Use of self-propelled cleaner-loaders is gaining momentum, British Sugar‘s Stephen Brown said.

Around 5-6% (up to 500,000t) of beet was handled using the machines this season, and that could easily increase to 8-10% next season, he suggested.

The system works by beet being clamped and loaded directly from the harvested field. It avoids several handling operations typically used in the traditional system where beet would be tipped into a trailer, transported to a clamp and possibly pushed in the heap with a loader before being tipped into a lorry for transport to the factory.

That added up to more efficient loading and delivery, higher recovery of yield and less compaction and fewer trailer wheelings on the field, making following crop establishment easier, Mr Brown said.

But making the system work started before the beet crop was drilled, he stressed. Clamps needed to be located either on a firm, level headland of the field or on grass, with good access to allow artic lorries to get close enough to be loaded.

Smaller, A-shaped clamps, a maximum of 8.7m wide were created, he said. “The harvester stops for about one minute to empty 25t.”

Clamps had a height of 2.5m, with 1m length of clamp containing 5-6t of beet. These smaller clamps meant frost protection was very important, he stressed. Clamps should have a flat top, and ideally “just in time” harvesting should be practised. “Or you can use straw or covers.”

Despite this year’s sharp frosts all beet had been delivered without problems, he said. “But it does need the grower, haulier and contractor to work together to minimise the higher risk.”

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