Sugar Tech最新文献

The field experiment was conducted for 3 years to find out the effect of nanoscale oxides of zinc and iron on yield and quality of sugarcane in sandy clay loam soils during 2019–20 to 2021–22 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Anakapalle. The study indicated that yield-attributing parameters, viz. shoot population at formative, millable canes at harvest (NMC), juice quality, cane and sugar yields, were significantly influenced by the application of zinc and iron either through nanoscale particles or normal zinc sulphate and iron sulphate; however, more influence was observed with nanoscale oxides than normal compounds. There is no significant influence with soil physicochemical properties and soil fertility status; however, highest available zinc status was recorded with soil application of zinc sulphate @ 50 kg ha⁻¹ over foliar sprays. Data on zinc and iron content in cane juice were significantly highest with foliar sprayings of nanozinc and iron oxides twice at 45 and 90 days after planting @ 400 and 1000 ppm, respectively. Cane and sugar yields were significantly influenced by the micronutrient application as significantly highest cane yields were recorded with recommended dose of fertilizers along with zinc sulphate @ 50 kg ha⁻¹ and it was on a par with recommended dose of fertilizers with nano-oxides of zinc @ 400 ppm at 45 and 90 days after planting.

This research explored the potential of sugarcane bagasse (SGB) as a sustainable biosorbent material for waste lubricating oil spill remediation. Then the study introduces an eco-novel strategy for repurposing expended sugarcane bagasse (SGO) that has been used to clean up lubricating oil into biochar and pragmatically analyzes the impact of sorbed oil on the resulting biochar. A non-electric and low-temperature auto-thermal, top-lit updraft gasifier was employed to carbonize the bagasse feedstocks for 120 min. At peak temperatures of 311 °C and 321 °C, a yield of 31.30% and 23.47 wt.% was recorded for SGB and SGO, respectively. The SEM, FTIR, and BET analyses revealed that the sorbed lubricating oil had some positive impact on SGO. Firstly, the textual profile analysis showed that both biochars are mesoporous, with SGO having a superior surface area of 542.265 m²/g compared to SGB (527.645 m²/g). The FTIR analysis also reveals the presence of different O-containing functional groups, with SGO having more carbon networks in these functional groups. The SEM analysis shows that the biochar samples have a heterogeneous mixture of particles with various layered structures, shapes, and sizes. More specifically, SGB has a striated structure with slit-shaped pores, while SGO has a network of blind, open, and closed interconnected pores with a glossily rough structure. The improved SGO biochar exhibits meritorious potential in practical applications like fillers for composite production, and energy storage devices, thus demonstrating an eco-conscious solution for repurposing expended biosorbent and promoting environmental sustainability.

Sugarcane genetic resources have made unprecedented contributions to the sustainability of sugarcane industry by developing elite sugarcane varieties. The wild germplasm resources significantly diminished in China over time and threatened by local extinction owing to anthropogenic activities, especially in the Yunnan Province. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the diversity of wild sugarcane germplasm resources to identify superior genetic materials for future sugarcane breeding programs. The study included a collection of several wild sugarcane species including 62 of Erianthus arundinaceus, 82 of Erianthus rockii, 57 of Saccharum spontaneum, 77 of Miscanthus sinensis, and 59 of Erianthus fulvus, from varying altitudes (288–2122 m above sea level). The study further extended the latitude range of E. rockii, E. fulvus, and M. sinensis, which already exist in the National Nursery of Sugarcane Germplasm Resources (CNNSGR), Kaiyuan, Yunnan, China. The results revealed a considerable morphological variation among the Saccharum germplasms, with a variation coefficient ranging from 42.73 to 61.06% and the mean value exceeding 50%. The highest positive correlations were observed between stalk length and internode length. However, juice Brix did not correlate with any of other studied traits. Additionally, the cluster analysis identified superior accessions such as S. spontaneum (Sp2022-22, Sp2022-27, and Sp2022-31), M. sinensis (Ma2022-17 and Ma2022-66), E. fulvus (Ef2022-51 and Ef2022-30), and E. arundinaceus (Ea2022-50 and Ea2022-29) with significantly higher yield and quality characteristics which could be recommended for further utilization in future research. Moreover, these findings further enrich the genetic diversity of E. rockii, E. fulvus, and M. sinensis from previously unexplored altitudes.

A tractor-operated two-row semi-automatic sugarcane single bud-chip settling transplanter was assessed for its economic impact. This equipment decreases time requirement and labour engagement compared to manual transplanting, thereby reducing the cost of operation for transplanting. The equipment was licensed to three private manufacturers for production and supply to end-users. Time series data of 58 units of this implement supplied to the states of Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in India as well as Republic of the Philippines from 2015 to 2021 were collected for this study. Using an economic surplus model, the downwards shift of the supply curve, which enables the producers to achieve higher output at a lower cost of production due to technological intervention at the market equilibrium point, was measured. As a result, the volume of trade changes, generating a surplus for both the producers and consumers. The economic impact in terms of the change in total surplus and net present worth due to adoption of sugarcane settling transplanter developed at a cost of about ₹ 1.88 million in current price was estimated by adopting economic surplus approach. The aggregate change in total surplus due to adoption of sugarcane settling transplanter was about ₹ 6.66 billion over seven years (2015–2021), with 73.39% accrued to producers and the remaining 26.61% gained by the consumers. In real terms, the net present worth at a 6% discount rate was estimated as ₹ 3.21 billion in 2011–2012 prices.

