growing sugar cane for high yields

Growing Sugar Cane for

high yields

February 2011

Yoram Krontal

Growing Sugar Cane

for High Yields

February 2011

Yoram Krontal

Human resources

Plant

Soil

Climate

Potential Yield

New technologies

Factors influencing yields

Growing cane for high yields

Project planning and design

Plot design spacing and length

Use of innovative products

Selection of varieties suitable for drip irrigation

Quality of implementation process

Quality of growth substrate

Quality of seeds and planting

Quality of system installation

During crop growth

Drip irrigation as a delivery system

Harvest & post harvest

Natal Farm - Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Soil Preparation

Soil Fertility

Variety & Seed Quality

Quality of Planting

Irrigation

The five principles of growing sugar cane for high yields

Selection of dripper for best plot design Low flow dripper

Argentina – 60 ha 4 years old

Brazil – 10 ha 4 years old

Senegal – 1100 ha to be installed

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Planted cane 1 ratoon Planted cane 1 ratoon Planted cane 1 ratoon

DRIPNET PC 22135 1,0l/h DRIPNET PC 22135 0,60l/h Control

Yie

ld T

/ha

Low flow dripper

Row Length & Traffic Control:

A yield of 125 tons/ha results in about 24 kg/cane

per 1 m of row length (0.4 x 1.4m planting distance).

A mid-size wagon carries 12 tons of cane;

12,000 kilos of cane per wagon. Assuming 24

kg/meter, the result is 500 m rows and lateral

length. If we plan the plot at this length, one wagon

per row will suffice, thus avoiding unnecessary soil

compaction.

Dripnet PC 0.6 L/hr 9%

Dripnet PC 1.0 L/hr 32%

Dripnet PC 1.6 L/hr 14%

Typhoon 1.6 L/hr 18%

Typhoon 1.9 L/hr 9%

Typhoon 3.0 L/hr 9%

Streamline 1.6 L/hr 4%

Streamline 2.2 L/hr 5%

Distribution of dripper type & flow in various countries

The use of Dripnet PC (0.6; 1.0; 1.6) is 54% from the total

30 cm 9%

40 cm 27%

50 cm 46%

70 cm 9%

90 cm 9%

Light soils – dripper spacing (cm) Heavy soils – dripper spacing (cm)

40 cm 44%

50 cm 56%

Distribution of dripper spacing in various countries

Dripper spacing of 50 (cm) is the most common in heavy and light

soils

Mil of inch 6 8 10 12.5 15 20 25 35 40

mm (~) 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.90 1.00

Sensitive to soil insects Resistant to soil insects

Sensitive to rodents

Wall Thickness

• Cane quality & Yield

•Cane yield

•Sugar content

•Fiber content

• Agronomic Characteristics

•Stalk population (at harvest)

•Stalk mass (at harvest)

•Stalk height (at harvest)

•Stalk elongation

•Flowering

•Lodging

• Germination

•Speed

•Reliability

• Ratooning Ability

•Speed

•Reliability

• Reaction to Diseases & Pests

•Smut

•Mosaic

•Rust

•Borer

•Nematodes

• Reaction to Water Stress

•Growth during drought

•Ratooning after drought

•Waterlogging / poorly drained soils

• Nutrition

•Nitrogen use efficiency

•Aluminum tolerance

• Ripening treatments

•Ethrel

•Glyphosate

• Harvesting

•Best months

•Carryover

How to look for high production varieties

Erect cane

Varieties suitable for mechanical

harvest

Resistance to treading

(traffic control)

Ratooning Ability - Traffic control

Difference between two varieties in response to poor traffic control -

Yield reduction at 1st Ratoon

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0

50

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Médias

3250

5181

Ton

/ha

Planting

1st Ratoon

2nd Ratoon

Lack of high production varieties is a limitation factor

for drip viability

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RB863129 RB72454 RB971755 RB98710 RB951541 RB867515 RB931003 RB93509 RB92579

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Variety trial in Brazil –

before release

Variety trial in Honduras

from existing commercial

varieties

Stage 1 – Selection from

existing commercial

varieties

Stage 2 – Selection from

filed trail release

Stage 3 – during the

breeding process

Main varieties in use with drip irrigation

Country Soil type Main Variety

West Africa Medium / Heavy Soil SP - 711406

Brazil Light / Sandy Soil RB 92-579; RB 85-7515

Brazil Medium / Heavy Soil RB 92-579; RB 85-7515

Honduras Light / Sandy Soil CP 722086

Honduras Medium / Heavy Soil MEX 69290

Thailand Light / Sandy Soil K 200; LK11

Hawaii Light / Sandy Soil HSPA 7750; 3567;7052; 4153

Mexico Light / Sandy Soil CP 72 2086; ATEMEX 96-40

Mexico Medium / Heavy Soil CP 72 2086; ATEMEX 96-41

India Light / Sandy Soil CO-86032; Cov-94101

India Medium / Heavy Soil CO-86032; Cov-94102

Peru Light / Sandy Soil CC8592;

