Explore the vast range of titles available.

Newly released sugarcane varieties need to be adapted to various environments. This research was aimed at examining the growth and yield potential of newly released varieties of sugarcane in the first year as plant cane (PC) and the second year as first ratoon cane (RC1) on dry land. The research was carried out at Wedarijaksa station, Trangkil Sugar Mill area, Pati, Central Java in 2019–2021. Four sugarcane varieties were grown using a double rows system, AAS Agribun, ASA Agribun, AMS Agribun, and CMG Agribun and one commercial variety, PSJK 922. Measurements of crop growth were made periodically: yield components at harvest in PC-RC1, and physiological characteristics 5 months after planting. The results indicate that mean tonnes of cane and sugar per hectare between PC and RC1 decreased by 22.7% and 21.0%, respectively, for AAS Agribun, ASA Agribun, and CMG Agribun due to decreased stem weights. AMS Agribun showed the smallest decrease in tonnes of cane (4%) and increase in tonnes of sugar per hectare (2%) from PC to RC1. The highest number of tonnes of sugar in PC was achieved by ASA Agribun (12.8 t ha−1), slightly above PSJK 922 (12.69 t ha−1). The decline in tonnes of cane and sugar needs to be reduced by the continuously improving cultivation techniques. The mean photosynthetic water use efficiency of tested new varieties was 7.46 µmol CO2 mol H2O−1. These research findings provide information on crop performance and can be used as a basis for selecting varieties to be developed in the region. Further studies will be required to test these new sugarcane varieties in a wide range of agroecological zones in Indonesia.

Sugarcane is an important sugar crop and it can be subjected to ratooning for several years. The advantages of ratooning include quality improvement, efficiency enhancement, and reduced costs and energy use. The genotype, environment, cultivation management, and harvesting technology affect the productivity and longevity of ratoon cane, with the genetic basis being the most critical factor. However, the majority of research has been focused on only limited genotypes, and a few studies have evaluated up to 100 sugarcane germplasm resources. They mainly focus on the comparison among different genotypes or among plant cane, different selection strategies for the first and second ratoon crops, together with screening indicators for the selection of stronger ratooning ability. In this paper, previous studies are reviewed in order to analyze the importance of sugarcane ratooning, the indicative traits used to evaluate ratooning ability, the major factors influencing the productivity and longevity of ratooning, the genetic basis of variation in ratooning ability, and the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the shortcomings of the existing research on sugarcane ratooning are highlighted. We then discuss the focus of future ratoon sugarcane research and the technical methods that will shorten the selection cycle and increase the genetic gain of ratooning ability, particularly the development of linked markers. This review is expected to provide a reference for understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of ratooning ability and for breeding sugarcane varieties with a strong ratooning ability.

A challenge facing the biofuel industry is to develop an economically viable and sustainable biorefinery. The existing potential biorefineries in Louisiana, raw sugar mills, operate only 3 months of the year. For year-round operation, they must adopt other feedstocks, besides sugar cane, as supplemental feedstocks. Energy cane and sweet sorghum have different harvest times, but can be processed for bio-ethanol using the same equipment. Juice of energy cane contains 9.8% fermentable sugars and that of sweet sorghum, 11.8%. Chemical composition of sugar cane bagasse was determined to be 42% cellulose, 25% hemicellulose, and 20% lignin, and that of energy cane was 43% cellulose, 24% hemicellulose, and 22% lignin. Sweet sorghum was 45% cellulose, 27% hemicellulose, and 21% lignin. Theoretical ethanol yields would be 3,609 kg per ha from sugar cane, 12,938 kg per ha from energy cane, and 5,804 kg per ha from sweet sorghum.