Sugar beet is widely cultivated and highly valued in regions with temperate climates. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for crop growth. It has been generally accepted that nitrogen fertilization increases sugar beet yield and improves quality. However, a systematic analysis investigating the effects of nitrogen fertilization on sugar beet yield and sugar content is currently lacking. In this study, we analyzed 814 data pairs from 42 studies to make a global meta-analysis of nitrogen fertilization on yield and sugar content. Under most climatic conditions, nitrogen application showed a positive effect on root yield, with the maximum effect size when mean annual average precipitation (MAP) ≤ 300 mm, means mean annual air temperature (MAT) > 10 °C, and means mean annual sunshine (MAS) > 2500 h. While nitrogen application basically showed a negative effect on sugar content, especially when MAP > 300 mm, MAT > 10 °C, and MAS > 2500 h. Similar trend was found in terms of soil conditions, with an exception in clay soil. Nitrogen application had a positive and significant effect on root yield under all the management practices, with the maximum effect size when nitrogen application frequency ≥ 5, 150 kg ha⁻¹ ≤ nitrogen application rate ≤ 300 kg ha⁻¹, and 1 × 10⁵ plants·ha⁻¹ ≤ plant density ≤ 1 × 10⁵ plants·ha⁻¹. The effect of nitrogen application on sugar content was insignificant and more complicated. There was an insignificant linear and negative relationship between root yield and sugar content effect. It can be concluded that nitrogen application led to a positive and significant response on root yield, yet a negative and insignificant response on sugar content. And the optimal nitrogen application rate should be determined by local climatic factors, soil conditions, and management practices. This meta-analysis improved our understanding of crucial factors influencing the effects of nitrogen fertilization on root yield and sugar content and provided guidance for optimizing nitrogen fertilizer application.

The adoption of sustainable practices, including the rational application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers, is increasingly encouraged in sugarcane cultivation due to the high cost of mineral fertilizers. An eminent alternative is the use of poultry litter, a readily available nitrogen source. This study tested the hypothesis that poultry litter, as an organic nitrogen source (ON), can meet the N requirements of sugarcane, either as a substitute for or in combination with a mineral nitrogen source (ammonium nitrate, MN). The effects of varying ON application rates (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 t ha⁻¹) and MN rates (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha⁻¹), as well as their interaction, were evaluated over two crop seasons. The study analyzed N, P, and K contents, technological quality, and sugar production in the stalks. Results confirmed that poultry litter can replace ammonium nitrate for supplying N, P, and K to sugarcane. However, higher rates of ON and MN negatively impacted juice quality parameters, including °Brix, apparent sucrose content (POL), and purity. Excessive ON-MN combinations also reduced total sugar recovery. A balanced application of 4.2 t ha⁻¹ of ON combined with 120 kg ha⁻¹ of MN resulted in the highest sugar yield, averaging 22.845 t ha⁻¹. While combining ON and MN can optimize sugar yields, excessive N application—whether organic or mineral—diminishes juice quality by reducing sucrose content.

When performing deep vertical rotary tillage (DVRT) in sugarcane stubble fields, the weakly supported soil condition (broken-soil state) results in insufficient fragmentation of cane stubble stems during cutting.

This study developed a coupled FEM-DEM simulation model of the stem-soil-blade system under weak soil support conditions. The model was used to evaluate three common DVRT blades: the large bending angle blade (LBAB), the horizontal rotary tillage universal blade (HRTUB), and the stubble shredding blade (SSB), along with their rectangular and serrated extensions. The analysis focused on the influence of blade geometry and structural parameters on critical cutting speed (CCS) and maximum cutting force (MCF). Geometric parameters of the HRTUB-Circular Sawtooth (CS) configuration, which demonstrated optimal cutting performance, were then optimized. Experimental results showed that with blade edge thicknesses of 1–3 mm, the average CCS values for LBAB, HRTUB, and SSB reached 12.8 m/s, 12.7 m/s, and 12.8 m/s, respectively, while the average MCF measurements were 322.2 N, 323.4 N, and 327.1 N. When implementing HRTUB-CS blades with a 1.5 mm edge thickness under optimized tooth parameters (8 mm pitch and 0.6 height-to-pitch ratio), CCS decreased to 7.9 m/s and MCF decreased to 226.1 N. These values represented reductions of 31.3%, 30.7%, and 33.1% for CCS, and 23.1%, 23.5%, and 24% for MCF compared to LBAB, HRTUB, and SSB, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing DVRT cutters and offer methodological references for other mechanical stubble return operations.

