Energy Cane Research Articles

Of actors, functions, and fuels: Exploring a second generation ethanol transition from a technological innovation systems perspective in Brazil

This article analyzes the transition towards second-generation (2G) biofuels during the 2005–2018 period in Brazil, which is a world leader of first-generation (1G) biofuels. In the case of Brazil 2G technologies are associated with sugarcane and the technologies of this transition considered in this article are enzymatic hydrolysis and energy cane. The analytical background used is the technological innovation systems (TIS) framework. The functioning of the innovation system is studied using scientific papers, patents, reports, newspaper information, and other data from Brazilian funding agencies. The paper examines how the functions of the Brazilian bioethanol TIS related to 2G biofuels operated and were interconnected in this period. We found that the knowledge development and resource mobilization functions operated positively but others did not, especially guidance of the search, market formation and creation of legitimacy, revealing an unbalanced system transformation. During this period there were two important phases, one dominated by academic actors and the other by the federal development bank. However, we found that the functions were not enough to explain the TIS evolution, and that the external context of the global TIS and the Brazilian macroeconomic dynamic were also very important to explain this evolution. We conclude that the transition was not completed and that in the future policies should consider system dynamics and context evolution.

Prebiotics from energy cane bagasse

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) is a group of emerging prebiotics that selectively stimulate the growth of advantageous gastrointestinal bacteria benefitting the host’s gut health and functionality. XOS can achieve positive biological effects at low daily doses and low caloric content, properties that are the same or more desirable than the already established prebiotics. XOS are present in plants in very low amounts so there is a great opportunity to isolate XOS with varying degrees of polymerization from the hemicellulose (xylan) fraction of lignocellulosic materials (e.g., bagasse), a source that offers both economic and environmental advantages. In this study, the recovery of XOS by the combined use of activated carbon adsorption, water washing and ethanol desorption from diluted acid pretreated energy cane bagasse hydrolysates was evaluated. The recovered XOS was tested for its prebiotic activity on Bifidobacterium adolescentis ATCC 15703. The final product of extracted XOS from energy cane bagasse (XOS EC Bagasse crude sample) had a purity of 93%, which was comparable to the purities observed with two commercially available XOS prebiotics, CPA (89%) and CPB (93%). XOS EC Bagasse crude sample exhibited prebiotic properties by stimulating the growth of B. adolescentis ATCC 15703 and by producing lactic acid, which were comparable to those observed with the commercial prebiotics.

Rapid Preparation of Cellulose Nanofibers from Energy Cane Bagasse and Their Application as Stabilizer and Rheological Modifiers in Magnetorheological Fluid

Magnetorheological fluids (MRFs) are smart fluids made of magnetic particles in a viscous carrier fluid, and their rheological properties are controllable by an external magnetic field. However, MRFs suffer from serious sedimentation and redispersibility problems, which limit their effectiveness and feasibility in a wide variety of applications. Herein, we present a novel strategy to improve magnetorheological property and stability of MRFs using cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), rapidly prepared from energy cane bagasse using microwave-assisted alkali-H2O2 and ultrasonic treatment. High delignification rate of 94.3% was achieved by the microwave treatment for 15 min. Chemical structure analysis revealed that the removal of lignin and carboxylation of cellulose occurred simultaneously. The obtained CNFs exhibited a highly entangled network structure, and their suspension showed the gel-like viscoelastic behavior. In CNF-MRF, the magnetic particles were entrapped and suspended by the entangled network of CNFs, which is due to the physical entanglement and the electrostatic repulsion force between Fe3O4 and CNFs. CNFs helped suspend magnetic particles in CNF-MRFs, leading to improved stability and magnetorheological properties (i.e., viscosity stability after cycling, reversible rate of 95.57% after 100 cycles). This work demonstrates a new path for the production of CNFs from energy cane bagasse wastes and their value-added utilization in MRFs.

