Cane Quality Management
CANE QUALITY MANAGEMENT
In the South African sugarcane industry, recoverable value percent cane (RV%) is used for cane payment purposes and determined in cane consignments delivered to the mill. Various factors can impact cane quality, including climate, variety choice, crop nutrition, pest and diseases, flowering, lodging, drying-off, chemical ripeners, harvest practices (e.g., topping height and green cane harvesting), harvest scheduling and post-harvest cane deterioration.
Information and recommendations relating to cane quality management can be found in the publications and other resources listed below.
Dr Riekert van Heerden
Details
Research Manager
Tel: 031 508 7400 (Switchboard)
Tel: 031 508 7439 (Direct)
Email: riekert.vanheerden@sugar.org.za
Role
To manage SASRI’s research and technology development project portfolio by providing guidance to all programme- and project managers in a fashion that:
- ensures alignment with SASRI’s strategic mandate,
- satisfies the needs of all stakeholders, and
- meets international standards of research excellence.
Qualifications
M.Sc. – Plant Physiology (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Ph.D. – Plant Physiology (North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa)
Expertise
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Research experience in the development and refinement of best management practices for sugarcane cultivation with specific focus on cane quality management (2007 – 2024).
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Research management experience as programme manager of the Crop Performance and Management Programme at SASRI (2009 – 2024).
Key Outcomes
- Contribute to the establishment of strategic research, technology development and knowledge exchange objectives in response to sugar industry needs and international trends.
- Promote collaboration amongst SASRI researchers, agricultural extension specialists, biosecurity specialists and knowledge management practitioners to ensure effective knowledge and technology exchange within the SA sugarcane grower and miller community.
- Provide leadership through coordination and deployment of scientific skills and capacity building through mentorship and supervision for successful delivery on SASRI strategic objectives.
- Ensure that the annual portfolio of projects responds to, and aligns with, the SASRI strategic plan.
- Coordinate the compilation of accurate representation of research, technology development and knowledge exchange projects into a comprehensive annual Programme of Work.
- Identify, develop and maintain strong relationships with third parties (local and international) that enhance expert delivery on industry needs to contribute towards becoming the recognised global leaders in sugarcane research.
Key Publications
Van Antwerpen R, Watt DA, Gillespie W, van Heerden PDR (2024). Promoting adoption of soil health related regenerative agriculture practices amongst small‑scale sugarcane grower communities in South Africa. Sugar Tech 26: 635 – 638.
van Heerden PDR, Ramusandiwa TD, Chonco B, Shelembe WL et al. (2023). Advancing cane quality management in the South African smallholder farmer sector through participatory on-farm demonstration and knowledge exchange. Sugar Industry 148: 565-570.
van Antwerpen R, van Heerden PDR, Keeping MG, Titshall LW, Jumman A, Tweddle PB, van Antwerpen T, Ramouthar P, Campbell PL (2022). A review of field management practices impacting root health in sugarcane. Advances in Agronomy 173: 79-162.
van Heerden PDR (2019). Response of selected South African coastal sugarcane varieties to chemical ripeners: Active ingredient effectiveness and associated impacts on grower and miller sustainability. International Sugar Journal 121: 902-904.
Adendorff MW, van Heerden PDR, Jumman A (2018). Establishing extension services through a research, technology development, extension and grower continuum-a case study. International Sugar Journal 120: 946-951.
van Heerden PDR, Adendorff MW, Lagerwall G, Botha P et al. (2015). Grower - Extensionist - Researcher partnerships: On-farm demonstration trials to facilitate adoption of chemical ripening. International Sugar Journal 117: 500-506.
van Heerden PDR, Mbatha TP, Ngxaliwe S (2015). Chemical ripening of sugarcane with trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus®) – Mode of action and comparative efficacy. Field Crops Research 181: 69-75.
van Heerden PDR, Singels A, Paraskevopoulos A, Rossler R (2015). Negative effects of lodging on irrigated sugarcane productivity – an experimental and crop modelling assessment. Field Crops Research 180: 135-142.
van Heerden PDR (2014). Differential acclimation capacity to frost in sugarcane varieties grown under field conditions. Plant Growth Regulation 72: 181-187.
van Heerden PDR (2014). Evaluation of Trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus®) as a new chemical ripener for the South African sugarcane industry. Sugar Tech 16(3): 295-299.
Lopes MS, Araus JL, van Heerden PDR, Foyer CH (2011). Enhancing drought tolerance in C4 crops. Journal of Experimental Botany 62: 3135-3153.
van Heerden PDR, Donaldson RA, Watt DA, Singels A (2010). Biomass accumulation in sugarcane - unravelling the factors underpinning reduced growth phenomena. Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 2877-2887.
Last updated: 13/01/2025
Information Sheets
- 4.1 Cane Quality Management under the RV Cane Payment System
- 4.2 Nutrient management and cane quality
- 4.3 Flowering and pithing in sugarcane
- 4.5 Managing deterioration losses in cane quality between harvesting and crushing
- 4.6 Principles underlying chemical ripening and late-season quality maintenance
- 4.7 Determining crop maturity for purposes of cane quality management
- 4.8 Registered chemicals for cane quality management ETHEPHON (and other trade names)
- 4.9 Registered chemicals for cane quality management FUSILADE FORTE (and other trade names)
- 4.10 Registered chemicals for cane quality management MODDUS (and other trade names)
- Agricultural remedies registered for use in South Africa
RIPENER TRIAL SUMMARIES
SASRI has been conducting Variety Evaluation Trials for decades. These trials test the reponse of selected varieties to certain ripener treatments in order to assist the grower community with chemical ripener decision-making.
ILLUSTRATIVE GUIDES
Decision Support Systems
PurEst®
PurEst® is a smartphone application that estimates whole-stalk juice purity from Brix% readings taken with a hand-held refractometer. PurEst® provides practical cane quality management recommendations based on the known juice purity efficacy thresholds of the various ripener chemicals. PurEst® can also assist with harvesting decisions by estimating RV% and stalk moisture, which enables growers to prioritise fields according to harvest readiness.
For more information, see our information sheet: 4.7 Determining crop maturity for purposes of cane quality management.
To access PurEst®, download the application from the Google Play Store or the i-Store.
RESEARCH
Research in cane quality management focuses on the development of knowledge, technologies and resources to enable and demonstrate effective sugarcane cane quality management practices in the industry. See CROP PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT for more information.
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