Sugarcane Fields Research Articles

Study Of Diversity And Distribution Of Wild Plant In Corn (Zea mays) And Sugar Sugar (Saccharum officinarum) Fields In Gondanglegi District, Malang Regency

The existence of wild plants causes competition between the main plants and wild plants. Wild plants that grow with cultivated plants can reduce yields, both in quality and quantity. This study aims to determine the species diversity and distribution of wild plants in maize (Zea mays) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) fields in Gondanglegi District, Malang Regency. This research method is descriptive and exploratory. The data measured included the number of species, the number of individuals, the importance value index, and the diversity index of wild plant species. The results showed that there were 19 species of maize in all villages and the number of individuals was found (3395 individuals). In the sugar cane fields, 17 species were found in three villages in the Godanglegi Sub-District which found the number of individuals (2254 individuals). The distribution value of wild plants on corn fields in Sumberjaya, Ganjaran, and Putatlor villages is quite high with an average percentage of 65.3% higher than wild plants on sugar cane fields with an average percentage of 46.4%.Keywords: Corn, Sugarcane. Wild Plants

Advancing cane-quality management in the South African smallholder-farmer sector through participatory on-farm demonstration and knowledge exchange

Cane-quality management involving chemical ripening is an important component of profitable sugarcane production by large-scale commercial farmers in South Africa. For smallholder farmers (SHFs), however, sugarcane field size and adjacent alternative land-uses render conventional aerial crop-spraying methods unsuitable. The recent availability of spraying drones has created opportunities for chemical ripening to be introduced to the smallholder farmer sector. A network of demonstration trials based on strong partnerships of researchers, extension specialists and smallholder farmers, and participation by various industry stakeholders was established in 11 smallholder farmer regions. Knowledge exchange in each region involved an initial stakeholder engagement workshop, a series of practical field days during the execution of the trial, and post-trial information sharing events. The initial workshops were aimed at creating project awareness, defining the relative advantage that ripening with drones could deliver, identifying negative perceptions and potential barriers that might hinder adoption, and reaching consensus on trial methodology. Field days were focused on demonstrating the processes of maturity assessment to establish the need for chemical ripening and applying a ripener with a drone to parts of the fields. At the same time, control portions were left untreated, and assessing the efficacy of ripening benefits and harvest readiness. These demonstrations illustrated the judicious use of agrochemicals by only spraying fields suited to ripening. In-field estimates of cane yield and cane quality in the ripened and control treatments shortly before harvest, and in some cases, field production data from the sugar factories, revealed a range of improvements in recoverable crystal (ERC) due to ripening that was influenced by location and sugarcane cultivar. Although the SHFs expressed genuine interest in chemically ripening their crops with spraying drones, industry challenges will need to be addressed prior to wider adoption.

Impact of different Trichogramma chilonis populations from sugarcane fields on parasitism of Corcyra cephalonica

AbstractTrichogramma chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is the most important parasitoid of sugarcane borers in China. T. chilonis are produced from either rearing on Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Hymenoptera: Galleriidae) eggs in the laboratory or at factory level and released into the field to control sugarcane borers in China. Limited reports on the efficacy of different populations of T. chilonis in the sugarcane field against C. cephalonica are available. This study reports the parasitism efficacy and functional response of different T. chilonis populations against C. cephalonica under laboratory conditions. The number of eggs parasitized by the laboratory population of T. chilonis (total 57.05 eggs) on C. cephalonica was the highest among the different populations investigated; parasitism by the Baise population was the lowest (total 21.30 eggs). The parasitoid emergence rate of T. chilonis Baise population on C. cephalonica (102.16%) was the highest among the different populations, whereas that from the C. cephalonica laboratory population was the lowest (84.73%). The sex ratio (female/male) of T. chilonis laboratory population (3.51) was significantly higher than the other three sugarcane field populations. The functional responses of T. chilonis on C. cephalonica were determined as Holling type II. The search rate of T. chilonis laboratory population (1.0392) parasitizing on the eggs of C. cephalonica was higher than other Trichogramma populations, whereas the handling time (0.00809) was shorter than that of the other populations. The results from this study indicate that the origin of the population of T. chilonis can affect its parasitic ability upon C. cephalonica; therefore, further evaluation for control efficacy of different populations of T. chilonis against sugarcane borers, especially in the field, is warranted.

