To ensure food security and to attain maximum
productivity, mechanized cultivation of crops and
efficient irrigation systems must be introduced.
As today's labor force is reluctant to come forward for
agricultural operations in view of the tough nature of the
job and low remunerations and also considering the lack of
efficiency of manual labor, Sakthi Sugars Limited
introduced 'mechanized sugarcane cultivation' as a means
to increased productivity.
To implement mechanization of cane cultivation it also
introduced the use of imported cane harvesters from
Australia and also indigenously designed and developed
farm implements to support the process. Again in order to
enable the shift to mechanization it created awareness
among farmers on the benefits they can achieve through
mechanization. It also educated them on sub-surface drip
irrigation system for irrigation and the need for creating
5.5 feet spacing between planting rows which facilitate
the use of mechanized cane harvesters.
This shift of 5.5 feet spacing between planting rows
ensured the use of mechanized cane harvesters which
lowered the costs and yielded better tonnage per acre for
the farmers.
Farm Implements designed and developed by Sakthi Sugars
Ltd.
Modified Tumkur plough
-
It forms deep furrows for optimum placement of cane
setts and
- Ensures better ratoonability.
Disc Off Barrer– It is a multi utility
implement used for
- Debarring-cum-Fertilizer Application and
- Fertilizer Application with Earthing up.
Roto incorporator
A versatile implement useful for
- Weeding in wider row spacing and
- Trash Incorporation.
Sakthi Drip lateral laying machine
Sub Surface Drip Lateral Laying and Furrow Maker for cane
planting.
Tractor for Inter Cultural Operation ( New Holland 3030
medium tractor )
4 Feet Width Tractor designed for inter cultural
operations in sugarcane viz., Weeding, Earthing up, Off
barring, Trash incorporation.
Tractor mounted sprayers
Useful for large scale spraying of,
- Chemicals to control Early Shoot Borer.
- Weedicide.
- Micronutrient.
Mechanical harvester
The mechanical harvester is an ultimate solution for
millers and sugarcane growing farmers.
Sugarcane farming is not so laborious compared to other
crops. But since sugarcane is an annual crop it easily
requires 215 – 220 labor per annum to cultivate one acre
area of land. In this, the majority of labor, say about 75
-80 of them will be required for harvesting alone, that is
about 33 % of the total labor requirement. If we look at
Harvesting it is the least preferred job among
agricultural labor as it is the most laborious and time
consuming job performed in poor working conditions with
poor monetary returns. The lack of agricultural labor has
also made harvesting a costlier affair in sugarcane
farming.
Advantages of sugarcane harvester:
For farmers
-
Increased yield because of effective harvesting as it
roots down to the bottom level of the crop i.e. 2''
below the ground level.
-
Saves additional expenses spent on stubble shaving.
-
Fosters better ratoon rejuvenation as harvesting is
done well beneath the ground level.
-
Leads to increased number of ratoons. (Multiple
ratooning).
-
Results in better ratoon performance as harvesting
operations are taken up in one stretch.
-
Sugarcane trashes which are left in the field as small
pieces get easily decomposed. It also acts as mulch to
the field and reduces the risk of early shoot borer
besides saving the crops during drought period.
-
The harvested cane is delivered to the factory within
1- 2 hours of harvest, which avoids weight loss and
sucrose inversion.
-
Uniform and reasonable cost of harvesting for the
entire season.
For millers
- It ensures uninterrupted cane supply.
-
Results in a sustainable supply during festival days
also.
-
Multiple ratooning ensures no drastic changes in the
cane availability from year to year.
-
Wider row system reduces the cost of operation to the
farmers and enables them to realize higher profit.
This enables economic cost of cane to be maintained at
reasonable levels making it profitable for both the
farmers and the factory.
Cane Mechanization brings numerous benefits to the sugar
industry. It helps cane growers to stabilize their cane
yields. It also reduces the cultivation expenses
considerably. The profit margins to cane growers improve
significantly. And any move that increases the
efficiency of this sector will in turn ensure the
survival of the industry and make it more competitive in
the world market.
Akin to Cane Mechanization a decade and half back the
use of paddy harvesters were unheard off. Now use of
paddy harvester is in magnificent proportions and due to
which the area under paddy cultivation are still
maintained in spite of labor problems. Likewise the
sugarcane harvesters have also came into existence for
the farming community to achieve sustainable
productivity.
