Experimental evaluation of sugarcane deficit biotic and abiotic factors

• Grant number: 21/05208-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Agricultural Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Ricardo Marin
• Grantee: Ana Maria Kül
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important source of renewable energy that has a growing demand on the world stage. Sugar is an essential component for basic food and for the food industry. Ethanol, in addition to being less expensive than gasoline, is still considered a biofuel that has a low emission of greenhouse gases. To meet the expected increase in demand for sugar and biofuels, it is necessary to increase productivity in consolidated areas of sugarcane through management practices. The objective of the project is to analyze and quantify the main causes of the sugarcane yield gap and to develop an ideal standard management that can be used in practice in order to increase the productivity of the crop. For this, in the first part of the project, the yield-gap of the selected plots will be defined, which is given by the difference in the potential productivity limited by water (Yw) and the real productivity (Yr), and the identification and quantification of the reducing and limiting factors to crop productivity. In the second part of the project, based on the productivity loss factors identified in the field, an experimentation approach will be proposed in tests on strips of nine lines of 100 meters in the area of the selected plots proposing a new management for the plant. Around the strip tests, standard plant management will be used. Therefore, it is intended to develop with the project an "ideal" management strategy that can contribute to increasing the productivity of commercial sugarcane areas.