Conservation agriculture practices in a peanut cropping system: Effects on pod yield and soil penetration resistance

ABSTRACT Conservation agriculture principles applied to peanut can reduce soil erosion and production costs when cultivated in rotation with sugarcane. Still, the problem with soil compaction is the leading cause of skepticism about the efficacy of this practice. This research aimed to study the effect of three soil management strategies compared with conventional for peanut cv. IAC-OL3, cultivated in rotation with sugarcane using the MEIOSI (method of intercropping occurring simultaneously) system for agronomic practices with additional analysis on changes in soil physics properties. The trial was conducted in 2019-2020 in Planalto municipality (São Paulo, Brazil) under a green-harvested sugarcane field, using a randomized complete block experimental design. The trial consisted of four soil management treatments (conventional tillage, minimum tillage with chisel, strip-tillage, and no-tillage) with five replications. Although no differences were verified in soil bulk density and porosity among treatments, the highest values of soil penetration resistance were observed in no-tillage treatment for all evaluations (before planting, at the beginning of flowering, and before and after harvesting) in comparison with conventional tillage. The difference in soil penetration resistance among the treatments diminished from planting to the end of the cycle. Furthermore, low soil disturbance and maximum covering with straw significantly increased the available water capacity and reduced the incidence and severity of groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV) on peanut plants. Consequently, both minimum-tillage and no-tillage have increased the pod yield on average by 695 and 991 kg ha -1 more than strip-tillage and conventional tillage, respectively, without differences in terms of quality and pod losses.

The Response Characteristics of Sugarcane Yield, ET and WUE to Meteorological Drought Based on DSSAT-Canegro Model in Lai-bin, China

Crop water use efficiency is an important indicator of the scientific and rational nature of agricultural water use. Studying the response characteristics of sugarcane yield accumulation and water use efficiency to meteorological drought scenarios is a key scientific issue to promote smart management and sustainable development of China's sugarcane industry. In this paper, based on SPEI index, different meteorological drought scenarios were set and the DSSAT-Canegro model was used to simulate the response mechanisms of sugarcane yield accumulation and canopy evapotranspiration to irrigation regime scenarios under different meteorological drought scenarios. Furtherly, in this study, the total on-farm water use efficiency (WUEg), field water use efficiency (WP), true irrigation water use efficiency (WUEti), and irrigation water use efficiency (WUEi) of sugarcane in the study area were evaluated quantitatively to screen the optimal irrigation regime. Specific studies have shown that the stem extension stage is the most sensitive growth stage for sugarcane response to irrigation. Soil evapotranspiration and crop transpiration in sugarcane fields in Laibin varied with irrigation quotas, and that reducing soil evapotranspiration could improve sugarcane water use efficiency. In meteorological drought scenarios with longer and more intense droughts, irrigation has a stronger stimulating effect on sugarcane growth and is more favourable to its yield accumulation.The correlations between WUEg index and WP, WUEi) and WUEti indicators of sugarcane in the study area were all significant, which can be used as key analytical indicators for the optimization of sugarcane irrigation regimes in Laibin. The results of this study can provide important scientific support for the accurate quantification of water demand and consumption of sugarcane in southern China and their coupled and coordinated intelligent management.

A long-term assessment of the effectiveness of a semi-artificial wetland in removing organic materials and nutrients from agricultural drainage water

