Gustavo A Barona, Carlos A Lucumi and Yohana P Melo
Castilla Agrícola S.A., Colombia; gbarona.corp@agroriocas.com
The sugarcane sector in the Cauca River Valley, Colombia, is strongly influenced by high soil variability and the presence of El Niño-La Niña climatic phenomena. Due to this, it is necessary to establish crop management strategies that ensure stable production. Since 2009, varietal evaluations have been carried out on more than 250 clones provided by the Colombian Sugarcane Research Center (Cenicaña) in three environments with relatively homogeneous characteristics. These evaluations have allowed for the development of a methodology that includes morphological and physiological assessments, as well as responses to pests and diseases. Under the study conditions, identifying the varieties with the highest productive potential for each environment resulted in a 22% improvement in commercial cane yield. The appropriate selection of environment-specific varieties enhances productivity and sustainability and reduces the risks associated with reliance on a single major variety.