Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #202941

Title: Sugarcane Green and Brown, Dried Trash Effects on Processing: A Preliminary Study

Author
item Eggleston, Gillian
item Viator, Ryan
item Grisham, Michael

Submitted to: Sugar Processing Research Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2006
Publication Date: 12/1/2006
Citation: Eggleston, G., Viator, R.P., Grisham, M.P. 2006. Sugarcane Green and Brown, Dried Trash Effects on Processing: A Preliminary Study. Sugar Processing Research Conference Proceedings. p. 341-352.

Interpretive Summary: Currently, there is a dramatic shift in the U.S. from the harvesting of burnt to unburnt (green) sugarcane. With increased pressure from public and environmental agencies to further restrict or curtail burning, even more unburnt sugarcane with extra impurities (trash, i.e., leaves and tops) are expected to be delivered to factories making industrial processing worse. The effect of different percentages (up to 25% by fresh weight) of green (GT) and brown, dried trash (BT) on juice quality of commercial sugarcane are reported in this preliminary study. In general, all results indicated that the detrimental effect of brown, dried trash had previously been underestimated.

Technical Abstract: Currently, there is a dramatic shift world-wide from the harvesting of burnt to unburnt (green) sugarcane. With increased pressure from public and environmental agencies to further restrict or curtail burning in the U.S. and many other countries, even more unburnt sugarcane with extra impurities (trash, i.e., leaves and tops) are expected to be delivered to factories, putting added burdens on processors to deal with and/or remove them during processing. The effect of changing to “green” harvesting on processing has not been properly or fully characterized and, therefore, very few solutions to minimize the detrimental processing effects of trash have been developed or implemented. The effect of different percentages (up to 25% by fresh weight) of green (GT) and brown, dried trash (BT) on juice quality of commercial sugarcane var. LCP 85-384 are reported in this preliminary study. The pH and degree Brix of the juices did not significantly change with increasing amounts of GT, but increased when 25% BT was added. The differences in degree Brix indicate that BT contributes more than GT to the factory delivery of soluble solid impurities that have a negative impact on processing. Fiber amounts increased when both types of trash were added, but significantly more with BT. Brown, dried trash can still be metabolically active, as indicated by the presence of starch. In general, unscreened clarified juice from juices containing BT had more and larger (up to ~220 'm) microparticles than GT clarified juices. Thermal processing properties are also discussed.