Qualitative Study on the Observations of Emissions, Transport, and the Influence of Climatic Factors from Sugarcane Burning: A South African Perspective

Abstract

There are two methods of harvesting sugarcane—manual or mechanical. Manual harvesting requires the burning of the standing sugarcane crop. Burning of the crop results in the emission of aerosols and harmful trace gases into the atmosphere. This work makes use of a long-term dataset (1980–2019) to study (1) the atmospheric spatial and vertical distribution of pollutants; (2) the spatial distribution and temporal change of biomass emissions; and (3) the impact/influence of climatic factors on temporal change in atmospheric pollutant loading and biomass emissions over the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces in South Africa, where sugarcane farming is rife. Black carbon (BC) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are two dominant pollutants in the JJA and SON seasons due to sugarcane burning. Overall, there was an increasing trend in the emissions of BC, SO2, and carbon dioxide (CO2) from 1980 to 2019. Climatic conditions, such as warm temperature, high wind speed, dry conditions in the JJA, and SON season, favor the intensity and spread of the fire, which is controlled. The emitted pollutants are transported to neighboring countries and can travel over the Atlantic Ocean, as far as ~6600 km from the source site.

The Imprint of the Southern Annular Mode on Black Carbon AOD in the Western Cape Province

“…Consistently with the studies in [5,10], it was found that when spatially averaged over the WC, the austral winter (JJA) and the austral spring (SON) had the highest BC AOD, while it was lowest during the austral summer (DJF) and autumn (MAM). During JJA (DJF), more stable (unstable) atmospheric conditions prevail in South Africa as the subtropical high-pressure system moves northward (southward) towards (away from) the southern African landmasses.…”

“…In the regional context of South Africa, several studies have investigated pollutant transport and dilution. The authors of [10] investigated the impact of climatic factors on temporal changes in atmospheric pollutant loading over Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. They found that during the austral winter (JJA) and the austral spring (SON), BC and sulfur dioxide are the two major pollutants, due to sugarcane burning.…”

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Agriculture Surveillance

“…Because the rainfall season in KZN is from October to April, the design must be able to perform in wet conditions. Given the annual average wind speed of 15 m/s in KZN, the design must be able to resist the wind speed and its weight must be at least 15 kg [12]. The majority of sugarcane producing areas in KZN have undulating topography, which must be factored into the pest monitoring equipment design.…”