Int. J. Agric. Appl. Sci. Vol. 3, No.1, 2011 14 EVALUATION OF APPROVED SUGARCANE VARIETIES THROUGH HYDRAULIC PRESS METHOD Muhammad Aleem Sarwar, Shafiq Ahmad, Naeem Fiaz, Faqir Hussain and Arshad Ali Chattha Sugarcane Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan ABSTRACT Six approved sugarcane varieties CPF-237, CPF-243, HSF-240, HSF-242, SPF-245 and SPF-213 were evaluated for their juice quality, milling and processing parameters such as CCS% (commercial cane sugar), juice extraction%, pol extraction%, BHR% (boiling house recovery), overall recovery% and sugar recovery% using hydraulic press at 1400 bars pressure. Maximum sugar recovery (12.71 and 12.59%) was recorded in varieties HSF-240 and CPF-243, respectively and was statistically at par whereas maximum juice extraction 78.40 and 78.24%, pol extraction 92.59 and 92.64% were observed in varieties CPF-243 and SPF-245 while maximum boiling house recovery (BHR) 92.33 and 91.33% was noted in varieties HSF-240 and SPF-245, respectively. Over all cane varieties SPF-245 and CPF-243 gave highest recovery (84.61 and 83.33%) and were statistically at par. Reasonably, accurate sugar recovery can be estimated by this technique and was considered an efficient approach for cane quality evaluation. Key words: Hydraulic press, sugar recovery, sugarcane, varieties INTRODUCTION In variety selection program, the determination of accurate pol%, fibre% and recoverable sugar% in cane is of great interest for research workers. As low cane fibre gives better milling recovery (Spancer and Meade, 1963) while high fibre induces resistance to lodging and cane pests (Dillewijin, 1952). Birkette (1988) reported that hydraulic press was found to be highly reproduce-able giving negligible co-efficient of variation for brix%, pol% and fibre% cane. According to Meade and Chen (1988), direct analysis of fabricated cane is practiced in Re-unoin, Martinique, Guadeloupe, South Africa and Mauritius. A sub sample of prepared cane weighing 0.5-1 kg is compressed in hydraulic press at 1400 bars for a period of two minutes. The cake is then released, weighed and juice is analyzed for pol%. In Brazil, 500 g sub sample of fibre is treated in hydraulic press at 250 kg cm -2 pressure for juice extraction and equation has been derived for estimation of fibre% cane and pol% of cane (Silva, 1989). Malik et al. (1995) compared the efficiency of local made hydraulic press with imported USA Carver hydraulic press and found that local hydraulic press was more efficient for the determination of fibre%, juice extraction%, pol extraction%, BHR% and over-all recovery%. Birkette (1988) reported that in Louisiona all the factories used core sampling system for cane quality evaluation. The prepared 1000 g sample is pressed in hydraulic press at 3000 pound per square inch gauge (psig) pressure for two minutes and the juice extracted is analyzed for brix%, pol%, purity% and recoverable sugar percentage. At Sugarcane Research Institute Faisalabad, sugarcane hydraulic press is being used for the analysis of early final and the medium late varietal trials. The juice extracted is analysed for brix%, pol%, purity% and sugar recovery% by CCS method whereas sugar mills of Pakistan use the Pakistan Society of Sugar Technologists (PSST) recommended sucrose purity, juice purity, molasses purity (SJM) formula. So this study was planned to determine important quality parameters, from milling point of view, such as juice extraction%, pol extraction%, BHR% and overall recovery% in laboratory using the sugarcane hydraulic press. MATERIALS AND METHODS The studies were undertaken at sugarcane technology laboratory in Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad. Cane samples of promising sugarcane varieties CPF-237, CPF-243, HSF-240, HSF-242, SPF-245 and SPF-213 were collected from early final and medium late final varietal trials. The samples comprising of ten canes each was cut into 6 to 8 cm pieces and shredded with Australian type Jaffco cutter grinder. Jeffco grinder worked with 10 HP motor at a speed of 2800 rpm or more of less three minutes to grind 10 canes into fibre. The sample was rapidly homogenized and placed in air tight plastic container. Five hundred grams of fibre sample was weighed and put in cylinder of sugarcane hydraulic press. The sample so prepared was pressed at 1400 bars for two minutes and the juice extracted through juice slots of filter cylinder was collected in juice tray placed under the stand. The fibre cake was removed from the instrument, weighed on electronic balance and dried in air oven at 100 to 105 º C for moisture determination. The juice