Sucrose Accumulation and Harvest Schedule Recommendations for CP Sugarcane Cultivars

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is harvested during a 5-month period (October to March) in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of south Florida. The genetic and temporal variability of sugarcane sucrose concentration is well established, but sucrose accumulation curves have not been reported for the Canal Point (CP) clones used in Florida since 1977. The objective of this study was to compare sucrose accumulation for recently released clones and provide harvest schedule recommendations based on this information. Thirteen CP clones were sampled at 2-week intervals throughout 4 consecutive harvest seasons. Based on seasonal changes in cultivar ranking in sugar per ton, recommended harvest scheduling relative to October 14 (time = 0 days) are: early-season (0 to 50 days) for cultivars CP 70-1133, CP 80-1743, and CP 88-1762; mid-season (50 to 100 days) for cultivars CP 78-1628 and CP 84-1198; and late-season (100 to 150 days) for cultivars CP 72-1210, CP 72-2086, CP 80-1827, CP 85-1382, CP 88-1508, and CP 89-2377. Sucrose accumulation in cultivar CP 89-2143 was greatest across all harvest periods and should be grown by Florida producers interested in improving the sucrose concentration of their crop.