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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #163672
Title: THE EFFECT OF YEAR CULTIVAR AND TIME OF HARVEST ON SUGARCANE YIELDS IN FLORIDA, USA

Author
item GILBERT, ROBERT - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item SHINE, JAMES - SUGARCANE GROWERS COOP
item Miller, Jimmy
item RICE, RONALD - SUGARCANE GROWERS COOP
item RAINBOLT, CURTIS - PALM BCH CO EXT SERVICE

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2004
Publication Date: 9/1/2004
Citation: Gilbert, R.A., Shine, J.M., Miller, J.D., Rice, R.W., Rainbolt, C.R. 2004. The effect of year, cultivar and time of harvest on sugarcane yields in Florida. American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 24:165-184.

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is harvested during a 5-month period (Oct ' Mar) in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of south Florida. Sugarcane biomass and sucrose accumulation will vary with annual climate (year of harvest), cultivar and plant maturity (time of harvest). The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of year, cultivar and time of harvest and their interactions on sugarcane yields in the EAA. Six independent data sets from 1998 ' 2001 were used to examine trends over time in sugar accumulation, yield of cane and yield of sugar. In two of the six data sets, years had a significant effect on all three components of yield, but cause less difference in yield than either cultivar or time of harvest. Yield of cane and sugar were significantly lower in 1999 than 2001, possibly due to low solar irradiance early in 1999. Sugar concentration was higher after mid-December, reflecting the reduced growth and increased sugar accumulation caused by the lower night temperatures. CP89-2143 had higher sugar content than other cultivars in 23 of 25 pairwise comparisons across the six data sets. In five of the six data sets, all cultivars did not respond in the same way with the largest differences occurring early in the harvest season. Cultivars performed similarly in most years. These results indicate that year effects on sugarcane yields in the EAA are different primarily due to differences in early season sugar concentration due to differences in conditions in the growing season.

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is harvested during a 5-month period (Oct ' Mar) in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of south Florida. Sugarcane biomass and sucrose accumulation will vary with annual climate (year of harvest), cultivar and plant maturity (time of harvest). The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of year, cultivar and time of harvest and their interactions on sugarcane yields in the EAA. Six non-confounded data sets (termed 'case studies') from 1998 ' 2001 were used to examine temporal trends in kilograms of sucrose per ton of cane (KST), tons of cane per hectare (TCH) and tons of sugar per hectare (TSH). Year had a significant effect on KST, TCH and TSH in two of the six case studies, but was a less significant determinant of yield than either cultivar or time of harvest. TCH and TSH were significantly lower in 1999 than 2001, possibly due to low solar irradiance early in 1999. KST and TSH were significantly lower prior to mid-Dec and mid-Nov, respectively, than subsequent harvest dates. CP89-2143 recorded significantly greater KST than other cultivars in 23 of 25 pairwise comparisons across the six case studies. Year x time interaction terms were significant on KST in five of six case studies, with the largest between-year KST differences occurring early in the harvest season. Year x cultivar means were not significantly different between years for the vast majority of CP cultivars tested, indicating that the performance of most clones was stable across years. These results indicate that unlike the effect of cultivar or time of harvest, the year effect on sugarcane yields in the EAA is sporadic, and likely to manifest itself primarily in early-season KST differences between years.