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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Commodity Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #341752
Research Project: Developing Technologies that Enable Growth and Profitability in the Commercial Conversion of Sugarcane, Sweet Sorghum, and Energy Beets into Sugar, Advanced Biofuels, and Bioproducts

Location: Commodity Utilization Research

Title: How chemical ripeners of sugarcane affect the starch and color quality of juices

Author
item Eggleston, Gillian
item Triplett, Alexa
item Petrie, Eric
item DiDier, Kaitlin
item St Cyr, Eldwin
item MYERS, GERALD - LSU Agcenter

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2017
Publication Date: 9/1/2017
Citation: Eggleston, G., Triplett, A., Petrie, E., Didier, K., St Cyr, E., Myers, G. 2017. How chemical ripeners of sugarcane affect the starch and color quality of juices. In: Proceedings of the Sugar Industry Technologists Conference, May 7-11, 2017, Tainan, Taiwan. p. 1-11.

Interpretive Summary: The application of chemical ripeners is an important component of sugarcane cultivation management to increase sucrose concentrations but there was little information how they affect the starch and color of extracted juices. A large field study was conducted on the effect of two chemical ripeners with differing modes of action on sugarcane: Polado® (glyphosate) and Moddus® (trinexapac-ethyl). Results from the first year of the study showed that, overall, the effect of adding ripeners was to increase total starch by approximately 20.7%, although this was not statistically significant because of a strong varietal effect. Neither ripener significantly affected the pH of the juice. The ripeners had less effect on color than starch. A statistical analyses of the study is presented. Analysis of the second year of study is currently being completed to verify the first year trends.

Technical Abstract: The application of chemical ripeners is an important component of sugarcane cultivation management to increase sucrose concentrations. Unfortunately, very little information is available concerning the effects of ripener on quality parameters which are critical to both factory and refinery processing, particularly starch and color. Thus, a large field study was conducted on the effect of two chemical ripeners with differing modes of action on sugarcane: Polado® (glyphosate) that suppresses the formation of new tissue at the apical meristem, and Moddus® (trinexapac-ethyl) that interferes with internode elongation. The ripeners were applied to nine commercial sugarcane varieties cultivated in south Louisana, USA, and hand-harvested 4, 5, 6, and 7 weeks after ripener application. Juice was extracted from whole-stalks with tops and leaves removed by roller milling. Results from the first year of the study showed that, overall, the effect of adding Polado and Moddus ripeners was to increase total starch (most starch in juice is insoluble) by 20.7 and 20.6%, respectively, although this was not statistically significant because of a strong varietal effect at the 0.01% probability level. Variation in the starch values was much higher than for Brix, pH, and color values, even in the untreated (control) juices; Polado caused worse starch variation than Moddus ripener. Neither ripener significantly affected the pH of the juice. The ripeners had less effect on color than starch, with no significant differences occurring among the treatments for ICUMSA color measured at pH 4.0, 7.0, 8.5, and 9.0 as well as the color indicator value I.V., although color variation increased with ripener application. A statistical analyses of the study is presented. Analysis of the second year of study is currently being completed to verify the first year trends.