Responses of Some Sugarcane Varieties to Application of Ethrel Ripener with Respect to Their on Quality and Productivity

The study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station in Shandaweel, Sohag Governorate, Egypt. (latitude of 26.33° N and longitude of 31.41° E) in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 planting seasons, to evaluate the effects of three concentrations of the chemical ripener " Ethrel" (0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 liter/fed) sprayed on the leaves, in addition to control treatment (without spraying) on yield and quality of tow sugarcane varieties [the commercial variety (G.T. 54-9) and the promising one (G. 2004-27) in addition to (G. 2005-47) genotype]. A randomized complete block design was used in a split-plot arrangement was used. The results showed that the sugarcane varieties differed markedly in all studied traits. G.T. 54-9 variety superior in stalk diameter and sugar yield/fed in both seasons as well as cane yield/fed in the 1st one, while, G.2004-27 variety recorded the highest stalk and most number of millable canes/fed in both seasons as well as cane yield/fed in the 1st season, on the other hand, G.2005-47 genotype was superior in brix, sucrose, purity and sugar recovery% in both seasons. The results also showed that adding 1.0 liter/fed of Ethrel spray to the cane leaves caused an increase in brix, sucrose, purity and sugar recovery% as well as sugar yield/fed, compared to the untreated (control). On the contrary, the treatments with Ethrel concentrations led to a decrease in the  height and diameter of the stalk as well as cane yield. However, the increase (%) in quality and sugar yield was more than the decrease in cane yield. Therefore, Ethrel addition led to an increase in quality and sugar yield at concentration of 1.0 liter/fed "E3". Under conditions of this work, it was found that growing all studied sugarcane varieties and spraying them with 1.0 l/fed of Ethrel ripener can be recommended for the maximum sugar production.