Sugar Tech最新文献

Sugarcane bagasse, a by-product of sugar production, has potential as a feed ingredient for animals. This study examines the environmental impact and energy use efficiency of using sugarcane bagasse for animal feed. The research indicates that the total energy consumption for producing fodder is 30,329.94 MJ ton⁻¹, with input energy exceeding output energy. Sugarcane bagasse accounts for over 50% of energy consumption, along with significant contributions from electricity and natural gas. Energy efficiency and intensity are calculated at 0.03 kg MJ⁻¹ and 30.32 MJ kg⁻¹, respectively, suggesting a high energy requirement per kg of feed. The net energy is calculated at -5329.94 MJ ton⁻¹, highlighting inefficiencies in energy use. The study shows a measurable impact on human health (0.30 DALY) but a relatively minor impact on ecosystem quality (0.0005 species.yr). The high energy consumption of 93,602.34 MJ ton⁻¹ indicates a heavy reliance on non-renewable fuel sources, specifically fossil fuels. These findings underscore the importance of improving energy efficiency and resource utilization in feed production processes.

Sugarcane, a globally significant economic crop, depends on potassium (K) for critical processes such as photosynthesis and sugar translocation. This study explored the impacts of various foliar K supplements, including 2.5% w/v KCl, KNO₃, K₂SO₄, and K₂SiO₃, alongside diluted molasses and vinasse (5 × dilution). The field experiment was conducted on sugarcane grown in soil with sufficient soil K levels, applying foliar solutions at 120 days at 2667 L/ha. The results indicated that combining soil chemical fertilizers with foliar K₂SiO₃ and KNO₃ resulted in the highest yields of 155.19 and 154.81 tons/ha, respectively, significantly outperforming the foliar water combined with soil chemical fertilizers (132.81 tons/ha) and the control (no basal fertilizer with foliar water, at 130.67 tons/ha, P ≤ 0.05). This enhancement is expected to result from the improvement in chlorophyll content and photosynthesis, enabled by timely K and nutrient acquisition, bypassing root transport. However, no significant differences were noted among the foliar K forms. Foliar K application also affected nutrient concentrations and uptake, with molasses showing the highest nutrient absorption in stalks: N (322 kg/ha), K (215 kg/ha), S (80.9 kg/ha), and Si (23.2 kg/ha) (P ≤ 0.05). These findings provide valuable insights and recommendations for utilizing foliar application of K₂SiO₃ and KNO₃ to improve plant sugarcane yield, as well as employing molasses foliar application to enhance nutrient uptake in sugarcane cultivated in soils with adequate K.

The effects of sheep wool (SW) and its hydrolysate (H) on the vegetative growth, root development, nutrient concentrations and sugar quality parameters of sugar beet grown under full (FF) and reduced fertilizer (RF) conditions were investigated. The treatments were as follows: FF, FF + SW (4 g kg⁻¹) and FF + SW + H (4 g kg⁻¹ + 4 ml kg⁻¹), RF, RF + SW (4 g kg⁻¹) and RF + SW + H (4 g kg⁻¹ + 4 ml kg⁻¹). The shoot and root samples were collected at two-week intervals from the beginning of root development to harvest. In these samples, temporal change of leaf mineral element concentrations and sugar quality parameters of the sugar beet roots were determined. Reduced fertilizer application did not have a negative effect on shoot and root growth. SW and SW + H treatments significantly increased total shoot (40.2 and 52.1%) and root yield (4.59 and 7.61%) of sugar beet in reduced fertilizer conditions. Nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations of shoots increased significantly with SW and SW + H applications. Similar increases were also observed for phosphorus (P) in the 3rd sampling period. The treatments did not have an effect on potassium (K) concentrations of shoots but some increases observed in Na and α-amino N concentrations depending on SW and SW + H treatments. The SW and SW + H treatments significantly reduced sugar existence and refined sugar existence. On the other hand, the treatments had no significant effect on the refined sugar at harvest periods. Sheep wool and H can be incorporated into organomineral fertilizers, potentially reducing excessive fertilizer use and improving fertilizer efficiency.

Generally, it is believed that sugarcane grows normally in the absence of stalk infecting pathogens causing red rot, wilt, smut or fungal diseases. Although degeneration occurs in sugarcane due to systemic build-up of non-fungal pathogens, the canes are harvested as healthy canes. The degenerated canes showed 30–50% reduction in cane weight and also a similar loss in juice yield. Even though physiological yield potential of sugarcane is more than 300 t/ha, an average cane yield of only 84 t/ha is achieved in India. Yield gap due to the degeneration caused by the non-fungal pathogens, especially viruses associated with mosaic and yellow leaf disease, ratoon stunting bacterium and grassy shoot phytoplasma are ignored under field conditions. Improved molecular diagnostics combined virus elimination through meristem culture showed a practical approach to manage varietal rejuvenation in sugarcane and demonstrated restoration of yield potential of major varieties. The industry should realize this major impact to sugarcane and take corrective measures to sustain the cane cultivation in India.

