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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Canal Point, Florida » Sugarcane Field Station » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #211788
Title: Sugarcane Nutrient Content, Growth and Yield Responses to a Three-Month Summer Flood

Author
item GILBERT, R - U OF FL,EREC,BELLE GLADE
item RAINBOLT, CURTIS - U OF FL,EREC,BELLE GLADE
item Morris, Dolen
item MCCRAY, J - U OF FL,EREC,BELLE GLADE

Submitted to: Agricultural Water Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/27/2007
Publication Date: 1/7/2008
Citation: Gilbert,R.A, C.R. Rainbolt, D.R. Morris and J.M. McCray.2008. Sugarcane growth and yield responses to a three-month summer flood. Agric. Water Manage. 95:283-291

Interpretive Summary: Sugarcane in south Florida is often subjected to flooding due to soil subsidence, pumping restrictions, or tropical storms. While there has been considerable research on the response of sugarcane cultivars to high water tables and periodic flooding, there is a lack of information on commercial cultivar yield response to long-term flooding. An experiment was established in Belle Glade, FL to examine the effect of a 3-month summer flood (July through September) on the growth and yield of varieties CP 80-1743 and CP 72-2086 during the first year (plant cane, 2003) and third year (second ratoon, 2005) crop. Harvest samples were taken early, mid- and late-season. Flooding sugarcane in the summer caused sequentially greater yield reductions throughout the harvest season in plant cane. Sucrose yield for flooded cane, compared to the non-flooded control, were 4.3 vs.5.2 tons/acre sucrose early, 4.1 vs. 5.7 tons/acre sucrose mid-season and 3.5 vs. 5.5 tons/acre sucrose at late harvest. In the second ratoon crop, leaf nutrient content was reduced 10-78% when flooded and flooding significantly reduced sugarcane tonnage and sucrose yield by 54-64% across sampling dates. Yield penalties in both crops were attributed more to reduced tonnage rather than sucrose content. CP 72-2086 recorded 18-28% greater sucrose yields than CP 80-1743 when harvested late. However the flood x cultivar interaction was not significant as both cultivars recorded similar yield reductions under flooded conditions. Our results indicate a severe yield penalty caused by a 3-month summer flood in these cultivars, particularly in ratoon crops. Attempts to increase summer on-farm water storage in Florida should avoid long-term flooding of sugarcane fields.

Technical Abstract: Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) in south Florida is often subjected to flooding due to soil subsidence, pumping restrictions, or tropical storms. While there has been considerable research on the response of sugarcane cultivars to high water tables and periodic flooding, there is a lack of information on commercial cultivar yield response to long-term flooding. An experiment was established in Belle Glade, FL to examine the effect of a 3-month summer flood (July through September) on the growth and yield of cultivars CP 80-1743 and CP 72-2086 during the plant cane (2003) and second ratoon (2005) crop. Harvest samples were taken early, mid- and late-season. Flooding sugarcane in the summer caused sequentially greater yield reductions throughout the harvest season in plant cane. Sucrose yield for flooded cane, compared to the non-flooded control, were 9.6 vs. 11.7 tons sucrose ha-1 early, 9.2 vs. 12.8 tons sucrose ha-1 mid-season and 7.8 vs. 12.3 tons sucrose ha-1 at late harvest. In the second ratoon crop, leaf nutrient content was reduced 10-78% when flooded and flooding significantly reduced sugarcane tonnage and sucrose yield by 54-64% across sampling dates. Yield penalties in both crops were attributed more to reduced tonnage rather than sucrose content. CP 72-2086 recorded 18-28% greater sucrose yields than CP 80-1743 when harvested late. However the flood x cultivar interaction was not significant as both cultivars recorded similar yield reductions under flooded conditions. Our results indicate a severe yield penalty caused by a 3-month summer flood in these cultivars, particularly in ratoon crops. Attempts to increase summer on-farm water storage in Florida should avoid long-term flooding of sugarcane fields.