Sugar Cane
Underlying a multi billion dollar sugar industry is a 
humble grass commonly known as sugar cane. In spite of the fact that it quite often grows well over six feet high unlike the lawn grasses it is related to, sugar cane is indeed a grass, in fact, the term ‘sugar cane’ encompasses a genus of grasses which is comprised of thirty six different species. Within these species, sugar producing nations (Brazil in particular) have bred various sugar cane strains to suit varying growing conditions and the production of specific products. Hybrid strains of sugar cane are the back bone of not only the sugar industry, but also the sugar ethanol industry, sugar ethanol being a widely used and highly viable alternative fuel derived from sugar cane.
The History of Sugar Cane
A native of tropical countries such as India and New Guinea, sugar cane developed in several different nations simultaneously, with different strains of sugar cane being successful in different regions. There is some argument over where sugar cane was first cultivated intentionally for the purposes of producing sugar, however there are records of sugar in India as far back as 3000 BCE.
Sugar cane traveled along with Buddhism from India to China in the 7th century CE, and the Chinese quickly became adept at cultivating sugar cane and making sugar. For a very long time, sugar cane, and sugar were known only in the eastern countries. Sugar cane was taken to the Middle East and Africa by traveling Arabian people, but it was not until the Crusades that this miraculous plant became widely known in the West. At first, both sugar cane and sugar were a rare commodity for westerners, and at one stage it was even said that sugar was more expensive than gold in London.
With the discovery of sugar cane by western populations, sugar cane plantations were eventually established in many British colonies, particularly Carribean ones. African slaves were used to work the plantations and the boiling houses in which sugar cane was processed into sugar.
The Dutch bought sugar cane to Brazil, and also used African slaves to man the first plantations and boiling houses, which were established in the northern regions of the country. Today Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugar cane and sugar cane products, and many plantations, mills, and refineries are still operating in the northern regions of Brazil, though nowadays the labor is, of course, paid.
Growing Sugar Cane
Sugar cane is planted by hand, not from seed, but from cuttings called “setts”. These setts are half a meter to one and a half meters long, and have several buds growing along their lengths. When planted horizontally in furrows, watered and fertilized, these setts send up shoots within a few weeks. Each of the shoots is a new stalk of sugar cane.
Sugar cane requires a great deal of water to grow well, and does not take kindly to cold temperatures, infertile soils, or harsh chemicals. Though hardier strains have been developed, ideal growing conditions are flat, fertile soil with plenty of nutrients in a tropical or sub tropical climate.
If the setts are not disturbed during harvesting, and are well maintained, they can continue to grow for up to twelve harvests, though three to five is a more typical number. After the first few harvests, damage and old age begins to take its toll, and the new shoots are not as healthy or as rich in sucrose as the ones before them. It is at this stage that the whole field will often be ploughed, and new setts planted.
Harvesting Sugar Cane
When it comes time to harvest the sugar cane, one of two methods can be used. In some cases, human laborers work the fields, cutting the sugar cane off low to the ground and bundling the stalks up for their trip to the sugar mill. The work is back breaking and difficult, and good workers are worth their weight in gold to owners of sugar cane crops. Because sugar cane regrows after it is harvested, it is essential that the roots not be damaged when the cane is harvested. Clumsy workers can quickly destroy an entire field of sugar cane, costing the owner thousands of dollars or more.
When human labor is used to harvest sugar cane, it is not uncommon for the field to first be burnt. The flames quickly consume excess foliage, leaving just the stalks ready for harvesting. This is a safety measure for the workers, as it kills any poisonous snakes that may have been living in the field and it also makes it easier for the harvesters to see what they are doing without the visual impediment of dense leafy foliage to contend with, which cuts down on accidents considerably.
Another option is to harvest sugar cane using a machine. Large mechanical harvesters can travel up and down a field, harvesting the cane, stripping it of unwanted leaves, and bundling it tidily in the back of the harvester. Naturally there are some obvious advantages to this method, only one labourer needs to be paid, the harvester does not require meals or a place to sleep at night, and will not need a break every hour or two.
Fortunately for labourers who in many countries depend on the yearly harvesting season to make money, mechanical harvesters also come with their fair share of problems. To begin with, they are not very well suited to operation on uneven surfaces. Fields need to be flat in order for a mechanical harvester to be truly effective. Also, mechanical harvesters have been known to cause damage to the underlying roots by either harvesting the cane too roughly, or by crushing them under their heavy tires. Machines also require petrol, which is becoming an increasingly pricey commodity.
Processing Sugar Cane
After harvesting, sugar cane is processed at the sugar mill by washing the stalks, then shredding them with very sharp blades. Once the stalks are shredded, they are put through rollers to squeeze the juice out of them. What emerges from this process is a dark brown high sucrose juice commonly known as “raw juice”, and the dry sugar cane fiber known as ‘bagasse’.
Sugar Cane Products
Sugar cane is a deceptively versatile material, useful for making a wide range of products. Sugar, is of course an obvious one, and sugar ethanol has been growing steadily in popularity as a global fuel crisis sends nations looking for ways to wean themselves of a dependency on oil.
Sugar Cane Bagasse
For a long time, Bagasse was simply discarded and burned in the fields as a waste product. Nowadays bagasse finds a plethora of applications, both in the sugar mill and out of it. Many mills now burn the bagasse resulting from their sugar cane milling operations in the mill itself, and use the resulting heat to generate electricity which powers the mill. So much energy can be made in this fashion that it is not uncommon for there to be a surplus of power, which is then very often sold onto the national grid, making the sugar mill incredibly energy efficient.
Bagasse is also used as charcoal. Charcoaled bagasse is a clean burning product that provides a great deal of heat at a relatively low cost. It is easily stored, and can keep for much longer than traditional charcoal briquettes.
Some manufacturers are exploring uses of Bagasse in disposable tableware. When pressed into cups and plates, Bagasse makes for a strong, relatively durable product which can stand heat and moisture, and which biodegrades entirely in just a few months, making it an obvious choice for anyone concerned with the impact of traditional disposable dinnerware materials such as plastic and polystyrene. Bagasse tableware is also entirely freezer and microwave safe, making it much more convenient and versatile than traditional materials.
Molasses
A byproduct of the sugar refining process, molasses is used in everything from animal feed to health supplements. It has a sweet/bitter taste, and is full of healthy minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron. There are many different grades of molasses, some suitable only for animal feed, and others quite suitable for human consumption.