Effects Of Subsurface Drip Irrigation And Different Planting Arrangements On The Yields And Technological Quality Of Sugarcane

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and sugarcane spacing on stem yields, sugarcane technological quality, and the theoretical recoverable sugar yields during four cycles of sugarcane cultivation. The experimental field was set up in randomized blocks treated with three planting row spaces (1.5 m, 1.8 m, and a double row planting scheme with 1.3 × 0.5 m between the planting rows) and subdivided into fertigated and nonirrigated sections. The following parameters were analyzed: percentage of soluble solids contained in the juice (brix), percentage of apparent sucrose in the juice (Pol), total recoverable sugar (TRS), stem yield, and the theoretical recoverable sugar yield. The data were evaluated using analyses of variance, and mean values were compared using Duncan's test with significance accepted at the 5% probability level. The results showed that irrigation increased stem yields in the ratoon cane cycles and that the theoretical recoverable sugar yields increased in the last two ratoon cane cycles. In general, the sugarcane's yield characteristics were not altered by irrigation except during the second ratoon when the Brix, Pol, and TRS values were higher than those in the rainfed areas. Regarding the row spacings, double row planting produced the greatest stem yields and theoretical recoverable yields in the plant cane cycle and the second ratoon cane cycle. No interactions between irrigation and row spacing on stem production or yield characteristics were observed, but an interaction was observed for the theoretical recoverable sugar yield in the second sugarcane ratoon cycle. 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