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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386272
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 application of Trinexapac-ethyl (ModdusTM) in grand growth phase

Author
item Zhao, Duli
item ZHU, KAI - Guangxi University
item LABORDE, CHRIS - Us Sugar Corporation

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Growth Regulation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2022
Publication Date: 8/13/2022
Citation: Zhao, D., Zhu, K., Laborde, C. 2022. Sugarcane growth, physiological and yield responses to application of Trinexapac-ethyl (ModdusTM) in grand growth phase. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-022-10748-5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-022-10748-5

Interpretive Summary: Objectives of this study were to investigate responses of sugarcane growth, physiology, and yield components to application of ModdusTM during the grand growth phase and to determine if there were any differences in plant response to ModdusTM among three sugarcane cultivars, CP 00-1101, CP 01-1372, and CP 05-1526. Two ModdusTM treatments were an unsprayed check and a two-time application of ModdusTM (438 ml/ha) in the fast growing season (mid-May and early July). A novel finding was that cultivar and ModdusTM interactions were significant in SPAD readings, mean stalk weight, cane yield, commercial recoverable sucrose, and sucrose yield. ModdusTM application increased the SPAD readings of CP 01-1372 and CP 05-1526, but did not affect that of CP 00-1101. ModdusTM reduced normalized difference vegetation index and stalk length. ModdusTM application decreased sucrose yield of CP 00-1101, but increased sucrose yield of CP 05-1526. Therefore, the application of ModdusTM during sugarcane grand growth phase for improvement of seed cane quality and final yield should depend on sugarcane cultivars and their growth behavior.

Technical Abstract: Trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus) is known as a plant growth regulator widely used in sugarcane to boost sugar yield and improve harvest efficiency. Objectives of this study were to investigate responses of sugarcane growth, physiology, and yield components to application of Moddus in grand growth phase and to determine differences in plant response to ModdusTM among sugarcane cultivars. The experiment was conducted in 2 years with plant cane crop of three cultivars (CP 00-1101, CP 01-1372, and CP 05-1526) and two ModdusTM treatments [an unsprayed check and a two-time application of ModdusTM (0.4 L ha-1 each time) at 149 and 215 days after planting]. The field trail was laid out as a split-plot design (ModdusTM treatments as main plots and cultivars as sub-plots). Plant growth and physiological measurements were taken in June-August and yield data were collected in mid-December. A novel finding was that cultivar and ModdusTM interactions were significant in leaf relative chlorophyll level (SPAD reading), mean stalk weight, cane yield, commercial recoverable sucrose (CRS), and sucrose yield. ModdusTM application increased the SPAD readings of CP 01-1372 and CP 05-1526, but did not affect that of CP 00-1101. Neither leaf photosynthetic rate nor leaf N responded to ModdusTM, but ModdusTM reduced normalized difference vegetation index and stalk length. ModdusTM application in grand growth phase decreased sucrose yield of CP 00-1101, but increased sucrose yield of CP 05-1526 because of high stalk weight and CRS. Therefore, the ModdusTM application for improving seed cane quality and yield should depend on cultivars and their growth behavior.