Differentiation of sugarcane ripeness using geotechnology tools at the field level

• Grant number: 25/22186-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Agricultural Machinery and Implements
• Principal Investigator: Tatiana Fernanda Canata
• Grantee: Otávio da Silva Salomão
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/13121-8 - Differentiation of sugarcane ripeness using geotechnology tools at the field level, AP.R

Abstract

Traditional laboratory measurements of sugarcane sugar content are destructive and limited in quantity, hindering large-scale harvest planning. Given the importance of sugarcane to Brazilian agribusiness and the high cost of mechanized harvesting, the objective of this research is to investigate the potential of geotechnology tools for differentiating sugarcane maturity levels at the field level. The qualitative attributes of sugarcane will be measured during the crop's maturity period for a season in the state of São Paulo using regular grid sampling. These georeferenced attributes will be analyzed in GIS (Geographic Information System) in freely accessible computing environments. Descriptive statistics will be performed on the data, and then the maturity level of the plants will be determined based on Brix and Purity values, subdividing them into ideal harvest and ripening regions (Brix <18° and Purity <85%). The project's development will enable the mapping of the commercial area and differentiation of crop maturity through georeferenced data and geoprocessing techniques, thus assisting in prioritizing plots in ideal harvest conditions. The results of this project will address a national need for innovations in tropical agriculture, as well as encourage sustainable practices related to early and non-destructive crop monitoring.