Micropropagation in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is widely employed for high-quality seed production. The acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets is a significant challenge in ensuring successful transplantation and robust growth. Acclimatization success is crucial for the viability of technology and its economy. Therefore, various priming technologies are utilized to increase the sustainability of the process. In this work, priming through irradiated chitosan served as an elicitor for multifaceted stress tolerance and sustainable growth in plants. Irradiation induced a drastic reduction in the molecular weight of chitosan by 10–20 times, thereby enhancing its solubility in water and facilitating improved efficacy with plant growth. Micropropagated sugarcane plantlets treated with 40 ppm electron beam-irradiated chitosan showed significant improvements in survival rates and various plant growth parameters during the acclimatization. It was observed that it also reduced the duration of the hardening cycle and decreased production costs. These findings underscore the efficacy of irradiated chitosan priming as a cost-effective strategy to optimize the hardening process of tissue culture plantlets, thereby enhancing seedling quality and productivity in sugarcane micropropagation.

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of placement and scheduling of N & K fertilizers on crop growth, yield attributes and sugar yield in subtropical India. Experiment was laid out in split plot design keeping two methods of placement of fertilizers (N & K) in main plots (M₁: broadcast method; M₂: band placement method) and four nutrient management schedules in subplots (S₁: recommended dose of N (RDN) + recommended dose of K (RDK) in five splits; S₂: RDN + RDK in six splits; S₃: RDN + RDK in seven splits; and S₄: recommended dose of fertilizer (150 kg N, 26 kg P and 50 kg K/ha). The mean net photosynthetic rate (NPR) during tillering, grand growth and maturity stage was recorded as 15.59 µ mol m⁻² s⁻¹, 15.41 µ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 10.18 µ mol m⁻² s⁻¹, respectively. Band placement of fertilizers recorded the higher transpiration rate and stomatal conductance in sugarcane leaves. Band placement of fertilizer increased the leaf area index (LAI) at the grand growth stage to 5.280. Applying N and K in three splits enhanced LAI to 5.637 at the grand growth stage. Placement methods and nutrient management schedules significantly influenced the harvest stage’s total dry matter accumulation (TDMA). Band placement also increased TDMA in sugarcane by 12.99% (31.61 t/ha) compared to broadcasting. However, application of N and K in five splits enhanced TDMA by 29.57% (35.10 t/ha) over three splits. Microbial activities in soil were also determined through microbial biomass C & N and respiration. The higher mean soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC-180.6 mg CO₂-C/ kg soil/day) was recorded under N and K band placement. About 9.92% higher sugar yield was obtained under band placement than broadcasting (11.57 t/ha). The schedule of fertilizer applications also significantly influenced growth and yield attributes, as well as sugarcane and sugar yields. Splitting five doses of fertilizers brought 18% and 19.26% higher sugarcane and sugar yields, respectively, than three splitting. Thus, it was concluded that the band application of N and K fertilizers in five splits could be recommended for sustaining sugarcane yield and soil quality parameters. In addition, scheduling of N and K (150 kg N and 26 kg P/ha, respectively) applied in five splits (10% basal and remaining at 45, 75, 90 and 120 days after planting), improved the sugarcane growth, yield and sugar yields and proved superior to other schedules in sustaining soil quality parameters in subtropical India.

Autumn sugarcane planting provides ample scope for intercropping of ‘rabi’ season crops in available space between sugarcane rows. The component crops can grow with sugarcane because of the lesser tillering in winter. The intercrop affects the overall productivity and soil quality parameters. Thus, a field experiment was conducted from 2020–2021 to 2023–2024 for four consecutive years with the objectives (1) to assess the effect of different intercrops/ intercropping systems on soil quality parameters, (2) to assess the effect on system productivity, (3) to work out the economics of different intercropping systems, and (4) to suggest the most remunerative cropping systems for subtropical India. Nine treatments viz., T₁: Sugarcane Sole, T₂: Sugarcane + Mustard, T₃: Sugarcane + Garlic, T₄: Sugarcane + Onion, T₅: Sugarcane + Carrot, T₆: Sugarcane + Maize (green cobs purpose), T₇: Sugarcane + Coriander (green leaf), T₈: Sugarcane + Linseed, T₉: Sugarcane + Lentil in different row arrangements were applied in field experiment conducted in randomized block design under three replications. Results briefly indicated that intercropping compatible crops with autumn-planted sugarcane improved soil quality parameters, viz., soil organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, and available nutrient contents after harvesting the sugarcane crop. During 2020–2021 to 2023–2024, various intercrops reduced the mean sugarcane yield by 3.17% (sugarcane + garlic) to 20.05% (sugarcane + maize). However, system productivity could be improved up to 141.1% over the mean yield of sole cane (103.1 t/ha). Intercropping coriander (leaf purpose), garlic, and maize (cobs purpose) with autumn sugarcane was most remunerative compared to other intercrops. Sugarcane + coriander intercropping recorded the highest B:C ratio (2.69); however, the mean B:C of intercrops was 1.91 versus 1.52 with sole cane planting over the four years, indicating the intercropping systems' profitability.