Sugarcane Stalk Research Articles

Enhancement of Emergence and Vigor in Sugarcane Stalk Lateral Buds through Seed Coating

Enhancement of Emergence and Vigor in Sugarcane Stalk Lateral Buds through Seed Coating

Confirmation of Elaphria agrotina (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) feeding on sugarcane

This study reports the observation of Elaphria agrotina (Guenée, 1852) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) attacking sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). These specimens were collected in a sugarcane field under renovation while feeding on bait traps made from sugarcane stalks. Larvae were also detected within soil layers up to 6 cm deep, near to crop residues and rhizomes. Notably, they were found on sugarcane plants displaying 'dead heart' symptoms. The presence of this species in bait of sugarcane stalks raises concerns about potential secondary damage to the crop, which is already susceptible to other pests, and the possibility of it causing infestations in healthy plants.

Analysis and Testing of Pre-Cut Sugarcane Seed Stalk Sawing Performance Parameters

Sugarcane is an important economic crop in tropical and subtropical regions. Presawing planting is an important method for achieving automated and precise planting with sugarcane planting machines. The sawing process is a key stage in planting management, affecting not only the germination and survival rates of sugarcane, but also reflecting the mechanical performance of sawing. To reduce the peak sawing force and enhance the sawing surface quality of sugarcane seedlings, this study utilized a central composite experimental design method. Single-factor and multi-factor experiments were conducted with a specially designed sugarcane stalk sawing experimental rig to investigate the impact of factors such as the stalk diameter feeding speed, and sawing speed on the peak sawing force and sawing surface quality. Upon being developed and validated, multivariate mathematical regression models elucidated the relationships among these factors. The experimental results showed that the order of influence of each factor on the peak sawing force was the stalk diameter, feed speed, and sawing speed, while for the sawing surface quality, the sequence was the sawing speed, stalk diameter, and feed speed. Correspondingly, the determination coefficients for the peak sawing force and sawing surface quality prediction models were 0.9708 and 0.9675. With a maximum error of 7.6% for the peak sawing force and an average relative error of 7.1%, and a maximum error of 3.5% for the sawing surface quality and an average relative error of 2.83%, the calculated results from the regression models were in good agreement with the experimental findings. This indicates that the models are capable of quickly and accurately predicting the peak sawing force and sawing surface quality of sugarcane stalks under different conditions. The research findings provide valuable insights for the development and optimization of sugarcane stalk presawing equipment and related experimental studies.

Colletotrichum falcatum infection influences the abundance of sucrose transporters and disease resistant proteins in sugarcane stalk

Colletotrichum falcatum infection influences the abundance of sucrose transporters and disease resistant proteins in sugarcane stalk

Endophytic Beauveria bassiana in sugarcane and associated Eldana saccharina host plants in South Africa

Eldana saccharina Walker is a problematic sugarcane stalk borer pest in South Africa. Twenty-eight sugarcane genotypes (Saccharum spp. hybrids) and seven different species of host plants of E. saccharina were surveyed for the presence of endophytic Beauveria bassianasensu lato (s.l.). Collectively, 326 plant samples (roots, stems, or leaves) were collected from five locations in sugarcane-producing areas (KwaZulu-Natal; South Africa). Following plant surface disinfection, 128 fungal colonies morphologically resembling Beauveria spp. were isolated from internal plant tissues. The sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region confirmed that 13 representative isolates were B. bassiana.s.l. Eight B. bassiana isolates were recovered from E. saccharina natural host plants, and 120 from different sugarcane stem parts (top node, top internodes, bottom node, and bottom internode). Endophytic B. bassiana isolates were recovered from 22 of 28 sugarcane genotypes surveyed. The number of B. bassiana isolates obtained from different sugarcane parts differed significantly, with more B. bassiana isolates obtained from the top than the bottom internodes. Furthermore, sugarcane genotypes N31 and N41 yielded B. bassiana from all plant parts sampled, while five sugarcane genotypes harbored no B. bassiana isolates. This study demonstrates for the first time the natural occurrence of endophytic B. bassiana strains in sugarcane plants and E. saccharina host plants in South Africa.

Long-term suitability of an alternative host for rearing the sugarcane stalk borer parasitoid Tetrastichus howardi.

