Technical and Economic Parameters of Sugarcane Straw Recovery: Baling and Integral Harvesting

The development of effective strategies for sugarcane straw recovery is important, as straw plays an important role in soil conservation and bioenergy production. In order to identify the most cost-effective mill areas for straw recovery, this study developed analyses of technical and economic parameters for straw recovery based on integral harvesting and baling routes. The evaluation was based on field data analysis, simulation of straw recovery costs using the CanaSoft model, and spatial analysis of costs using a geographic information system (GIS). Results showed that straw recovery costs are highly influenced by the amount of straw recovered and the transport distance between the field and the mill. The lowest straw recovery cost from the integral harvest was obtained when it reached 2.5 t (dry basis) per hectare (US$ 8.4/t) within a distance of 5 km, and the highest cost was also obtained for 2.5 t/ha (US$ 34.7/t) within a distance of 60 km. For baling, the lowest cost was for the largest amount of straw recovered-7.5 t/ha (US$ 23.2/t) within a distance of 5 km-and the highest cost was for 2.5 t/ha (US$ 40.7/t) recovered within a distance of 60 km. For straw recovery below 2.5 t/ha, the integral harvesting route is more competitive, even considering distances greater than 60 km. On the other hand, baling route costs are lower when distances are over 42 km and at least 5 t/ha of straw is recovered.