Stephania Imbachi-Ordonez1, Angela Alarcon-Rodriguez1, Gillian Eggleston1, David Stewart2, Klein Kirby3 and Marcus Rutherford3
1Audubon Sugar Institute, LSU AgCenter, St. Gabriel, Louisiana, USA; simbachiordonez@agcenter.lsu.edu
2Alma Plantation, Lakeland, Louisiana, USA
3A. Wilbert’s Sons LLC, Plaquemine, Louisiana, USA
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. This study presents the ongoing development of NIR calibration models for predicting key quality parameters, such as Pol and Brix, of core lab juice (press juice) and other factory materials, including final evaporator syrup and molasses. Preliminary calibrations conducted at one factory using a portable TANGO® FT-NIR spectrometer show strong predictive performance for these materials. In addition, a sugarcane grower is now using a NIR system to monitor sugarcane quality and quantity throughout the harvest season. The grower is using this technology to determine the optimal effectiveness of ripeners across different sugarcane varieties, age classes, and soil types, as well as to better estimate sugar yield per acre. This addresses the limitations of the current factory reports, which are tied to truckloads rather than individual fields. By bridging these gaps, the use of NIR spectroscopy in the factory and field settings has demonstrated its potential to enhance decision-making, optimize production processes, and provide more accurate assessments of sugarcane quality and yield.