Agricultural drainage water from sugarcane fields typically contains a high level of nutrients and organic substances. During different seasons of the year, this study examined the effectiveness of constructed wetlands in improving agricultural drainage water from sugarcane fields to Naseri Wetland in southwest Khuzestan province by removing organic materials and nutrients. Over a long period (2020−2021) of time, a semi-artificial wetland in Khuzestan province of Iran was tested for its efficacy in removing nutrients and organic matter from sugarcane field drainage water. The wetlands were divided into three sections (3.5 km in length, 1.2 km in width, and 0.5 m in depth) and the beginning of each segment was considered a sampling station and was referred to as ST1, ST2, and ST3. In all four seasons, the removal efficiency (RE) of the studied parameters was significant irrespective of seasonal temperature. In addition, the retention time had a significant effect on RE as distance from ST0 increased. The maximum REs of NO3, NH4, TN, PO4, TP, BOD, and COD were achieved at ST3 by 65, 65, 65, 93, 94, 75, and 64 %, respectively. By using this system, the quality of agricultural drainage water can be raised to the desired standard for discharge into the environment and for agricultural use. In light of the large amount of agricultural drainage water, wetlands are an environmental friendly method for treating excess water, which not only prevents pollution of limited freshwater resources, but also adds secondary resources to production cycle. With careful design and implementation, constructed wetlands could offer a practical solution to reclaiming agricultural drainage water in Khuzestan and other regions with similar climates.

Impacts of agrochemical intensification and spatial isolation on the assembly and reassembly of temporary pond metacommunities

Abstract Since the Green Revolution, the management of agrochemicals has become a cornerstone of agriculture, allowing it to expand over terrestrial ecosystems previously deemed unsuitable for cultivation. Such expansion altered the connectedness of aquatic habitats to organisms with complex life cycles by increasing the number of temporary ponds in interfluves. Here, we investigate how spatial isolation and intensification in the use of agrochemicals can interact to increase or decrease the permeability of agricultural fields to these organisms by affecting community structure in temporary ponds. We carried out a field experiment that simulates realistic scenarios of agrochemical contamination at different levels of spatial isolation. We constructed 45 1200‐L artificial ponds in a Savanna landscape in Brazil at three distances from a source wetland (30, 120, and 480 m). The ponds were spontaneously colonized by aquatic insects and amphibians and treated with no agrochemicals (control), fertilizers (as in managed pastures) or fertilizers and a single pulse of the insecticide fipronil and the herbicide 2,4‐D (as in sugarcane fields) following realistic dosages and application schedules. Communities treated only with fertilizers generally exhibited a higher abundance of aquatic insects at the peak of the rainy season, suggesting that fertilization caused bottom‐up effects. However, because low spatial isolation and fertilization favoured different predatory taxa, their insect prey eventually became less abundant in less isolated fertilized ponds. Communities treated with fertilizers and pesticides diverged strongly from other treatments after the application of the insecticide, when a decrease in insect abundance indirectly benefitted amphibian populations. In this case, spatial isolation delayed the recovery of the abundance of several herbivore and detritivore insects in isolated ponds. Synthesis and applications. These results have direct consequences for the emergence of insects and amphibians, possibly affecting important ecosystem services. Such consequences can be controlled by avoiding agrochemical contamination at the peak of most taxa reproductive season or through changes in spatial isolation by deliberately constructing wetlands in interfluves. In all cases, the effects of agrochemicals and isolation must be addressed jointly for a successful management of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Low-Cost 2WT-Operated Earthing-Up Machine for Sugarcane Cultivation in Bangladesh

Like most crops, sugarcane needs to be kept upright until it is harvested. The lodging of sugarcane has significant negative effects on the cane yield and sugar content of sugarcane. To keep sugarcane upright, earthing up is an essential in the cultural part of the operation. In Bangladesh, most of the sugarcane cultivation operations, including earthing-up, are generally performed in a traditional manual method which increases the production costs as well as reduces the income of sugarcane growers. Therefore, a cost-effective two-wheeled tractor (2WT)-mounted earthing-up machine was developed at the Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute (BSRI), Pabna, to reduce drudgery and the cost of sugarcane production. Field tests were conducted in an experimental sugarcane field at BSRI and technical and economic performances of the developed earthing-up machine were also carried out based on the field test. The average effective field capacity and field efficiency of the earthing-up machine were found to be 0.16 ha/h and 77.41%, respectively. The 2WT-driven earthing-up machine was not found to be economically viable when it was used only for earthing-up operations. However, when the 2WT was used as the main driver for other activities, including earthing-up operation, the earthing-up machine became economically beneficial with net cash flow (NCF), net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), benefit–cost ratio (BCR), and payback period (PP) of BDT 148,497/ha, BDT 23,184, 3%, 3.81:1, and approximately 1 year, respectively. On the contrary, considering the cost of only earthing-up tool without 2WT, it was found to be economically beneficial with NCF, NPV, IRR, BCR, and PP of BDT 16,428/ha, BDT 3053, 4.7%, 2.71:1, and approximately 2 years, respectively. In Bangladesh, 2WT is commonly used for versatile farming purposes. Therefore, the versatile use of 2WT as a prime mover for other machines, including the earthing-up machine, can make earthing-up machine economically viable and beneficial for sugarcane growers in Bangladesh.