Challenges and Prospects of Biogas from Energy Cane as Supplement to Bioethanol Production

Innovative breeds of sugar cane yield up to 2.5 times as much organic matter as conventional breeds, resulting in a great potential for biogas production. The use of biogas production as a complementary solution to conventional and second-generation ethanol production in Brazil may increase the energy produced per hectare in the sugarcane sector. Herein, it was demonstrated that through ensiling, energy cane can be conserved for six months; the stored cane can then be fed into a continuous biogas process. This approach is necessary to achieve year-round biogas production at an industrial scale. Batch tests revealed specific biogas potentials between 400 and 600 LN/kgVS for both the ensiled and non-ensiled energy cane, and the specific biogas potential of a continuous biogas process fed with ensiled energy cane was in the same range. Peak biogas losses through ensiling of up to 27% after six months were observed. Finally, compared with second-generation ethanol production using energy cane, the results indicated that biogas production from energy cane may lead to higher energy yields per hectare, with an average energy yield of up to 162 MWh/ha. Finally, the Farm2CBG concept is introduced, showing an approach for decentralized biogas production.

Production of lignin-containing cellulose nanofibers using deep eutectic solvents for UV-absorbing polymer reinforcement

Lignin-containing cellulose nanofibers (LCNFs) from energy cane bagasse (ECB), were prepared using microwave assisted deep eutectic solvent (MV-DES) treatment in combination with ultrasonication. The yield of lignocellulose is up to 45.2 % with 81.0 % delignification under the optimal reaction condition (110 ℃, 30 min). The resulting LCNF exhibited a highly entangled network, which was caused by the binder role of lignin between cellulose nanofibers. The addition of LCNFs improved the stability of the polyanionic cellulose (PAC) film-forming suspension, which was confirmed by the increased zeta potential and viscosity values. The LCNF / PAC films showed tunable mechanical and UV-resistant properties, depending on the amount and type of LCNFs. PAC films with the addition of 5 % LCNFs (PEF-5 %) showed good mechanical properties (a tensile strength of 55.8 MPa with a 26.3 % strain to break) and high UV protection ability (a UV-transmittance of 2.9 %).

Fuzzy controller in the selection of sugarcane and energy cane ideotypes

In response to the new requirements of the sugar-energy sector, sugarcane breeding programs are addressing the selection of clones for different purposes, e.g., sucrose production, ethanol production for first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) biofuels. Consequently, agronomic variables such as fiber content, sucrose content and biomass yield, become more relevant in the selection process, for underlying the definition of conventional, high biomass and multipurpose ideotypes. The relation between fiber and sucrose contents and biomass quantity should be used to differentiate thee different clone types: conventional clones, with high sucrose content and high biomass; high biomass, with high fiber content and high biomass; or multipurpose, with high fiber and sucrose contents and high biomass. In view of the difficulty of selecting different ideotypes from the same population, the objective of this study was to develop a method of selecting sugarcane clones for the different purposes. A population with 220 clones derived from crosses involving parents of different Saccharum species were subjected to the new methodology of clone selection with a fuzzy controller programmed to classify experimental clones in three ideotypes. Apart from the selection involving real data, the fuzzy controller was tested on 26 simulated populations. The controller proved to be efficient in the classification and selection of clones from the three ideotypes with real and simulated data.

Forecasting Yield and Lignocellulosic Composition of Energy Cane Using Unmanned Aerial Systems

Crop monitoring and appropriate agricultural management practices of elite germplasm will enhance bioenergy’s efficiency. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) may be a useful tool for this purpose. The objective of this study was to assess the use of UAS with true color and multispectral imagery to predict the yield and total cellulosic content (TCC) of newly created energy cane germplasm. A trial was established in the growing season of 2016 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Weslaco, Texas, where 15 energy cane elite lines and three checks were grown on experimental plots, arranged in a complete block design and replicated four times. Four flights were executed at different growth stages in 2018, at the first ratoon crop, using two multi-rotor UAS: the DJI Phantom 4 Pro equipped with RGB camera and the DJI Matrice 100, equipped with multispectral sensor (SlantRange 3p). Canopy cover, canopy height, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and ExG (Excess Green Index) were extracted from the images and used to perform a stepwise regression to obtain the yield and TCC models. The results showed a good agreement between the predicted and the measured yields (R2 = 0.88); however, a low coefficient of determination was found between the predicted and the observed TCC (R2 = 0.30). This study demonstrated the potential application of UAS to estimate energy cane yield with high accuracy, enabling plant breeders to phenotype larger populations and make selections with higher confidence.

