Abstract
The commercial sources of sucrose are sugar-cane and sugar-beet. These are crops which accumulate sucrose rather than starch, as a storage product. There is no difference between the sugar produced from sugarcane and that of sugar-beet, although the molasses produced from either of these crops is different in composition and value and reflects the initial compositions of the crops from which they were derived. Sugar-cane is a member of the grass family. It has a bamboo-like stalk, grows to a height of between 2·5 and 4·5 m (8 and 15 ft) and contains 11-15% sucrose by weight. The sucrose is found inside the cells of the plant. Sugar-cane is usually planted with cuttings of the mature stalk. As many as seven successive crops, or ratoons, can be obtained from a single planting, provided conditions are favourable. The growing period can be from as short as 6–9 months (Louisiana and Florida) to as long as several years (Equatorial Africa). The longer the cane is allowed to grow the higher the sucrose level in the plant. The length of time a crop can be left is dictated by climatic conditions. A freeze will stop growth, kill the sugar-cane and if it is severe enough to damage the stalk, allow bacterial infection and susequent loss of the crop. Harvesting of the cane normally follows burning to remove the leaves and may be either by hand or by mechanical cutting methods.
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© 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd
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Day, D.F. (1992). Spoilage in the Sugar Industry. In: Wood, B.J.B. (eds) The Lactic Acid Bacteria Volume 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3522-5_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3522-5_13
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