In the Mulgrave mill district, the pronounced decline in CCS in recent years,
culminating in the lowest seasonal CCS on record, prompted an investigation supported
by BSES. The objective was to identify the reasons for the difference between the cane
potential-the sound cane CCS-and the payment CCS at the mill. A survey was
conducted in the 1998 season to measure the crop components and CCS in the field
prior to harvest, in the bins after harvest and the payment CCS. A total of 42 sites were
used for the trials including 4 outside the Mulgrave area. Cane on the sites was usually
sprawled and often lodged. Reductions in CCS due to (1) the cane damaged by
biological and mechanical factors, (2) sucker growth and (3) extraneous matter, were
calculated. Over the trials, a mean drop of over 4 units of CCS from that of sound cane
to the payment CCS was recorded. The average percentage reductions of sound cane
CCS by the addition of damaged cane or suckers or EM were 6.3%, 5.8% and [0.6%
respectively. An increase in CCS of trash during harvesting of 1.8 units was recorded,
implying that juice was being expressed in the cutting mechanism.