ONE OF THE advantages gained by whole crop harvesting is a reduction in cane loss
since there is no trash separation system in operation on the harvester that could discard billets of cane with the separated trash. The amount of cane lost through the harvester trash separation system has been a subject of debate for many years. This paper presents the results of experiments conducted in the Condong and Broadwater districts where single blocks of cane have been harvested using several distinct harvesting methods, including green cane harvesting of the whole crop (including trash) and burnt cane harvesting with trash extracted. The results showed that whole crop harvesting yields about 24% more biomass than conventional burnt cane harvesting, including at least 40% extra dry, ash-free fibre. The results showed a 14% increase in pol yield for whole crop harvesting compared to conventional burnt cane harvesting although the amount of this extra pol that can be converted to sugar is unknown.