Sugarcane Harvest Scheduling Using a Distributed Control Approach

Abstract This research introduces the sugarcane harvesting problem for a continuous operation scenario with no seasons. A distributed control approach is proposed for a single-mill case with four harvest teams and a network of 1,250 farms. The performance of seven sequencing rules were investigated based on sugar content, relocation distance of harvest teams, and percentage of sold crops due to maximum age allowance. Results were obtained using extensive simulation-based experiments, and key insights were formulated to develop more sophisticated autonomous decisions under a distributed control approach in the future.