The continuous utilisation of an alternative host may influence parasitoid performance across successive generations due to conditioning in natal hosts. Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) has successfully been reared using Tenebrio molitor L. pupae as a feasible alternative host. However, the extended rearing of T. howardi on this alternative host may impact the biological features of the parasitoids. Parasitoids were reared using T. molitor pupae for 30 consecutive generations. Quality criteria were assessed during the generations F5, F15, and F30, offering pupae of the target pest, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr.), and compared with the F0 generation (parasitoids reared in D. saccharalis pupae). Criteria included assessments of parasitism performance, host selection, and wing form variation in the parasitoid wasps. Additionally, we examined the fecundity of T. howardi females that emerged from both hosts, considering their age, egg loading before and after one oviposition, as well as parasitism of sugarcane stalk borer pupae. Rearing T. howardi using pupae of T. molitor did not affect its biological traits or preference for the target pest for 30 generations. After parasitism, the parasitoid left the host pupa inside the stalk, and one oviposition was enough to kill D. saccharalis pupae and obtain viable parasitoid progeny. Female sexual maturation and egg loading occurred 72 and 96 h after parasitoid emergence. Egg-loading recovery after parasitism did not happen within 24 h. T. howardi can be reared for up to 30 generations using alternative hosts without compromising its parasitism performance or egg loading.

Location, speciation, and quantification of carbon in silica phytoliths using synchrotron scanning transmission X-ray microspectroscopy.

Phytoliths of biogenic silica play a vital role in the silicon biogeochemical cycle and occlude a fraction of organic carbon. The location, chemical speciation, and quantification of this carbon within phytoliths have remained elusive due to limited direct experimental evidence. In this work, phytoliths (bilobate morphotype) from the sugarcane stalk epidermis are sectioned with a focused ion beam to produce lamellas (≈10 × 10 μm2 size, <500 nm thickness) and probed by synchrotron scanning transmission X-ray microspectroscopy (≈100-200 nm pixel size; energies near the silicon and carbon K-absorption edges). Analysis of the spectral image stacks reveals the complementarity of the silica and carbon spatial distributions, with carbon found at the borders of the lamellas, in islands within the silica, and dispersed in extended regions that can be described as a mixed silica-carbonaceous matrix. Carbon spectra are assigned mainly to lignin-like compounds as well as to proteins. Carbon contents of 3-14 wt.% are estimated from the spectral maps of four distinct phytolith lamellas. The results provide unprecedented spatial and chemical information on the carbon in phytoliths obtained without interference from wet-chemical digestion.

A new automatic sugarcane seed cutting machine based on internet of things technology and RGB color sensor.

Egypt is among the world's largest producers of sugarcane. This crop is of great economic importance in the country, as it serves as a primary source of sugar, a vital strategic material. The pre-cutting planting mode is the most used technique for cultivating sugarcane in Egypt. However, this method is plagued by several issues that adversely affect the quality of the crop. A proposed solution to these problems is the implementation of a sugarcane-seed-cutting device, which incorporates automatic identification technology for optimal efficiency. The aim is to enhance the cutting quality and efficiency of the pre-cutting planting mode of sugarcane. The developed machine consists of a feeding system, a node scanning and detection system, a node cutting system, a sugarcane seed counting and monitoring system, and a control system. The current research aims to study the pulse widths (PW) of three-color channels (R, G, and B) of the RGB color sensors under laboratory conditions. The output PW of red, green, and blue channel values were recorded at three color types for hand-colored nodes [black, red, and blue], three speeds of the feeding system [7.5 m/min, 5 m/min, and 4.3 m/min], three installing heights of the RGB color sensors [2.0 cm, 3.0 cm, and 4.0 cm], and three widths of the colored line [10.0 mm, 7.0 mm, and 3.0 mm]. The laboratory test results s to identify hand-colored sugarcane nodes showed that the recognition rate ranged from 95% to 100% and the average scanning time ranged from 1.0 s to 1.75 s. The capacity of the developed machine ranged up to 1200 seeds per hour. The highest performance of the developed machine was 100% when using hand-colored sugarcane stalks with a 10 mm blue color line and installing the RGB color sensor at 2.0 cm in height, as well as increasing the speed of the feeding system to 7.5 m/min. The use of IoT and RGB color sensors has made it possible to get analytical indicators like those achieved with other automatic systems for cutting sugar cane seeds without requiring the use of computers or expensive, fast industrial cameras for image processing.

