The development of new sugarcane cultivars requires a systematic selection process to identify genotypes with desirable traits, such as tillering, disease resistance, sucrose content, and high yield. Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been integrated into breeding programs to enhance the accuracy of sugar content measurements.
The Vitroplants Project of Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC) began in 2001 and supplies high-quality “seed cane” (healthy, vigorous and with guaranteed genetic identity) to the farming sector. This is achieved with several biotechnological tools, including hydrothermotherapy, micropropagation and different molecular techniques
The book A guide to sugarcane diseases was published in 2000 by ISSCT and Cirad, with the objective of gathering practical and updated information in sugarcane pathology. During the last two decades, new diseases have developed and were described in several countries.
The implementation of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the Louisiana (LA) sugarcane industry has made significant progress, offering a rapid and reliable approach to improve sugarcane quality assessments for factories and growers
The sugarcane breeding program in Cuba evaluates new cultivars to determine their resistance to brown rust, smut, leaf scald, sugarcane mosaic, and red rot. In these trials, with high inoculum pressure, a set of control cultivars of known resistance are included to compare and assign a rating that describes the suitability of the new clone for commercial production.
Sugarcane breeders are always looking for new variables to improve the efficiency of identifying superior genotypes. Multispectral sensors onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can provide a non-destructive and faster phenotyping strategy where the information can be summarized as vegetative indices.
The Sugarcane Breeding Program at Chacra Experimental Agrícola Santa Rosa conducts crosses using artificial flower induction. To enhance this process, we developed a new automated photoperiod control system. This system utilizes microcontrollers that send ON/OFF signals to light fixtures in the photoperiod chambers while receiving real-time sensor data.
Brix and stalk numbers associated with sugarcane productivity (Brix and number of stalks) were determined under different soil and climate conditions in Brazil using material from the early stages of the selection program of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas - IAC.
During the sugarcane milling process, bagasse is separated and burnt in boilers for steam generation. The incineration generates a residue known as bagasse ash, consisting of two fractions: bottom ash, which settles at the bottom of the boilers, and fly ash, which is carried away by the gases released into the atmosphere through the chimney after the particles are filtered out with gas scrubbers.
The objective of this study was to use soil groups to characterize the main soil degradation factors that limit the production of sugarcane in Cuba. The most representative soil group was selected for each province, grouping them on similar formation processes, physicochemical characteristics and soil limitations.