Assessment of Insect Diversity in Sugarcane Fields of Kuchanur, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India

Assessment of Insect Diversity in Sugarcane Fields of Kuchanur, Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India

Path loss model based on exponential water cycle algorithm for wireless sensor network

SummaryWireless sensor networks (WSNs) are frequently employed in the agriculture field to improve the quality and crop yield. The WSN might reduce the quality of the communication link because of the absorption, dispersion, and attenuation through the leaves of plants. Therefore, estimating the path loss due to signal attenuation before WSN deployment is crucial for the smooth operation of the network. In this research paper, three innovative path loss models are defined based on the MATLAB curve fitting tool: polynomial water cycle (PWC), exponential water cycle (EWC), and Gaussian water cycle (GWC) algorithm. Here, the path loss between the router node and the coordinator node is modeled on the basis of the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and time of arrival (TOA) measurements in a sugarcane field. The correlation coefficient between the RSSI measurement and the distance must be increased to create a precise path loss model. This paper integrates the exponential, polynomial, and Gaussian functions with the water cycle algorithm (WCA) to evaluate the optimal coefficients that would lead to precise path loss models. The performance of the proposed models that determines the optimum linear fit between RSSI and distance is validated using the correction coefficient . The results show that the proposed path loss model is superior to existing path loss models. The correlation coefficient of the proposed EWC model is 0.9993, whereas the existing PE‐PSO, LNSM, and PSO‐Exponential models yield 0.98, 0.87, and 0.93, respectively. Also, the proposed models attain the best mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.2187, 0.2951, and 0.3457 dBm for EWC, PWC, and GWC algorithms, respectively.

An automated weed identification framework for sugarcane crop: A deep learning approach

Automatic weed identification using deep learning (DL) models will mark a revolution in developing site– specific artificial intelligence (AI) based herbicide sprayers which intend to maximize herbicide efficiency with reduced herbicide application in agriculture production systems and hence contribute to higher yields. Conventional weed control strategies pose challenges for integrating smart herbicide delivery and machinery systems. This deep learning approach significantly impacts developing a system for weed identification required in establishing successful real time precision weed management systems like smart spraying systems and AI based smart machinery. Minimal research has been done on automatic weed identification in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cropping systems. This study analyzed the feasibility of a computer vision based DL approach for weed identification to achieve autonomous weed control. The image dataset containing 5660 augmented images was deployed to train and evaluate DL models with a spilt of 90% for training and the rest for validation. We trained the six DL models for identifying weeds in sugarcane crop using field imagery (5094 images), validated (566 images) and further evaluated their accuracy and F1 score performance. Model training was undertaken by varying the hyperparameters, such as mini batch size (16 and 32) and epoch (10, 20 and 30) at a learning rate of 0.001. DarkNet53 accomplished a high F1 score value (>99%) and outperformed other models (AlexNet, GoogLeNet, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and Xception) for the identification of weeds in actively growing sugarcane crop. Weeds can be identified with a higher level of confidence (>98%) with a minimum error rate (<1%) at the mini batch size of 16 and epochs 20. Post-training and validation, DarkNet53 was tested (stage I) with an independent 200-image dataset followed by stage II testing (30 images) and obtained 96.6% net accuracy compared with naked eye weed identification. Based on the high – level performance of DarkNet53, we conclude that DL based weed identification laid a potential future avenue with an effective decision system in the machine vision aspects of a precision herbicide applicator for weed control in sugarcane fields through a low cost camera integrated with a single board computer.

Occurrence of Heat-Resistant Mold Ascospores in Pineapple and Sugarcane Field Soils in Thailand.