Assessment of the Effect of Transit Time between Harvesting and Processing on the Physicochemical Quality Parameters of Preharvest Burnt Sugarcane

Aim: This study was aimed at assessing the effect of time interval between harvesting and processing on the physical and chemical quality parameters of pre-harvest burnt sugarcane&#x0D; Study Design: An experimental research design was carried out that involve random selection of samples and sent to laboratory for analysis&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out on July from 26th to 30th 2023 in Kilombero Valley located in the eastern part of Tanzania, between latitude 7 0 42'42'S and longitude 37 0 00'00'E. &#x0D; Methodology: The NCO 376 variety of sugarcane was used, that were cut below ground level, the tops removed, stalks tightened in bundles. The sample size was 15. each sample constituted of 30 burnt sugarcane stalks samples that were randomly collected and sent to laboratory for analysis after 24 ,72 and 120 hours of storage. On every respective storage time, the samples were scratched with knife to remove external contaminants, the stalks were then milled using two roller machines to extract juice. The juice was filled and sealed in sterilized and labelled bottles ready for laboratory analysis. The laboratory analysis data collected were coded and entered in excel sheet and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25.&#x0D; Results: The result shows the means values for pH, brix , pol, purity and weight decreased with increase in storage time whereas the means values for dextran, yeast and Leuconostoc increased with increase storage time The results revealed that purity values were satisfactory in all storage time levels as compared to SASTA standard purity values (97.0 – 98.0% ), whereas mean values for brix and pol stored for 120 hours of storage time was not satisfactory.as compared to SASTA standard values for brix ( 18 – 23%) and pol (14 – 21%) .Dextran concentration was high as compared to South African Sugar Terminals (SAST) that maximum requirement for dextran is 150 mg/kg, dextran level as the measure of microbial deterioration was high in 72 and 120 storage hours indicating microbial contamination.&#x0D; Conclusion: Farmers and processors should be well informed about the consequence of delayed processing burned sugarcane to avoid economic loss for farmers and processors.

Design, construction and field testing of a manually feeding semiautomatic sugarcane dud chipper

Sugarcane is the main sugar crop, and sugar is an important agricultural product in Egypt. There are many problems with the technology used in the current planting method of sugarcane, which has a great impact on the planting quality of sugarcane, which have a series of problems, such as low cutting efficiency and poor quality. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to design, construct, and field testing of a semiautomatic sugarcane bud chipper assisted with pivot knives for cutting sugarcane buds and germinating them in plastic trays inside a greenhouse until they reached an average length of 35 cm, and then planting them in the field. In the field tests five cutting speeds (35, 40, 45, 50, and 56 rpm. (Revolution Per minute), three cutting knives (1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm) were used for cutting sugarcane stalks with four different diameters (1.32, 1.82, 2.43, and 2.68 cm). The obtained results showed that the values of the damage index and invisible losses were within acceptable limits (ranging between − 1.0 and 0.0) for all the variables under the test. Still, the lowest damage index and invisible losses were recorded with the buds that were cut with a knife of 1.5 mm thickness and cutting speeds less than 50 rpm. The skipping rate increases with the increase in cutting speed and stalk diameter, ranging between 0.0 to 13%. The maximum machine productivity was 110 Buds per minute at a cutting speed of 35 rpm and stalk diameter of 1.32 cm. The paper's findings have important application values for promoting the designing and development of sugarcane bud chipper and sugarcane planting technology in the future.

Determining the economic threshold for the sugarcane stalk borer (Diatraea spp.) in the Córdoba-Golfo region, Veracruz, Mexico

Objective: To determine the economic threshold for Diatraea spp. in the Córdoba-Golfo sugarcane growing region in Veracruz, Mexico. Design/Methodology/Approach: During the 2020-2021 production cycle, we established 21 sampling plots to measure damage percentage due to borer larvae in sugarcane stalks. Based on these measurements, we calculated the economic damage level (EDL) and the economic threshold (ET) by regions and subregions. Results: The most affected subregion was Yanga, with an average annual damage of more than 5 % and a real economic threshold of 1.36. The average ET in the Córdoba-Golfo region was 2.76, which indicates that applying control strategies for Diatraea spp. enables the regulation of insect populations. Study limitations/Implications: Strategies to obtain reality-driven diagnoses are still necessary to design and apply assertive management procedures to control stalk borer populations in the field. Findings/Conclusions: We posit a suitably calculated ET for each studied subregion, considering updated parameters that include real crop losses per zone (field performance). This can provide the basis for a course of action with an effective management that will, in turn, increase field performance and sugarcane juice quality.