In the present study waste product of sugar mill (bagasse) was used as low-cost adsorbent in its natural, and modified forms for the removal of malachite green (MG) dye. Chemical treatment of sugar cane bagasse (SB) was carried out with formaldehyde and sulfuric acid which produced carbonaceous bagasse (C-SB). The sugar cane bagasse (SB), carbonaceous bagasse (C-SB) and fly ash bagasse (FA-SB) were tested as adsorbents for the removal of malachite green (MG) dye from aqueous solutions. The removal of dye was carried out by the adsorption process under the optimized conditions of concentration of dye, amount of adsorbent, temperature and contact time. The spectrophotometric technique was adopted for the estimation of concentration of dye before and after the adsorption. The equilibrium data were applied on Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models and the values of their corresponding constants were evaluated from the slopes and intercepts of their respective plots. The isotherm data can be best described by the Langmuir equation in the concentration range of 1 × 10−5–1 × 10−4 M. From the results it was observed that C-SB shows better adsorption capacity as compared to other adsorbents due to increase in the surface area of adsorbent by the chemical treatment.Thermodynamic parameters ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were also evaluated. The values of ΔG° show spontaneous behavior of the system. The modified bagasse C-SB shows about 89% removal, due to the formation of new modified surface and enhancement in its surface area. It could be employed as a low-cost alternative method for the removal of dyes and purification of textile effluents.

To solve the problem, regarding to intra row setts spacing, research findings should be taken. However, research outputs concerning this aspect is not available at Finchaa sugar factory. Therefore, effects of intra row setts spacing on selected traits were carried out at this project with the objectives to determine the effects of intra row setts spacing on cane and yield components of sugarcane varieties during the growing seasons of 2019/20. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with two sugarcane varieties, as main plots and three intra row setts spacing, between three budded setts as sub plots, replicated three times. Plot size represented 4 rows of 5 m length with inter row distance of 1.45 m. At closer intra row spacing number of tillers, cane forming stalks, millable canes, number of internodes in cane, cane length and cane yield were found more than those with wider setts spacing. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) among varieties for these characters. Intra row setts spacing had no significant effect on quality characteristics, Brix, pol and purity % juice, recoverable sugar % cane and sugar yield. Variety, N Co 334 had higher Brix and pol % juice and sugar recovery % cane than Variety D42. From the results it is recommended that closer intra row sett spacing may be used for high cane and sugar yields at Finchaa sugar factory, but alternatively it was recommended to use 10 cm between setts, without reducing cane and sugar yield.

The poor often behave in less capable ways, which can further perpetuate poverty. We hypothesize that poverty directly impedes cognitive function and present two studies that test this hypothesis. First, we experimentally induced thoughts about finances and found that this reduces cognitive performance among poor but not in well-off participants. Second, we examined the cognitive function of farmers over the planting cycle. We found that the same farmer shows diminished cognitive performance before harvest, when poor, as compared with after harvest, when rich. This cannot be explained by differences in time available, nutrition, or work effort. Nor can it be explained with stress: Although farmers do show more stress before harvest, that does not account for diminished cognitive performance. Instead, it appears that poverty itself reduces cognitive capacity. We suggest that this is because poverty-related concerns consume mental resources, leaving less for other tasks. These data provide a previously unexamined perspective and help explain a spectrum of behaviors among the poor. We discuss some implications for poverty policy.

