M Noori and M Kahyesh
Sugarcane Research Center, Karun-Agro Industry, Shushtar, Iran; mansourn2001@yahoo.com
Suspending irrigation at the end of the growth period enhances juice quality in early sugarcane varieties by promoting natural ripening. This study evaluates the effect of early versus late suspension of irrigation on juice quality and water consumption in varieties CP57-614 and CP73‑21. CP57-614 achieved the highest recoverable sugar (12.37%) and Brix (21.7) under late irrigation suspension in a ratoon crop, while CP73-21 performed best with early suspension (12.1%) and Brix (20.8) in a plant crop. Brix increased in all treatments, but weight decreased. Early irrigation suspension reduced water use by 5.6% to 8.34%. Findings suggest optimized irrigation timing enhances sugar yield and conserves water.