GA Barona, LA Lopez and CA Lucumi
Castilla Sugar Mill Agrícola, km 30 vía Cali-Florida – Valle del Cauca, Colombia
The optimal development of sugarcane cultivation is closely linked to agronomic practices carried out during crop establishment. It is crucial to perform each task at the right time; among the activities that significantly influence plant regulation and growth are soil tillage and fertilization. The effect of timing and quality of these tasks on cane yield was quantified on 17,388 ha of soils with high clay contents of Riopaila Agricola and Castilla Agricola S.A. harvested between 2021 and 2024. Based on this, Agroportunity was developed: a tool that analyses execution records of each task during the crop cycle, providing management recommendations. The study results indicate that executing soil tillage and fertilization with proper timing and quality according to established parameters can increase cane yield by up to 11%. This information enables the prioritization of tasks by sugarcane fields, the monitoring of areas where adverse weather conditions affected execution quality, and the implementation of differential and/or complementary agronomic management strategies to mitigate adverse impacts on the crop. Consequently, monitoring soil tillage and fertilization execution to establish control standards positively impacts can yield and business profitability.