Peru Medium / Heavy Soil Chicama 32; H69; MEX 73

Australia Medium / Heavy Soil KQ228; Q208; Q183

Soil Preparation –

during the wet

or the dry season

Soil Fertility

Soil Analysis

Base fertilization

Liming

Gypsum

Project: Luiz Fernando Feltre

São Paulo Brazil

Drip project area: 36 ha.

First ratoon: 123 ton / ha

Rain-fed: 50% less

Rainfall: 1400 mm/year, from October to March

Soil – Latossolo vermelho escuro

Soil pH – 4.5 – 5.5

Clay 75%, type Kaolinite 1:1

Hydraulic conductivity 10-1 – 10-2 cm/sec.

Case study: Use of drip in acidic soils

High precipitation causes leaching of the soil cations:

Ca++ Mg++ K+;

and water dissociation:

H2O H+ + OH-

Resulting in acid soils

Fertilizers in use: Urea

Treatment – Liming 5 ton/ha

Project: Ingenio Laredo (Peru) • Area: 3500 ha.

• Soil: 99% sand

• Rain: 10 mm/Year

• Yield: 180 ton/ha

• Without irrigation – no production!

Projects in Arid regions – sandy soils

Soil pH in drip projects in various locations

Country Soil Type Soil pH

West Africa Medium / Heavy Soil 5 - 6

Brazil Light / Sandy Soil 6 - 6.5

Brazil Medium / Heavy Soil 5 - 6

Honduras Light / Sandy Soil 6.5 - 7

Honduras Medium / Heavy Soil 6 - 6.5

Thailand Light / Sandy Soil 5 - 6

TEXAS Light / Sandy Soil 7.5

TEXAS Medium / Heavy Soil 7

HAWAII Light / Sandy Soil 5.3 - 6.5

Mexico Light / Sandy Soil 5.5 - 6.5

Mexico Medium / Heavy Soil 5.5 - 6.5

India Light / Sandy Soil 6.5 - 8

India Medium / Heavy Soil 7.2 - 8.5

Peru Light / Sandy Soil 8

Peru Medium / Heavy Soil 7.5

Australia Light / Sandy Soil 7

Australia Medium / Heavy Soil 7 - 8

50% of the projects located

in acid soils

(pH below 7) and 50% in

alkaline soils (pH above 7)

Roads and Drainage

The area must include optimal roads and

transportation division, as well as a

suitable drainage system that may also

include an underground drainage system

in some spots

raiser

Key Factors for Project Success

Wine Grapes

Sugar Cane

Installation Irrigation & fertigation management

20% 80%

Installation

80% 20%

Management

Furrowing Machine

One line-

Two lines-

Three lines-

Work output,

Tractor size

Three - Iron beams :

keeping a distance

between the burying

shank, furrowers and

depth control wheels

Bogamoyo Tanzania – one line furrowing

with a 3 line option

Brazilian Furrowing

Machine

deep furrowing

2 lines injection

base fertilization

Maple, Peru

3 line injection,

furrowing at second stage

Semi-automatic Planting

Points for consideration:

Time from planting to system

pressurization & germination

is critical

Fully automated planting

Harvest for seed – Direct from the field

No nursery

No seed treatment

Elevator protection

Rubber protection

Knife protection

Entrance protection

Some modifications need to be done

in the harvester for bud protection

From the harvester directly to the planting machine

Planting depth in drip projects in different locations

Country Soil Type Planting depth (cm)

