18/05/2026
MILL STARTS: What's the science say?
Numerous trials conducted in the Herbert River district looked at what happens when growers harvest early, mid, or late season across plant and ratoon crops. The results were pretty clear, said our Senior Technical Agriculture Officer Lawrence Di Bella.
"Mid-season gives you the best sugar yield overall, but when you can't harvest everything at the perfect time, an earlier start beats a later finish every single time."
Here's why late harvesting hurts:
• Ratoon crops take a serious hit, average cane yield losses of 15+ t/ha compared to mid-season harvesting, and up to 28 t/ha loss in second ratoons.
• Some varieties suffered premature stool death after a late harvest, meaning growers were forced to plough out early and lose an entire ratoon.
• Late season crops face waterlogging, low solar radiation, and stalk deterioration before the wet arrives.
• Late harvesting also limits your ability to fix drainage, establish legumes in the fallow, and set up the next crop.
"The earlier ratooned cane from an early start more than makes up for the slightly lower CCS at the beginning of the season. The financial models that assess season length often ignore the ratoon losses from late harvesting, but growers on the ground know exactly what a failed ratoon costs."
Lawrence said not all varieties responded the same way, so knowing which variety suits which point in the harvest window was one of the most important management decisions a grower could make.
Bottom line:
Push for the earlier start. The tail end of the season is where the damage is done.
Photo: The Herbert River district mill start date of 9 June gets the thumbs up from QCAR members, from left, Gino Zatta, Geoffrey Mammarella, Luciano Mammarella, and QCAR Herbert River District Committee Chairman John Board.