Colletotrichum falcatum influences sucrose accumulation in sugarcane stalks by modulating the expression of SPS, SPP, SuSy, and invertases

Colletotrichum falcatum is one of the devastating fungal pathogens of sugarcane, accountable for the red rot pandemic in India. Sucrose, being main assimilatory product of sugarcane, has been accredited for its crucial roles as signaling molecule, and association with biotic responses against pathogens. This is the first study to investigate the effect of C. falcatum infection on sucrose metabolism in stalk tissues of red rot resistant (BO91) and susceptible (CoJ64) cultivars of sugarcane. Our experiment included nanoLCMS/MS-based investigation of peptide abundance of the proteins implicated in sucrose metabolism, followed by qRT-PCR-based validation at gene level. The results indicated that C. falcatum promotes sucrose biosynthesis in CoJ64 cultivar by enhancing the abundance of SPS-1, 4, 12, 14, and SPP-1, 2, 3, 5. In case of invertases, implicated in sucrose degradation, contrasting results of peptide abundance were pragmatic between AIs and ANIs after C. falcatum infection. C. falcatum infection induced the abundance of AI proteins (SAI-1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 14, CWI-2, VI-1), whereas the abundance of ANI proteins was reduced (ANI-1, 4, 6, 10, 11) in BO91 cultivar. Similarly, fungal infection also reduced the peptide abundance of ANIs (ANI-6, 10) in CoJ64 cultivar. Peptide abundance of SuSy proteins, involved in irreversible catalysis of sucrose, was also enhanced by fungal infection in both the cultivars of sugarcane. Results indicated that SuSy-1 and 4 in BO91 cultivar, and SuSy-1 and 6 in CoJ64 cultivar were significantly induced by C. falcatum infection. The results display a positive impact of C. falcatum infection on sucrose accumulation in the stalk tissues of sugarcane.

Lignin reduction in sugarcane by performing CRISPR/Cas9 site-direct mutation of SoLIM transcription factor

Genetic engineering of plant cell walls is limited for reducing lignocellulose recalcitrance, so mild and/or green-like pretreatment is still required for sequential enzymatic saccharification. Here, we report a method to reduce lignin content in sugarcane stalks using the CRISPR/Cas 9 technique. Three target sequences of SoLIM were designed and fused to pRGEB32. The cassette constructs were introduced into sugarcane calli cv. KK3 through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. We produced one base substitution and one insertion line for the 1st target site; two insertions, one deletion, and one base substitution for the 2nd target site; and one base substitution and insertion for the 3rd target site. qRT-PCR analysis of SoLIM, SoPAL, SoC4H, and SoCAD showeded that downregulation of SoLIM by single nucleotide insertions or deletions reduced the expression of SoPAL, SoC4H, and SoCAD. Consequently, the edited lines contained 9.74 to 51.46% less lignin content compared to that in the wild-type plants. The syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio of the edited lines ranged between 0.23 and 0.49, while the wild-type was 0.22. The histochemical evaluation and scanning electron microscopy of the cell walls supported this observation. A low lignin content sugarcane will provide a better feedstock for second-generation bioethanol production.

Storage Stability of Sugarcane Stalks

Background: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a giant grass, belonging to the Poaceae family, and is considered as a crop of economic importance. It is the second largest agro based industry involving nearly 50.00 million farmers, their dependent and a large mass of agriculture labours. It is also known as noble cane, due to its high sucrose content and is mostly used for manufacturing of jaggery and crystalized sugars. Its consumption is very popular worldwide but there are few studies that focus on post-harvest storage of sugarcane stalks. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the quality of stored sugarcane stalks as well as fresh juice extracted from stored canes. Methods: During the investigation sugarcane variety Co238 were cleaned and grouped into bundles containing 5 stalks for each replicate (3) and then stored under both ambient (17-22°C temperature and 45-52% RH) and refrigerated temperature (4±1°C temperature and 60-65% RH). The parameter studied were weight loss, juice yield, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH at every 15 days interval for 120 days. Result: Study showed that among both the storage, refrigerated condition for storage of sugarcane stalks was found better to retain the maximum juice yield (40.09%) with minimum weight loss (5.15%) and maintain the quality for longer period as compared to ambient storage condition.

Advanced design and Engi-economical evaluation of an automatic sugarcane seed cutting machine based RGB color sensor.