BackgroundIn the sugarcane industry, large amounts of lignocellulosic residues are generated, which includes bagasse, straw, and tops. The use of the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass for the production of second-generation (2G) ethanol can be a potential alternative to contribute to the economic viability of this process. Here, we conducted a systematic comparative study of the use of the lignocellulosic residues from the whole sugarcane lignocellulosic biomass (bagasse, straw, and tops) from commercial sugarcane varieties for the production of 2G ethanol. In addition, the feasibility of using a mixture of these residues from a selected variety was also investigated.ResultsThe materials were pretreated with dilute acid and hydrolyzed with a commercial enzymatic preparation, after which the hydrolysates were fermented using an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The susceptibility to enzymatic saccharification was higher for the tops, followed by straw and bagasse. Interestingly, the fermentability of the hydrolysates showed a different profile, with straw achieving the highest ethanol yields, followed by tops and bagasse. Using a mixture of the different sugarcane parts (bagasse-straw-tops, 1:1:1, in a dry-weight basis), it was possible to achieve a 55% higher enzymatic conversion and a 25% higher ethanol yield, compared to use of the bagasse alone. For the four commercial sugarcane varieties evaluated using the same experimental set of conditions, it was found that the variety of sugarcane was not a significant factor in the 2G ethanol production process.ConclusionsAssessment of use of the whole lignocellulosic sugarcane biomass clearly showed that 2G ethanol production could be significantly improved by the combined use of bagasse, straw, and tops, when compared to the use of bagasse alone. The lower susceptibility to saccharification of sugarcane bagasse, as well as the lower fermentability of its hydrolysates, can be compensated by using it in combination with straw and tops (sugarcane trash). Furthermore, given that the variety was not a significant factor for the 2G ethanol production process within the four commercial sugarcane varieties evaluated here, agronomic features such as higher productivity and tolerance of soil and climate variations can be used as the criteria for variety selection.

Sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) is a sugar crop capable of ratoon cultivation, and its ratooning ability directly relates to sugarcane production costs and planting benefits. Sugarcane ridges with missing seedlings and gaps are an important reason for the reduction in the number of effective stalks and the years of ratooning of ratoon sugarcane. Therefore, analyzing the differences and correlations in important agronomic traits during yield formation within ratoon sugarcane populations after replanting treatment is of paramount importance for guiding ratoon cultivation. In this study, the 3rd-year ratoon sugarcane of the main varieties Guiliu 2 (GL2), Guitang 44 (GT44), and Yuetang 00236 (YT236), which are widely cultivated, served as the target population for replenishment. Using stem cuttings of Guifu 98-296 (GF296) as the replanting material, replanting treatment was applied to sugarcane ridges with missing seedlings and gaps in the planting plots of the after mentioned three varieties. Unreplanted populations served as their respective controls (CK). At harvest in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ratoon years, data on important agronomic traits and sucrose content of the sugarcane populations under the replanting and non-replanting treatments were investigated. An analysis was conducted to ascertain the differences and correlations among agronomic trait indicators. The economic benefits of the replanting treatment and CK were calculated. The findings of the study demonstrated that the number of effective stalks in the replanted populations of GL2, GT44, and YT236 was significantly higher than in the non-replanted control groups (CK), with an increase ranging from 10.72 to 45.26%. The yield of both the replanted and CK groups for GL2, GT44, and YT236 decreased by 9.56–54.14% with prolonged the years of ratooning. Conversely, the yield of the replanted populations increased by 28.19–158.61% over extended ratooning years. Significant variations were observed in plant height, stem diameter, and single-stalk weight among the original ratoon sugarcane varieties (GL2, GT44, YT236) and their respective CK groups across different ratooning years. In the non-replanted groups, the number of effective stalks exhibited a highly significant negative correlation with the years of ratooning (correlation coefficients: GL2: − 0.907, GT44: − 0.931, YT236: − 0.756), and yield also showed a highly significant negative correlation with the years of ratooning (GL2: − 0.915, GT44: − 0.905, YT236: − 0.930). Notably, after replanting, the negative correlation between the years of ratooning and both yield and effective stalk number was eliminated, indicating improved population structure. Furthermore, the replanted GL2, GT44, and YT236 populations exhibited increased economic benefits, with cumulative net income gains over three ratooning seasons of 48,120.80 CNY ha −1 , 46,765.80 CNY ha −1 , and 42,398.60 CNY ha −1 , respectively. In conclusion, GF296 replanting effectively extended the years of ratooning by three years, substantially enhanced economic returns, and is suitable for large-scale implementation. The present study provides a theoretical basis for constructing high-yield populations, maximising ratoon potential, and achieving high-efficiency cultivation.