ings ▁are ▁sometimes ▁hand - pl anted . ▁In ▁more ▁techn olog ically ▁advanced ▁countries ▁like ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Australia , ▁b illet ▁plant ing ▁is ▁common . ▁B illet s ▁( stal ks ▁or ▁st alk ▁sections ) ▁har v ested ▁by ▁a ▁mechanical ▁har v ester ▁are ▁plant ed ▁by ▁a ▁machine ▁that ▁opens ▁and ▁re clos es ▁the ▁ground . ▁Once ▁plant ed , ▁a ▁stand ▁can ▁be ▁har v ested ▁several ▁times ; ▁after ▁each ▁har vest , ▁the ▁can e ▁sends ▁up ▁new ▁stal ks , ▁called ▁r ato ons . ▁Success ive ▁har v ests ▁give ▁decre asing ▁yields , ▁eventually ▁just ifying ▁re plant ing . ▁Two ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁har v ests ▁are ▁usually ▁made ▁depending ▁on ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁culture . ▁In ▁a ▁country ▁with ▁a ▁mechanical ▁agricult ure ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁high ▁production ▁of ▁large ▁fields , ▁like ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁sugar ▁can es ▁are ▁re pl anted ▁after ▁two ▁or ▁three ▁har v ests ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁lower ing ▁in ▁yields . ▁In ▁countries ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁traditional ▁type ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁with ▁smaller ▁fields ▁and ▁hand ▁har vest ing , ▁like ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁island ▁la ▁Ré union , ▁sugar ▁can e ▁is ▁often ▁har v ested ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁before ▁re plant ing . ▁ ▁Sug arc ane ▁is ▁har v ested ▁by ▁hand ▁and ▁mechan ically . ▁Hand ▁har vest ing ▁accounts ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁production , ▁and ▁is ▁dominant ▁in