There are many problems related to the use of machine learning and machine vision technology on a commercial scale for cutting sugarcane seeds. These obstacles are related to complex systems and the way the farmers operate them, the possibility of damage to the buds during the cleaning process, and the high cost of such technology. In order to address these issues, a set of RGB color sensors was used to develop an automated sugarcane seed cutting machine (ASSCM) capable of identifying the buds that had been manually marked with a unique color and then cutting them mechanically, and the sugarcane seed exit chute was provided with a sugarcane seed monitoring unit. The machine's performance was evaluated by measuring the damage index at sugarcane stalk diameters of 2.03, 2.72, 3.42, and 3.94 cm. where two different types of rotary saw knives had the same diameter of 7.0 in/180 mm the two knives had 30 and 80 teeth, also we used five cutting times of 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 ms. All tests were done at a fixed cutting speed of 12000 rpm. In addition, the machine's performance was evaluated by conducting an economic analysis. The obtained results showed that the most damage index values were less than 0.00 for all cutting times and sugarcane stalk diameters under testing, while the DI values were equal zero (partial damage) for sugarcane stalk diameter of 3.42 cm at cutting times of 2000 ms and 2500 ms, in addition to the DI values being equal zero (extreme damage) for sugarcane stalk diameter of 3.94 cm at cutting times of 1500 ms and 2000 ms. The economic analysis showed that the total cost of sugarcane seeds per hectare is 70.865 USD. In addition, the ASSCM can pay for itself in a short period of time. The payback time is 0.536 years, which means that the ASSCM will save enough money to pay for itself in about 6.43 months. Finally, we suggest using a rotary saw knife with 80 teeth and a cutting time of 2000 ms to cut sugarcane stacks with an average diameter of 2.72 cm. This will result in higher performance and lower operating costs for the ASSCM.

Characterization of sugarcane mutants developed through gamma irradiations for their lignin content and caffeic acid-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene mutations

Purpose Bagasse, the residue left after extracting juice from sugarcane stalks, is rich in lignocellulosic biomass. The lignin present in this plant biomass is the key factor that hinders the efficient extraction of ethanol from the bagasse. In the current study, γ-irradiated sugarcane mutants were evaluated for variation in lignin content and its corresponding caffeic acid-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene. Materials and methods The acetyl bromide method was used to estimate lignin content in sugarcane mutants. PCR-based cloning of the COMT gene was performed in low lignin mutants as well as control plants in E. coli (strain DH5α) to understand the mechanism of variation at the molecular level. The Sanger sequencing for cloned gene was performed to check variation in gene sequence. Results In comparison to the control (21.5%), the mutant plants’ lignin content ranged from 13 to 28%. The Sanger sequencing revealed approximately the same length of the gene from mutants as well as a control plant. In comparison to the reference gene, the mutated gene showed SNPs and indels in different regions, which may have an impact on lignin content. Conclusions Therefore, γ-irradiated mutagenesis is an acceptable approach to develop novel mutants of sugarcane with low lignin content to enhance bioethanol production from waste material using bioprocess technology.

Development of Truck-Loading Equipment for Loading Bundle of Sugarcane Stalks

The objective of this research is to develop the prototype truck-loading equipment for conveying sugarcane bundles. The main components are the machine frame, conveyor chain, conveyor tray, and a power engine unit. Three levels of chain conveyor speed were tested: 12, 14, and 16 rpm. The test results showed that the speed of the conveyor chain at 14 rpm has the most capacity in actual work because when the speed of the conveyor chain was increased to 16 rpm, the workers who responsible for bundling sugarcane on the truck could not keep up with the conveyor speed. Therefore, the capacity of the conveying system decreases with an average actual working capacity of 5.41 tons/hr. The average field efficiency was 82.00%, and the average fuel consumption was 0.31 L/hr. Compared to the method of loading sugarcane bundles onto trucks according to the method commonly used by farmers, it was found that the average capacity of loading sugarcane bundles onto trucks was 3.10 tons/hr., which is 74.51% less than the system of using human labour together with equipment to load sugarcane bundles onto trucks. The break-even point and payback period are 455.44 tons and 71 working days when using a conveyor chain speed of 14 rpm.