Assessing the biofuel – transport nexus. The case of the sugar industry in Cuba

Cuba currently faces a limited availability of transportation to support the development needs of the country. Transport availability is mostly limited because of fuel shortage. Moreover, Cuba has an important production of sugarcane, with a significant potential to further increase its production. Using sugarcane-based bioethanol is a significant opportunity for sugarcane producer countries. There are different raw materials available in the sugar industry to produce bioethanol. Therefore, there are different scenarios to increase the production of sugarcane and energy cane, to increase bioethanol production. In this study, two scenarios of sugarcane and energy cane production were considered, from which there are eight possible scenarios of bioethanol production. These bioethanol production scenarios were matched with three transport scenarios, including a business-as-usual scenario, a scenario considering the use of bioethanol blends in standard gasoline and diesel engines, and the and introduction of vehicles running on high ethanol blends or pure bioethanol (i.e flexible fuel vehicles, and ethanol buses and trucks). In total, the production of sugarcane-based bioethanol might support from 4 to 58% of the yearly demand for transport energy in the transport scenarios. Additionally, the use of bioethanol as a transport fuel can potentially reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 3–30%.

ECOFI: a database of sugar and energy cane field trials

Agroecological studies on sugarcane dealing with genotype by environment by management interactions commonly generate complex datasets. To facilitate the use of these datasets, a relational database, named ECOFI, was designed from the analysis of the content and the structure datasets of multidisciplinary experiments with sugarcane and energy cane. The database described in this paper includes data from 58 trials carried out in 11 countries from 1986 to 2016, including 24 trials in Reunion Islands and 15 in Guadeloupe. Taking into account plots within the trials and crop cycle, it includes 725 crop cycles in total, with 60 different cultivars. The datasets contain data for crop observations (e.g. dry mass), soil (water contents), weather (all essential meteorological parameters) and management (sowing, cultivars and harvest). Additionally the datasets contain metadata to qualify observations. This dataset provides an adequate experimental set to calibrate or validate crop model simulations under genotype x environment interaction.

Cellulose nanofibers from rapidly microwave-delignified energy cane bagasse and their application in drilling fluids as rheology and filtration modifiers

Energy cane bagasse (ECB) is the major residue after the cane is milled to extract juice for sugar, biochemical, and/or biofuel production. The sustainable conversion of ECB into high value-added products can help reduce agricultural waste, and enhance utilization of bioresources. In the present work, we demonstrate that ECB can be converted into cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) that can serve as high value-added additives in bentonite water-based fluids (BT-WDFs). Particularly, cellulose fibers (CFs) were rapidly isolated from ECB by microwave-assisted NaOH / NaClO2 treatments. CFs treated with the higher NaOH concentration and microwave irradiation lost more lignin (96.2 % delignification) and their crystal structure was more completely transformed from cellulose I to II, resulting in smaller diameters (8.5 μm). CNFs suspensions from subsequent wet-grinding and microfluidization of the CFs exhibited typical shear-thinning behaviors and solid-like viscoelastic properties due to the entangled network structure of the CNFs. Formulated fluids with 0.5 wt% of the manufactured CNFs showed good rheological and filtration properties, demonstrating their potential applications in the oil service industry.

Biomass Yield and Carbohydrate Composition in Sugarcane and Energy Cane Grown on Mineral Soils

A better understanding of sugarcane and energy cane (Saccharum spp.) in biomass accumulation and carbohydrate composition can improve the knowledge of crop production sustainability and optimal utilization. The objectives of this study were to identify sugar composition and concentrations of stalk juice in sugarcane and energy cane grown on two sandy soils during ripening and to determine differences between the two types of canes in nonstructural and structural carbohydrate partitioning and concentrations in dry biomass for the mature plant-cane, first-ratoon, and second-ratoon crops. A field study was conducted at two locations with mineral (sand) soils in south Florida, USA, using two commercial sugarcane cultivars of CP 78-1628 and CP 80-1743 and two energy cane genotypes (US 78-1013 and US 84-1066) to determine their biomass yields and carbohydrate composition and concentrations. Averaged across the three crops and two locations, energy cane had significantly higher biomass yield, lower nonstructural carbohydrate (reducing sugars and sucrose) concentrations, and higher concentrations of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin than sugarcane. Although there were no differences between sugarcane and energy cane in total carbohydrate concentration (839 to 842 g kg−1 DW), energy cane had 80% higher cellulose, 63% higher hemicelluloses, and 76% higher lignin; 69, 64, and 56% lower sucrose, glucose, and fructose concentrations, respectively, than sugarcane, when averaged across the three crops and two locations. These results can be useful for potential use of canes for both sucrose and cellulosic ethanol production on marginal sand soils to improve sustainability and profitability in the future.

