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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356359
Research Project: Development of High-Yielding, Stress Tolerant Sugarcane Cultivars Using Agronomic, Genetic, and Molecular Approaches

Location: Sugarcane Field Station

Title: Sugarcane growth, physiological, and yield responses to the mid-season application of moddus

Author
item Zhao, Duli
item SINGH, MANINDER - Michigan State University
item SANDHU, HARDEV - University Of Florida
item LABORDE, CHRIS - Us Sugar Corporation

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/16/2018
Publication Date: 11/5/2018
Citation: Zhao, D., Singh, M., Sandhu, H., Laborde, C. 2018. Sugarcane growth, physiological, and yield responses to the mid-season application of moddus. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Session 227, Poster No. 1213.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Moddus is a plant growth regulator registered as a ripener for use in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and has been used in the mid-season to produce high quality of seed cane. A 2-year study was conducted at the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station, Canal Point, Florida, to investigate responses of sugarcane growth, physiology, and yield components to mid-season Moddus applications and to determine if there were any differences in plant response to Moddus among sugarcane cultivars. Treatments included three cultivars (CP00-1101, CP01-1372, CP05-1526) and two Moddus (non-Moddus check, Moddus @438 lm/ha with 189 L of water applied at 149 and 215 days after planting). Growth and physiological measurements were taken biweekly from the first time of Moddus application through 4 weeks after the second time of application. Yield data were collected in mid-December. Cultivar and Moddus interactions were significant in leaf chlorophyll (SPAD reading), stalk weight, cane yield, commercial recoverable sucrose (CRS), and sucrose yield. Moddus application increased the SPAD reading of CP01-1372 and CP05-1526, but did not affect that of CP00-1101. Leaf N and photosynthesis did not respond to Moddus, but Moddus application resulted in significantly lower normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) compared with the non-treated check. Stalk length of the Moddus treated plants was 8-10% shorter than non-treated plants. Moddus application decreased sucrose yield of CP00-1101, but increased sucrose yield of CP05-1526 due to higher stalk weight and CRS. Overall results indicated that sugarcane responses to mid-season Moddus application were associated with the cultivar. Therefore, the Moddus application time and rate for seed cane should depend on sugarcane cultivar.