Heat-resistant molds (HRMs) are important spoilage fungi of heat-processed fruit products worldwide. Ascospores of HRMs are widely distributed in the soil in which fruits are grown and are often found associated with raw fruit materials. To date, there is little available information on the distribution of HRMs in the soil and on their heat resistance. Thus, this study determined the presence and characterized the heat resistance of HRMs in soil samples from pineapple and sugarcane fields in Thailand. HRMs were detected in all soil samples, and the most dominant species was Aspergillus with 50-99.2% relative abundance. Other isolates, in descending order of frequency, were Penicillium, Talaromyces, Hamigera, and Paecilomyces. Then, 100 representative HRM isolates were identified based on a combination of morphological characteristics and ITS sequences. They were classified into 5 genera and 24 species. The heat resistance of ascospores aged 30 days produced by selected HRMs was qualitatively determined in a glucose-buffered solution. Based on their log reductions after heat shock at 75°C for 30 min, they were classified as less, moderately, or highly heat-resistant ascospores. HRMs belonging to A. chevalieri, A. denticulatus, A. siamensis, A. laciniosus, A. fennelliae, A. spinosus, Paec. niveus, H. pallida, and T. macrosporus produced high heat-resistant ascospores. In addition, soil physicochemical properties significantly influenced the prevalence of HRMs, depending on the fungal genus. The thermal resistance of ascospores was significantly and positively correlated to available phosphorus, whereas it was negatively correlated to soil pH. The results of this study confirmed the presence of HRMs in soils and potential HRM contamination, especially in fruits growing in acidic or high-nutrient soils, or both.

EXPLORING MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS VARIATION IN CHENOPODIUM MURALE: A COMPREHENSIVE MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS

Chenopodium murale, a significant weed in wheat, maize, rice, sugarcane, and cotton fields, poses a substantial threat to crop plants due to its competitive nature for water, minerals, and nutrients, leading to significant yield losses. To address this issue, a prescribed study was conducted to assess the morphological traits of Chenopodium murale under three different environmental locations. The results revealed a positive and significant correlation among several study traits: height, dry weight, fresh weight, inflorescence fresh weight, leaf area, leaf length, leaf width, and root length. Notably, plant leaf width emerged as the most influential trait contributing to the plant's height. Furthermore, the study identified location three as an exceptionally favorable environment for the robust growth and development of Chenopodium murale plants. To mitigate potential yield losses in crop plants, the study recommends the timely removal or control of Chenopodium murale, emphasizing the importance of managing its population effectively.

Development of Magnetic Lateral Flow and Direct Competitive Immunoassays for Sensitive and Specific Detection of Halosulfuron-Methyl Using a Novel Hapten and Monoclonal Antibody.

Halosulfuron-methyl (HM) is widely used for the removal of noxious weeds in corn, sugarcane, wheat, rice, and tomato fields. Despite its high efficiency and low toxicity, drift to nontarget crops and leaching of its metabolites to groundwater pose potential risks. Considering the instability of HM, the pyrazole sulfonamide of HM was used to generate a hapten and antigen to raise a high-quality monoclonal antibody (Mab, designated 1A91H11) against HM. A direct competitive immunoassay (dcELISA) using Mab 1A91H11 achieved a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.5 × 10-3 mg/kg and a linear range of 0.7 × 10-3 mg/kg-10.7 × 10-3 mg/kg, which was 10 times more sensitive than a comparable indirect competitive ELISA (icELISA) and more simple to operate. A spiking recovery experiment performed in tomato and maize matrices with 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg HM had average recoveries within 78.9-87.9% and 103.0-107.4% and coefficients of variation from 1.1-6.8% and 2.7-6.4% in tomato and maize, respectively. In addition, a magnetic lateral flow immunoassay (MLFIA) was developed for quantitative detection of low concentrations of HM in paddy water. Compared with dcELISA, the MLFIA exhibited 3.3- to 50-fold higher sensitivity (IC50 0.21 × 10-3 mg/kg). The average recovery and RSD of the developed MLFIA ranged from 81.5 to 92.5% and 5.4 to 9.7%. The results of this study demonstrated that the developed dcELISA and MLFIA are suitable for rapid detection of HM residues in tomato and maize matrices and paddy water, respectively, with acceptable accuracy and precision.