Non-carbon loss long-term continuous lactic acid production from mixed sugars using thermophilic Enterococcus faecium QU 50.

In this study, a non-sterile (open) continuous fermentation (OCF) process with no-carbon loss was developed to improve lactic acid (LA) productivity and operational stability from the co-utilization of lignocellulose-derived sugars by thermophilic Enterococcus faecium QU 50. The effects of different sugar mixtures on LA production were firstly investigated in conventional OCF at 50°C, pH 6.5 and a dilution rate of 0.20 hr-1 . The xylose consumption ratio was greatly lower than that of glucose in fermentations with glucose/xylose mixtures, indicating apparent carbon catabolite repression (CCR). However, CCR could be efficiently eliminated by feeding solutions containing the cellobiose/xylose mixture. In OCF at a dilution rate ca. 0.10 hr-1 , strain QU 50 produced 42.6 g L-1 of l-LA with a yield of 0.912 g g-1 -consumed sugars, LA yield of 0.655 g g-1 based on mixed sugar-loaded, and a productivity of 4.31 g L-1 hr-1 from simulated energy cane hydrolyzate. In OCF with high cell density by cell recycling, simultaneous and complete co-utilization of sugars was achieved with stable LA production at 60.1 ± 3.25 g L-1 with LA yield of 0.944 g g-1 -consumed sugar and LA productivity of 6.49 ± 0.357 g L-1 hr-1 . Besides this, a dramatic increase in LA yield of 0.927 g g-1 based on mixed sugar-loaded with prolonged operational stability for at least 500 hr (>20 days) was established. This robust system demonstrates an initial green step with a no-carbon loss under energy-saving toward the feasibility of sustainable LA production from lignocellulosic sugars.

Continuous biogas production from sugarcane as sole substrate

A German–Brazilian research project investigates sugarcane as an energy plant in anaerobic digestion for biogas production. The aim of the project is a continuous, efficient, and stable biogas process with sugarcane as the substrate. Tests are carried out in a fermenter with a volume of 10 l.In order to optimize the space–time load to achieve a stable process, a continuous process in laboratory scale has been devised. The daily feed in quantity and the harvest time of the substrate sugarcane has been varied. Analyses of the digester content were conducted twice per week to monitor the process: The ratio of inorganic carbon content to volatile organic acid content (VFA/TAC), the concentration of short-chain fatty acids, the organic dry matter, the pH value, and the total nitrogen, phosphate, and ammonium concentrations were monitored. In addition, the gas quality (the percentages of CO2, CH4, and H2) and the quantity of the produced gas were analyzed.The investigations have exhibited feasible and economical production of biogas in a continuous process with energy cane as substrate. With a daily feeding rate of 1.68 gVS /l*d the average specific gas formation rate was 0.5 m3/kgVS. The long-term study demonstrates a surprisingly fast metabolism of short-chain fatty acids. This indicates a stable and less susceptible process compared to other substrates.

Genetic Structure Analysis in Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) Using Target Region Amplification Polymorphism (TRAP) Markers Based on Sugar- and Lignin-Related Genes and Potential Application in Core Collection Development

Sugarcane is a main bioenergy crop and is highlighted worldwide in sugar, ethanol, and biomass production. Sugar and lignin contents are important quality traits for traditional and energy cane cultivar development, respectively. In the present study, genetic variability of a broad group of sugarcane basic germplasm accessions encompassing wild relatives and traditional and modern cultivars was assessed using target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) markers derived from candidate genes involved in sugar and lignin metabolism. In total, 823 polymorphic markers (483 for sugar and 340 for lignin metabolism genes) were amplified; the average polymorphism information content values were highest for sugarcane wild relatives followed by traditional cultivars and modern cultivars. Genetic variability of the 96 genotypes captured by TRAP candidate genes for sugar and lignin metabolism was structured into two and three subpopulations, respectively. Based on the membership proportion (Q), modern cultivars inherited variability for genes involved in sugar metabolism from both S. officinarum and S. spontaneum. The genetic differentiation index based on sugar and lignin metabolism genes suggests moderate genetic differentiation among wild relatives, traditional cultivars, and modern cultivars. A core collection was established for sugar and lignin TRAP markers. Values for average genetic distance for the core collection based on sugar (0.761) and lignin (0.804) TRAP-derived markers were higher than those observed for all accessions, indicating that the core collections retained the most divergent accessions.

