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The darkness, it seems, is always creeping in on the light...
credit for the edge texture goes to: photoshopbrushes.com
Why do they burn sugarcane before harvesting and does doesn’t it not harm
the sugar?
It might look alarming to see a massive field of crops intentionally set on fire, but there is actually a very strategic—and historically essential—reason for it.
Here is exactly why sugarcane is burned before harvest, and why the sugar inside stays perfectly safe.
Why Burn the Fields?
The primary reason for burning sugarcane is efficiency and safety.
Clearing the Waste: A mature sugarcane plant consists of a sugar-rich stalk surrounded by a massive amount of leafy, razor-sharp green waste (called "trash"). Burning quickly destroys these leaves and the dead foliage while leaving the tough, moisture-heavy stalks completely intact.
Pest Control: Sugarcane fields are prime real estate for dangerous pests. In places like Australia and South America, burning clears out venomous snakes, rats, and biting insects, making it significantly safer for hand-harvesters or mechanical operators.
Easier Transport & Milling: Removing the leaves means trucks and mills only transport the valuable stalks, rather than wasting energy and space on useless foliage.
Why Doesn't It Harm the Sugar?
It seems counterintuitive that a raging fire won't ruin the crop, but it comes down to basic physics and plant biology:
1. High Moisture Content
Sugarcane stalks are incredibly dense and packed with water. Because they are so wet, they don't actually catch fire. The fire sweeps through the dry leaves incredibly fast—often lasting only 15 to 30 minutes—which isn't enough time to heat the internal core of the stalk to a damaging temperature.
2. The Sugar is Protected
The sugar (sucrose) is safely stored inside the juicy pith of the stalk, shielded by a tough, fibrous outer rind. The brief flash of heat might slightly char the outside, but it doesn't cook or burn the sugar inside.
The Catch: Once a field is burned, a clock starts ticking. The heat triggers a natural chemical breakdown in the plant. If the burned cane isn't harvested and milled within 24 to 48 hours, the sugar content will begin to decline rapidly.
The Shift Away from Burning
While burning has been the standard for generations, it is steadily being phased out in many parts of the world (including modern Australian farming).
Today, advanced mechanical harvesters can perform "green cane harvesting." These machines cut the cane and use powerful fans to separate the leaves from the stalks right in the field, leaving the leafy "trash" behind as mulch to protect the soil. This eliminates the massive smoke clouds and environmental impact of traditional burns.
Day 21 for Nablopomo's April theme challenge - Letters. Another TTV shot. I'm having waaay too much fun with that. Also had to get my monkey's in there.
spinning wheel from abpve showing some natural grey handspun on the bobbin and a skein of finished handspun yarn aside
A young me #pppjune #whenyouwere10years #june21 #day21 #young #10years #child #childhood #oldpicture
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14 Comments on Instagram:
bittenk: #speeddee
speeddee: Anne-Marie I noticed before you're using this # instead of this @ before IGers name. We won't get the message. Hope you're having a great day
bittenk: @speeddee Oh no, you're Rights!!
bittenk: @speeddee I have to remember that!!! And thanks for telling me
speeddee: You created pages with everyone's names lol. I have my own lol No one really teaches us how to do this so no worries
bittenk: @sfitzmc @snaz76 @raveninrye Look above
bittenk: @speeddee Well, I'm just trying to get all of you guys' pictures even more exposed I'll try to remember it from now on
bittenk: @sfitzmc