Author
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Viator, Ryan |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2013 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Energycane is thought to have more vigor than sugarcane because energycane contains a greater composition of allelles higher percentage of alleles from Saccharum spontaneum relative to Saccharum officinarum. Two studies were conducted to determine the relative difference between energy and sugar canes when grown under less than optimal growing conditions. In study one, yields of cane, sucrose, and fiber of three sugarcane varieties and one energycane variety were compared when planted on August 1 (optimal), September 1, and October 1. The August planting increased fiber yields by 2.4 Mg ha-1 relative to the average of the September and October planting dates for all varieties. There were no differences between the fiber yields for the September and October planting dates, but sucrose yields continued to decline. Thus, when planting cane at non-optimal times, energycane may be a better option than sugarcane. In study two, two high biomass energycane cultivars, L 79-1002 and Ho 01-12, and two sugarcane cultivars, HoCP 96-540 and L 99-226, were planted and periodically flooded but with adequate drainage to determine if energycane is better suited for cultivation than sugarcane with these stress inducing field conditions. The evaluation was conducted for a complete cane-cycle. Energycane tolerated the flooded conditions better than sugar cane when biomass and sucrose yields were compared between treatments. Tolerance to flooding was demonstrated in the plant cane and ratoon crops of L 79-1002, and in the ratoon crops of Ho 01-12. Therefore, an alternative to sugarcane in flood prone areas would be to plant energycanes. |