Silica Production across Candidate Lignocellulosic Biorefinery Feedstocks

Biofuels produced from non-food lignocellulosic feedstocks have the potential to replace a significant percentage of fossil fuels via high yield potential and suitability for cultivation on marginal lands. Commercialization of dedicated lignocellulosic crops into single biofuels, however, is hampered by conversion technology costs and decreasing oil prices. Integrated biorefinery approaches, where value-added chemicals are produced in conjunction with biofuels, offer significant potential towards overcoming this economic disadvantage. In this study, candidate lignocellulosic feedstocks were evaluated for their potential biomass and silica yields. Feedstock entries included pearl millet-napiergrass (“PMN”; Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br. × P. purpureum Schumach.), napiergrass (P. purpureum Schumach.), annual sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench), pearl millet (P. glaucum [L.] R. Br.), perennial sorghum (Sorghum spp.), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), giant miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus J.M. Greef and Deuter), and energy cane (Saccharum spp.). Replicated plots were planted at three locations and characterized for biomass yield, chemical composition including hemicellulose, cellulose, acid detergent lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP), and silica concentration. The PMN, napiergrass, energy cane, and sunn hemp had the highest biomass yields. They were superior candidates for ethanol production due to high cellulose and hemicellulose content. They also had high silica yield except for sunn hemp. Silica yield among feedstock entries ranged from 41 to 3249 kg ha−1. Based on high bioethanol and biosilica yield potential, PMN, napiergrass, and energy cane are the most promising biorefinery feedstock candidates for improving biofuel profitability.

Use of bioreactors for large-scale multiplication of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), energy cane (Saccharum spp.), and related species

The objective of this study was to set up a plant micropropagation facility to mass propagate sugarcane, energy cane, and related clonally propagated species. An efficient methodology for micropropagation of energy cane and perennial grasses using temporary immersion bioreactors was developed. Several different methods of tissue culture initiation, multiplication, and rooting were evaluated for several varieties of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and sugarcane-related species such as Erianthus spp., Miscanthus spp., and Sorghum spp. × sugarcane hybrids, all from a germplasm collection. Apical meristem cultures were initiated for all genotypes that were micropropagated, when liquid or semisolid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was used, which was supplemented with 0.1–0.2 mg L−1 BAP, 0.1 mg L−1 kinetin, 0–0.1 mg L−1 NAA, and 0–0.2 μg L−1 giberellic acid. These cultures produced shoots between 4 and 8 wk after initiation. Shoot regeneration from leaf rolls or immature inflorescences was observed as early as 4 wk after initiation. Shoot multiplication was successful for all genotypes cultured in MS medium with 0.2 mg L−1 BAP and 0.1 mg L−1 kinetin. Energy cane had a significantly higher combined multiplication rate when grown under four or five LED lamps than when grown under three LED lamps, or under fluorescent lights in a growth chamber. The addition of 2 mg L−1 NAA produced faster and better rooting in all of the genotypes tested. Shoots produced well-developed roots after one cycle of 15–21 d in the bioreactors. The maximum number of plantlets produced per bioreactor was 1080. Plantlets developed a vigorous root system and were ready to be transplanted into the field after 2 mo. A protocol was standardized for different energy cane clones that were recommended for their biomass production and cell wall composition. Different tissues were used to speed up or facilitate tissue culture initiation. Visual assessment of micropropagated plants in the field did not show any off-types, based on gross morphological changes of plant morphology or disease reaction, compared to plants of the same genotype derived from a traditional propagation method (stem cuttings). This is the first report of energy cane and Miscanthus spp. micropropagation using the SETIS bioreactor.