Linear Macropore Installation to Reduce Red-Soil Erosion in Sugarcane Fields

This study determines the cause of soil erosion in red soils in sugarcane fields, especially even with the use of subsoiling fissures, and to compare the effectiveness of a novel artificial linear-macropore with the insertion of fibrous material into the fractures. Four column treatments (tillage, subsoiling, linear-macropore with plant residue fillings, and no-tillage-with-mulching) were established. A subsoiler was used to break up hard soil layers to enhance infiltration, whereas mulching reduced the impact of raindrops on the soil. Sugarcane residue was inserted in the empty fissure to reinforce the structure, making linear macropore. Simulated rainfall with 20 mmh−1 was applied to the soil surface for 6 h per day for two days. Surface runoff, soil erosion, and drainage were measured during each run. Erosion was minimal (1/7 reduction), and bottom drainage was observed in the linear-macropore and no-tillage-with-mulching plots. Conversely, due to the formation of an impermeable layer or surface crust, high erosion (0.282 t-C ha−1 yr−1) and decreased drainage levels were detected in the subsoiling and tillage plots. Moreover, the aboveground protrusion of fibrous material at the linear-macropore maintained infiltration, even following crust formation. Field application of these four management strategies revealed the effectiveness of linear-macropore and mulching in reducing surface flow. Linear-macropore application maintains appropriate levels of infiltration, and insertion of plant residue fillings reinforces the macropore structure while also avoiding clogging. Hence, the linear-macropore scheme may represent an effective strategy for reducing surface runoff and red soil erosion.

Landscape configurations of refuge areas that delay the evolution of resistance to Bt sugarcane: an agent based modeling approach.

Although transgenic crops expressing genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are considered to be an effective pest control method, reckless usage adds environmental pressure on a pest population to develop resistance to the protein over time. The use of small portions of non-Bt crop (refuge areas) limits the rate of resistance development. Strains of Bt sugarcane for the South African market are being developed, and a prerequisite to releasing such a product on the market is a recommendation on the size and layout of the refuge areas. In this article, an agent-based simulation model is used to test the effectiveness of different landscape configurations of refuge areas in Bt sugarcane against resistance development occurring in an associated lepidopteran pest population. Individual insects are modeled as agents on an underlying sugarcane field that can either be Bt or refugium. The model is applied to 2 hypothetical case studies, each focusing on a specific aspect of refugia planning. The first focuses on the size and distribution of refuge, and the second on the shape of the refuge. A conservative general recommendation of 30% per farm, planted in large blocks on farms, is made based on simulation results and what is currently known about the target pest species, to provide regulatory bodies as well as growers with a starting point on how to regulate and plan refuge areas in South African Bt sugarcane.

Keanekaragaman Predator Kumbang Tanah pada Area Alih Fungsi Lahan Kakao-Tebu

&lt;p&gt;The activity of changing land functions from rubber and cocoa plantations to sugar cane plantations and using conventional technical land processing systems can affect the population of ground surface insects such as ground beetles. Ground beetles are one of the important insects that act as predators and are sensitive to environmental conditions. The aim of this research is to determine the diversity and number of ground beetle populations in the sugar cane fields at PTPN XII Kalitelepak Plantation. This research used a pitfall trap consisting of 5 plots and 9 traps were installed in each plot with a distance of 10 m between traps. Samples were taken 15 times every 3 days. The research results showed that the ground beetles caught were from the Carabidae family which consists of the species &lt;em&gt;Chlaenius bimaculatus&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Chlaienius virgulifer&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Chlaenius pictus&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Chlaenius cambodiensis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Pheropsophus occipitalis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Pterostichus melanarius&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Harpalus affinis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Nebria brevicollis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Planetes puncticeps&lt;/em&gt; with a total of 143 individuals. The highest important value index is the species &lt;em&gt;Chlaenius bimaculatus&lt;/em&gt; at 104.96. The diversity of ground beetles in sugar cane plants at PTPN XII Kalitelepak Plantation is in the low category because it is less than (&amp;lt;) 1, namely with a value of 0.79. Human activities such as taking grass and changing land use can affect diversity, so conservation needs to be carried out to increase the diversity of ground beetles.&lt;/p&gt;

