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Pre-Harvest Desiccation of Sugar Cane With Paraquat in Queensland
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 October 2008
Summary
In Queensland it is standard practice to burn sugar cane before harvest, but incomplete burns are common, due to the lush condition of the crop and the occurrence of weeds. Experiments conducted over seven seasons to dry out foliage of both weeds and cane, using bipyridylium desiccants, showed that paraquat was consistently more effective than diquat. After treatment of cane foliage, several days were necessary for fully effective desiccation, during which time a slight drop in sugar content could usually be detected. It is practical to spray cane leaves in the outside rows, adjacent to headlands (where weeds normally thrive). Treatment of this peripheral zone could affect no more than 10 per cent of a cane stand, and any loss of sugar would usually be more than offset by the benefits of desiccation, viz: a cleaner burn, quicker cutting, less trash, and fewer penalties.
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970
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