Elephant Grass Biomass Attributes for Bioenergetic Applications Compared to Other Feedstocks

The study aim to evaluate the biomass quality attributes of elephant grass [ Cenchrus purpureus (Schumach.) Morrone] genotypes for the bioenergy production compared to other feedstocks. There were evaluated 32 feedstocks among them 16 elephant grass (EG) genotypes and 14 other feedstocks with potential for bioenergy applications. The evaluated quality attributes are the elemental composition, net calorific value, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and ash contents (% of dry matter). Our results point out that the EG genotypes show similar quality atrributes among themselves, except to the ash content. The mean net calorific value of the EG biomass (3,995 kcal kg -1 ) was superior than the rice husk and sorghum, and similar compared to sugarcane straw and bagasse, coconut fiber, energy cane, cassava waste and corn stover. The EG genotypes cellulose mean content (36%) was superior than cassava waste sample, but similar compared to all other feedstocks, except to the eucalyptus, rice husk, bamboo and sugarcane bagasse. The EG genotypes hemicellulose mean content (29.3%) was superior than the coconut husk, bamboo, cassava waste, coconut fiber, rice husk, eucalyptus and M. caesalpiniaefolia and similar to sorghum, energy cane, sugarcane straw and bagasse. The EG genotypes lignin mean content (8.2%) was superior to corn stover and similar to energy cane, sorghum, sugarcane bagasse and straw. The EG Madeira showed the lowest ash contents (2.21%) among the EG genotypes. The mean ash content of the other EG biomass (4.96%) was similar to bamboo, energy cane, cassava waste and sugarcane straw.

Logistic model to selection of energy cane clones

ABSTRACT: Logistic regression analysis is a technique that may aid genetic breeding programs in the selection of clones, especially in the early stages where experimental accuracy is low. This research aimed to identify the most important agronomic traits for energy cane clonal selection, and to verify the efficiency of the logistic model in predicting the genotypes to be selected. Evaluations were carried out on 220 clones in the first ratoon. The data were subjected to binary logistic regression analysis. Stalk number per meter was the most important trait in the selection of energy cane clones. In addition, plants with lower grade for smut incidence had a greater chance of being selected. The predictive capacities of the qualitative and quantitative models were 94% and 88%, respectively. The use of a qualitative model proved to be effective at predicting the number of energy cane genotypes to be selected and could be used as a selection strategy.

Relationship of red and red-edge reflectance-based vegetation indices with stalk and fiber yield of energy cane harvested at different dates

ABSTRACT The application of remote-sensing technology is relatively new and limited in energy cane (Saccharum spp.) production in Louisiana. This study was conducted at LSU AgCenter Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, from 2013 to 2015, to evaluate the relationship of spectral reflectance readings with stalk, nitrogen (N) uptake and fiber yield of energy cane harvested at different dates and to identify vegetation indices (VIs) that can be used for stalk and fiber yield prediction. Treatments included variety (Ho 02-113, US 72-114), N rate (0, 56, 112 and 224 kg N ha−1) and harvest dates arranged in split–split plot in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Canopy reflectance readings were collected from nine spots per plot using Jaz® hyperspectral spectrometer from 3 to 16 weeks after N application. Stalk yield for different harvest dates was estimated based on 15-stalk sampling or plot harvesting. The Pearson correlation analysis showed a strong dependence between VIs (computed from reflectance readings at 670 and 705 nm) and stalk yield, N uptake and fiber yield across cane age, demonstrating the potential use of optical remote sensing in energy cane stalk and fiber yield prediction.

Metabolic Regulation and Development of Energy Cane Setts upon Auxin Stimulus.

Energy cane is a bioenergy crop with an outstanding ability to bud sprouting and increasing yield in ratoon cycles even in marginal lands. Bud fate control is key to biomass production and crop profits due to vegetative propagation and tiller dependency, as well as phenotype plasticity to withstand harsh environmental conditions. During the establishment stage (plant cane cycle), energy cane has a tendency for low root:shoot ratio, which might hamper the ability to cope with stress. Auxin is known to modulate bud sprouting and stimulate rooting in sugarcane. Hence, we treated a slow and a fast bud sprouting energy cane cultivars with auxin or controls (with and without water soaking) for 6 h prior to planting and evaluate plant growth parameters and metabolic profiling using two techniques (gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometer and nuclear magnetic resonance) to characterize the effect and identify metabolite markers associated with bud inhibition and outgrowth. Auxin inhibited bud burst and promote rooting in setts changing the root:shoot ratio of plantlets. Metabolome allowed the identification of lactate, succinate and aspartate family amino acids as involved in bud fate control through the potential modulation of oxygen and energy status. Investigating environmental and biochemical factors that regulate bud fate can be incremental to other monocot species. Our study provides new insights into bud quiescence and outgrowth in cane hybrids, with the potential to leverage our understanding of yield-related traits, crop establishment and adaptation to global climate change.