A sugarcane harvester is a large piece of
agricultural machinery
Agricultural machinery relates to the machine (mechanical), mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are list of agricultural machinery, many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractor ...
used to harvest and partially process
sugarcane
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...
.
The machine, originally developed in the 1920s, remains similar in function and design to the
combine harvester. Essentially a storage vessel on a truck with a mechanical extension, the machine cuts the stalks at the base, strips the leaves off, and then cuts the cane into segments. These are then deposited into either the on-board container, or a separate vehicle traveling alongside. Waste material is then ejected back onto the field, where it acts as
fertilizer.
See also
*
Zafra (agriculture) - the sugarcane harvesting season
References
External links
*
Combine harvesters
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