MAPK signaling pathway orchestrates and fine-tunes the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum falcatum

Colletotrichum falcatum is the causal organism of red rot, the most devastating disease of sugarcane. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays pivotal role in coordinating the process of pathogenesis. We identified eighteen proteins implicated in MAPK signaling pathway in C. falcatum, through nanoLCMS/MS based proteomics approach. Twelve of these proteins were the part of core MAPK signaling pathway, whereas remaining proteins were indirectly implicated in MAPK signaling. Majority of these proteins had enhanced abundance in C. falcatum samples cultured with host sugarcane stalks. To validate the findings, core MAPK pathway genes (MAPKKK-NSY1, MAPK 17-MAPK17, MAPKKK 5-MAPKKK5, MAPK-HOG1B, MAPKKK-MCK1/STE11, MAPK-MST50/STE50, MAPKK-SEK1, MAPKK-MEK1/MST7/STE7, MAPKK-MKK2/STE7, MAPKKK-MST11/STE11, MAPK 5-MPK5, and MAPK-MPK-C) were analyzed by qPCR to confirm the real-time expression in C. falcatum samples cultured with host sugarcane stalks. The results of qPCR-based expression of genes were largely in agreement with the findings of proteomics. String association networks of MAPKK- MEK1/MST7/STE7, and MAPK- MPK-C revealed strong association with plenty of assorted proteins implicated in the process of pathogenesis/virulence. This is the novel and first large scale study of MAPK proteins in C. falcatum, responsible for red rot epidemics of sugarcane various countries. Key messageOur findings demonstrate the pivotal role of MAPK proteins in orchestrating the pathogenicity of Colletotrichum falcatum, responsible devastating red rot disease of sugarcane. SignificanceOur findings are novel and the first large scale study demonstrating the pivotal role of MAPK proteins in C. falcatum, responsible devastating red rot disease of sugarcane. The study will be useful for future researchers in terms of manipulating the fungal pathogenicity through genome editing.

Linking soil physical quality to shoot and root biomass production in scenarios of sugarcane straw removal

Understanding how sugarcane straw removal affects soil physical attributes and root development over successive cultivation years is critical for sustainable straw-based bioenergy production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of straw removal on soil physical quality and its relationship with sugarcane root development and crop yield in soils with contrasting textures. Three straw removal rates corresponding to total removal (TR), moderate removal (MR), and no removal (NR) were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates. Soil was sampled at depths of 0–0.10, 0.10–0.20, and 0.20–0.40 m to determine soil bulk density, macro- and microporosity, soil penetration resistance, and carbon stock. Annual assessments of sugarcane root and stalk dry biomass were conducted. Overall, excessive straw removal rates were detrimental to soil porosity, C stock, and increased bulk density in the surface layer over successive years compared to moderate and no removal rates. Higher soil penetration resistance levels were observed under total removal, reaching values of 2.6 MPa in the 0–0.10 m layer in both soils. Average reductions in root biomass of 23–33% were verified at moderate and total removal rates in both soils, which affected sugarcane stalk yield, with maximum losses of 24% over crop cycles in the clayey soil. In the sandy loam soil, increases in soil C were correlated with reduced soil penetration resistance, which positively influenced root biomass production. Soil compaction over the years was particularly detrimental in the clayey soil, where the biomass production performance of sugarcane roots and stalk yield decreased in response to increased soil bulk density. Our results suggest that reductions in root biomass may occur in response to straw removal, as well as the loss of soil physical quality induced by soil compaction, with negative effects on C accumulation and soil resistance to root penetration.

Pengaruh tiga jenis formula teknologi Sucrosin terhadap pertumbuhan dan produktivitas tebu (Saccharum officinarum L.)

Sucrosin technology, have been tested in ​​more than 10,000 ha of sugarcane planting area, resulted in highly variable increases in productivity. However, fulfilling standard operational procedures when implemented on a wide scale is complicated, so it needs to be simplified regarding product formulation and application techniques. This study aimed to evaluate the three different formulas of Sucrosin technology in increasing sugarcane growth and productivity. The study was conducted on PC sugarcane at RNI Plantation, Majalengka, West Java, using the Bululawang 1303 variety. The research design was a completely randomized design with four treatments consisting of Sucrosin technology existing (Se), formula 1 (S1), and formula 2 (S2) and control. The application of formula 2 Sucrosin technology (S2) could significantly increase the height and diameter of sugarcane stalks at 6 and 9 MAP. Sugarcane production in Se, S1, and S2 treatments increased by 22.49% (112.71 ton ha-1), 20.47% (110.85 ton ha-1), and 16.45% (107.15 ton ha-1) compared to controls (92.02 ton ha-1), respectively. These results show that Sucrosin Se technology produces the highest production. Nevertheless, from a technical perspective for implementation in the field, the most straightforward Sucrosin technology is S2. However, further research needs to be conducted in the broader area across different agro-ecologies to confirm the current findings.