Comportamiento agroindustrial de seis variedades de Caña de azúcar (Saccharum spp.) para Panela en Barbosa (Colombia)

Abstract

: In Colombia, sugarcane production is the second most important line of agricultural production after coffee, 55% of the total cultivated area is dedicated to the production of panela (non-centrifuged sugar - NCS), a task that is carried out in 29 of the 32 departments of the country. Low yields and the loss of genetic quality of the materials current-ly being cultivated have brought about the need to evaluate new varieties of sugarcane that adapt to different environ-ments and have a high production of panela. Considering the above, between November 2018 and May 2020, by the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation - Agrosavia, under the agroecological conditions of Barbosa (Santander, Colom-bia), the agroindustrial behavior of six sugarcane varieties for panela production (CC 11-600, CC 10-450, CC 99-2461, CC 00-3257, CC 91-1606 and CC 00-3771) from the Colombian sugarcane research center - Cenicaña were evaluated; A ran-domized complete block design was established with four repetitions for agronomic performance and three replicates for industrial evaluation. Agronomically, the genetic materials presented averages of 2.81 m to plant height, 2.8 cm stem diameter, percentage of Diatraea infestation intensity of 10.66% and 118.92 tons of cane per hectare; for the industrial variables, average values of 21.06 °Brix in juice and 12.78 tons of panela per hectare were found; the evaluated variables referring to panela quality were adjusted to those required in the NTC 1311: 2009 and Resolution 000779 of 2006 of the Ministry of Social Protection. Varieties CC 11-600 and CC 00-3267 showed the best agroindustrial performance in the first production cycle.