West Africa Medium / Heavy Soil 10

Brazil Light / Sandy Soil 15 - 20

Brazil Medium / Heavy Soil 20 - 25

Honduras Light / Sandy Soil 15

Honduras Medium / Heavy Soil 15

Thailand Light / Sandy Soil 10

Texas Light / Sandy Soil 15 - 20

Texas Medium / Heavy Soil 15 - 20

Hawaii Light / Sandy Soil 10 - 15

Mexico Light / Sandy Soil 10 - 15

Mexico Medium / Heavy Soil 10 - 15

India Light / Sandy Soil 15 - 20

India Medium / Heavy Soil 15 - 20

Peru Light / Sandy Soil 10

Peru Medium / Heavy Soil 10 - 15

Australia Light / Sandy Soil 15

Australia Medium / Heavy Soil 15

burying machine

Netafim 1 line

Netafim 2 & 3 lines

Netafim 2 & 3 lines

Client 1 line planting machine

Client 1 line planting machine

Client 1 line planting machine

Client planting machine 2 lines

client/Netafim 1 line

client/Netafim 1 line

Netafim 1 line

Netafim 1 line

Netafim 2 lines

Netafim 2 lines

Client + GPS 2 lines

Client + GPS 2 lines

Seed depth

Ridge height

Relation between the seed and the

drip lateral

5cm

40 cm

15 - 20 cm 10 - 15

cm

Soil natural

surface

After covering bed about 5 cm high

Nursery – available seed material:

1. Time from harvest to planting

2. Seed treatment

Seed Quality

Poor seed quality Low germination

rate

excess ? of seeds

Mother

plants

Laboratory for tissue cultures

Plant

Hardening

Greenhouse for

seedlings

Commercial

nursery

Healthy seed production

Planting quality

Dual row 0.4 x 1.4m

Number of buds for 1m = 9 min

to 13 max (depends on the

planting methods and

germination rate) for germination

of 9 buds per m

Number of buds per ha =

100,000 to 130,000

Number of buds per m2 = 10 - 13

Seed quantity = 8 to 12 tons/ha

Selecting Variety

Nurseries

Planting date

Covering implements Depth control

Compact roll

No

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geen

Covering & ridge height in various soils

Application of Vinasse and Humic Acids

Nematidcide Application via Drip

(Pratylenchus brachyurus and Meloidogyne incognita)

Nematidcide: Furadan 350g/l

Dose: 6 L/ha

10/3/10 before treatment 14/4/10 after treatment

Ripening treatment via drip -

Ethrel

Data : 24/04/2009

Variedade : 7515

Seção: 6

Talhão: 58 NETAFIMRB86

Descricao dos Intens :

Leitura do Brix 18,70

Leitura Sacarimétrica 66,87

Peso do Bolo Úmido 146,38

Fator de polarimetria 0,24

Pol 16,19

Pureza 86,55

Fibra 12,80

Coeficiente 0,94

Pol do Caldo 13,30

Fator de recuperação 1,03

Cálculo do AR% 0,71

Cálculo do ATR 143,29

Ágio/Deságio 28,23

Data : 25/04/2009

Variedade : 7515

Seção: 6

Talhão: 24 FAZ. PARTIDORB86

Descricao dos Intens :

Leitura do Brix 13,80

Leitura Sacarimétrica 42,56

Peso do Bolo Úmido 138,17

Fator de polarimetria 0,25

Pol 10,51

Pureza 76,15

Fibra 11,22

Coeficiente 0,95

Pol do Caldo 8,83

Fator de recuperação 0,90

Cálculo do AR% 1,64

Cálculo do ATR 111,90

Ágio/Deságio 0,14

Use of Drip as a Delivery System

Country Commercial Active Purpose

Brazil Furadan Carbofuran Nematode

Brazil Actara Tiametoxam Insect

Brazil Reagent Fipronil Nematode

Brazil Thiodan Endosulfan (prohibited to use)

Brazil Rynaxapir Chlorantraniliprole

Brazil Beauveria bassiana (fungi) Biological BROCA GIGANTE

Honduras Karate CYHALOTHRIN insect

Honduras Prowl Herbicide for maturation

Honduras Igrant Herbicide for maturation

Honduras Glifosat one and 2-4D Herbicide for maturation

Mexico Chloropyriphos (fungi) Biological

Mexico Vydate Oxamil Nematode

India Organic fertilizer Fertilization

Brazil Vinasse Fertilization

Brazil mill flushing water water Source

Brazil Etral Ripener

Single row 1.5 x 1.5 Dual row 1.4 x 0.4

Harvest

Spacing for Traffic control

Spacing of wagon & intermediate wagons

3.6 m 3 m

Link to file

New John Deere harvester for high yields, harvesting dual

row cane at 1.6 x 0.9 m

Higher yields

Reduced over-stepping

Reduction of drip system cost

Not suitable for all soil types

1.6 m 0.9 m

Drip lines 2.5m apart

2.5m

Mechanical Harvest

Ridge height

Depth control sensor

Changing knife

Harvesting Method Distribution in Drip

Projects in Various Countries

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Mechanical Harvest Manual Harvest

Caterpillar or Wheels

Collecting trash for energy

Summary & Discussion

Agro – spacing planting depth, ridge height

GPS

Time from burying planting ready for germination

Order of installation

Rodents & insects recommendations for wall thickness