13.22
13.26
13.12
13.03
12.86
12.69
12.47
12.12
8.32
Average A
10.31

17. % Loss in CCS during 8 days
d. Average of three months (Season)
Variety/Days
% Loss in CCS during 8 days
Average% weight loss 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HSF-240
12.84
12.87
12.78
12.64
12.47
12.13
11.91
11.65
9.25
S-2003-US-633
13.40
13.41
13.31
13.24
13.02
12.90
12.65
12.35
12.07
9.90
S-2003-US-694
13.14
13.10
12.52
12.09
9.34
S-2003-US-247
12.86
12.85
12.80
12.72
12.43
12.21
12.06
11.84
11.72
8.96
S-2003-US-165
13.06
13.04
12.98
12.70
12.32
11.88
9.03
S-2003-US-704
12.89
12.88
12.71
12.56
12.40
12.19
12.02
11.75
8.86
Average
9.22
LSD alpha = 0.05
Month = , Variety = , Days = , Month x variety = , Month x days = , Days x variety =

18. Magnitude of Weight and Sugar Losses on 8th Day
Sr.No.
Variety
Loss of Farmer By Weight(Per Ton)
Loss of Sugar(per 5000 TCD)
Av. % Wt. Loss
Wt. loss in Kg per ton
Monetary
Loss Rs.(US$)
Loss in Sugar Recovery (%)
Loss of Sugar in Tons
Loss By Sugar Bags
Valuation(Rs.) of Loss per Day 1.
HSF-240
9.97
99.7
498.5(US$ 5.73)
1.11
55.5
1110 2.
S-2003-US-633
10.43
104.3
521.5(US $ 6.00)
1.25
62.5
1250 3.
S-2003-US-694
10.68
106.8
534.0(US$ 6.14)
1.16
58.0
1160 4.
S-2003-US-247
10.98
109.8
549.0(US$ 6.31)
1.07
53.5
1070 5.
S-2003-US-165
10.04
100.4
502.0(US$ 5.77)
1.10
55.0
1100 6.
S-2003-US-704
10.55
105.5
527.5(US$ 6.07)
Market Price of Sugar Bag on = Rs.3650/- per Bag Currency Rate of US dollar on = Rs /-per Dollar

19. Loss per acre Variety Average yield (Mounds per acre)
Loss per acre(Rs)
HSF-240
600
11964
S-2003-US-633
700
14602
S-2003-US-694
750
16020
S-2003-US-247
850
18666
S-2003-US-165
900
18072
S-2003-US-704
1000
21100

20. Conclusions & Suggestions
How to overcome post harvest losses.
In view of high post harvest weight and sugar losses with consequently lower recovery in many sugar units in Punjab. It is suggested that the time between cut-to- crush should be reduced to 72 hours for manually harvested whole-stalk

21. Reducing the heat load
Reduce heat load by keeping cane in shaded place, spraying water (10 L/tone cane), or by covering with trash and sprinkling water on it.
Killing the bacteria producing dextran, by using bactericides (Bactrinol-200 ppm, Actin ID 0.15 % solution, Leukokil -1% solution) dipping cut ends in it for 5 minutes
Preventing inversion by using inhibitors for invertase enzyme activity.
Spray of 25 mM KMnO mM Sodium metasilicate on the canes.

22. Thanks