The aim of this study was to estimate the correlations among traits in biomass sorghum, estimate the direct and indirect effects, and check for a cause/effect relationship of the traits on the theoretical calorific value (TCV) through pathway analysis. An additional aim is to provide a complementary technique for analysis of the traits and orientation of breeding programs of biomass sorghum through data mining. A total of 25 hybrids of biomass sorghum were evaluated in a triple square lattice design. The following traits were measured: flowering (FLOW); plant height (PH); fresh biomass yield of the stalk (FBYs), of leaves, and of panicles; dry matter of the stalk and of the leaves (DMl); neutral detergent fiber of the stalk and of the leaves; acid detergent fiber of the stalk and of the leaves; lignin of the stalk and of the leaves; hemicellulose of the stalk and of the leaves; cellulose concentration of the stalk and of the leaves; and the TCV. The data were placed under exploratory analysis, the mixed model approach, pathway analysis based on genotypic correlations, and the regression tree technique. The traits FLOW, PH, FBYs, DMl, and LIG were considered the main determinants of the changes in the TCV and, therefore, with potential for use in indirect selection. The technique of data mining allowed better visualization of the relationships among the traits, assisting in some explanations regarding the effect of the traits on the TCV.

The inoculation of diazotrophs in sugarcane presents a challenge due to the plant’s vegetative propagation, which hampers the accurate assessment of the contribution of a new bacterial community in the presence of natural inhabitants. To surmount this obstacle, a modification of short heat treatment (HT—52 °C for 30 min) is normally employed to control ratoon stunt disease, with the addition of a chemical step testing chloride (HCl—1%) and acetic acid (Ac—2%) as biocides. Four experiments were conducted involving two sugarcane cultivars (IACSP95-5000 and RB867515) with and without inoculation of five diazotrophs: G. diazotrophicus, H. seropedicae, H. rubrisubalbicans, N. amazonense, and P. tropica. The HT treatments consisted of control, HT (52 °C for 30 min) alone; HT reduced to 10 min (10HT), biocides: hydrochloric acid (HCl—1%) and acetic acid (Ac—2% at 52 °C for 10 min, and 10HT + 10Ac at room temperature as an additional step—10 AcRT). Plant and bacterial growth (based on two methods—most probable number and qPCR) and nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction activity—ARA) were measured. Ac was selected as a biocide as germination was not reduced. Inoculation improved germination and sugarcane biomass accumulation, especially with 10 HT + 10 AcRT. The reduction in HT time by 20 min and the addition of Ac (additional step) effectively controlled the natural diazotrophic community, establishing the five diazotrophs, promoting growth, and increasing ARA activity by 82% compared to the traditional HT.

A field experiment was conducted with eight treatments of weed management involving integrated and sole applications of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl along with weed-free and weedy check practices. The experimental treatments were replicated three times in a randomized block design. Applying integrated product of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl effectively managed the grassy (Cynodon dactylon, Eleusine indica, Echinochloa crusgalli, and Digitaria spp.) and broad-leaved weeds (Trianthema monogyna, Chenopodium album, Anagallis arvensis, Melilotus alba, Parthenium hysterophorus, and Bidens frondosa). The higher weed density (124.7 per m²) in weedy check plots was recorded during the first cropping season than 2nd cropping season (118.22/m²). Total weed dry weight was also significantly reduced at the lowest level (43.39 g/m² during 2019–2020 and 75.70 g/m² during 2020–2021) with the application of integrated product of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl @ 3200 g ai/ha. However, the weed control efficiency (77.57% and 55.59% during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, respectively) recorded with application of similar herbicide @ 2400 g ai/ha was found at par with its application @3200 g ai/ha. The highest soil organic carbon content (19.90 Mg/ha) was recorded after sugarcane harvest in weedy check plots. The weed management through application of integrated product of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl @ 2400 g ai/ha could improve the sugarcane yield by 36.76% (101 tonnes/ha) over the weedy check plots. Increasing dose of the product @3200 g ai/ha could not increase the sugarcane and sugar yields up to significant level. Among all other herbicides treatments (single application) or integrated manner, application of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl @2400 g ai/ha also increased sugar yield by 45.12% (11.085 tonnes/ha) over the weedy check plots. The phytotoxicity of the new herbicide product of 2,4-D, metribuzin, and pyrazosulfuron-ethyl could not be recorded in subsequent wheat crops tested up to 4800 g ai/ha.