Mapping Gaps in Sugarcane Fields Using UAV-RTK Platform

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a global real-time kinematic navigation satellite system (GNSS RTK) could be a state-of-the-art solution to measuring gaps in sugarcane fields and enable site-specific management. Recent studies recommend the use of UAVs to map these gaps. However, low-accuracy GNSS provides incomplete or inaccurate photogrammetric reconstructions, which could easily generate an error in the gap measurement and constrain the applicability of these techniques. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the potential of UAV RTK imagery for mapping gaps in sugarcane. To compare this solution with conventional UAV approaches, the precision and accuracy of RTK and non-RTK flights were evaluated. To increase the robustness of the research, flights were performed to map gaps found naturally in the field and with plants at different stages of development. Our results showed that the lengths of gaps identified by both RTK and non-RTK UAV imagery were similar, with differences in precision and accuracy of about 1% for both systems. In contrast, RTK was much more efficient and provides stakeholders with guidelines for accurate and precise mapping gaps, allowing them to make confident decisions on site-specific management.

Effects of bagasse biochar application on soil organic carbon fixation in manganese-contaminated sugarcane fields

BackgroundIn recent years, there have been several studies on the remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil by the application of biochar. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the effects and underlying mechanisms of biochar on soil carbon sequestration in manganese-contaminated farmlands. Therefore, in this study, bagasse biochar was applied to the soil in different proportions (0%, 0.5%, 2%, and 5%) and the test was conducted indoors for 100 days at a constant temperature. Soil physical and chemical properties, organic carbon mineralization, organic carbon components, and enzyme activities were analyzed in this study.ResultsIn this study, when compared with the control, the application of 0.5%, 2%, and 5% bagasse biochar to the manganese-contaminated sugarcane field soil effectively reduced the cumulative CO2 emissions, i.e., decreased by 123.18 mg·kg−1, 208.28 mg·kg−1, and 287.79 mg·kg−1, respectively. Among the different treatment groups, the highest decrease in cumulative CO2 emissions was observed in the 5% bagasse biochar-treated soil when compared with the control. The application of bagasse biochar increased the soil microbial biomass carbon content by 12.72 mg·kg−1, 13.71 mg·kg−1, and 15.10 mg·kg−1, respectively when compared with the control. The soil nutrients and enzyme activities significantly increased with the increase in biochar application amount.ConclusionsThe application of bagasse biochar to manganese-contaminated sugarcane soil field effectively inhibited the mineralization of soil organic carbon, improved the carbon sequestration potential of manganese-contaminated sugarcane field soil, and provided a theoretical basis for the carbon sequestration mechanism in manganese-contaminated farmland soil.Graphical

Response of endophytic bacteria in sugarcane roots to different slow-release fertilizers with dicyandiamide (DCD) and humic acid (HA) applications

The overuse of chemical fertilizers has severe consequences on environmental ecosystems. However, slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) can reduce the total amount and number of fertilizer applications and improve efficiency. Field experiments were conducted in early March 2016 to investigate the proper usage of SRFs such as dicyandiamide (DCD) and humic acid (HA). Seven treatments were set up as follows: SRF with 120 g t−1 DCD (A); SRF with 150 g t−1 DCD (B); SRF with 235 g t−1 DCD (C); SRF with 3 kg t−1 HA (D); SRF with 8 kg t−1 HA (E); SRF with 18 kg t−1 HA (F); and traditional fertilization (CK). The abundance of endophytic bacteria in sugarcane roots under the B treatment was significantly higher than that under traditional fertilization. At the genus level, Massilia, Granulicella, and Herbaspirillum were unique and dominant in the sugarcane roots under the CK treatment. Compared with CK, Streptomyces was the unique dominant endophytic bacteria in sugarcane roots under different SRFs applications. These results suggest that cane health and tolerance to environmental stresses were not significantly altered after applying SRFs in sugarcane fields.