Sugarcane farming in Brazil is a thriving industry that holds a prominent position globally. With favorable climatic conditions and extensive agricultural expertise, Brazil leads in sugarcane production and exports. However, this flourishing sector is not without its challenges, particularly concerning the persistent threat of wildfires.
Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane, accounting for 40% of global production. The country boasts abundant land availability and a tropical climate ideal for sugarcane cultivation. Its southeastern and central-western regions, including states like São Paulo and Minas Gerais, are key sugarcane-producing areas. Brazil’s sugarcane farms cultivate diverse varieties optimized for high sucrose content and disease resistance. The crop is primarily used for sugar and ethanol production, with the country being a global leader in ethanol production from sugarcane.
Sugarcane farms in Brazil face significant challenges when it comes to wildfire outbreaks. The dry season, prevalent in regions like the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes, renders vegetation prone to ignition. Dry plant materials, including crop residues and leaf litter, serve as fuel for fires. Controlled burning practices, employed for pre-harvest purposes, can escalate into uncontrolled wildfires, exacerbated by unfavorable weather conditions. Human activities, such as land clearing and improper fire management, contribute to the risk. The large size of sugarcane farms, dense vegetation, limited visibility, and remote locations further complicate the timely detection of wildfire outbreaks.
To address the wildfire threats, sugarcane farms in Brazil employ various mitigation strategies. These include fire management plans, establishment and maintenance of firebreaks, improved controlled burning practices, training and education, and collaboration with firefighting agencies and local communities.
One sugarcane farm in São Paulo deploys LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS to identify early-stage wildfire ignitions and take timely action to control the fires. The sugarcane farm is pleased that it is easy to configure its AXIS surveillance cameras to send real-time images to LookOut to detect wildfires. They use the surveillance cameras to prevent unauthorized access and mitigate wildfire risks. They can utilize their cameras for multiple purposes without additional hardware investment, making LookOut a very cost-effective solution.
Video 1: LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS detected a distant runaway control burn
Furthermore, LookOut’s Double Positive feature helps the sugarcane farm avoid false positive alarms caused by dust generated by fast-moving trucks in the farm. This prevents mistaking distant dust for wildfire smoke. The operation manager of the sugarcane farm praises LookOut, stating, “LookOut wildfire detection service performs very well in our environment. The AI detection is very accurate. It is very cost-effective too. LookOut is a good solution, and we recommend it to other farmers.”
Video 2: LookOut Wildfire Detection SaaS detected a distant runaway control burn in night-time
Sugarcane farming in Brazil thrives as a major contributor to the global market. However, the industry faces challenges, particularly in managing the persistent threat of wildfires. By implementing LookOut wildfire detection SaaS, sugarcane farms can strive to mitigate the impact of wildfires and sustainably cultivate this vital crop.
Please contact contato@agrorobotics.com.br if you are interested to use LookOut wildfire detection SaaS in Brazil.
