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Sugarcane is a major crop grown in many tropical and subtropical countries throughout the world. It is a source for sucrose, rum, and ethanol. Most commercial cultivars are complex hybrids. Production is concentrated around local sugar processing plants.
 Environment
Climate: High temperatures and plenty of radiation are essential for high productivity. Strong winds can induce cane dislodging and cause yield loss.
Soil: The sugarcane roots prefer well-drained acidic soils. In sandy soils there is a higher risk of fast development of nematodes.
Planting layout
There are two common planting practices: single rows, spaced 125-150cm apart (in some places 90cm), or double rows, spaced about 90cm inside the pair and 180-210cm between pairs.
Water demand
The sugar cane plant is stress-tolerant. During dry seasons it will halt growth and loose much of its foliage. Dry seasons are unproductive periods. Radiation in the dry season is normally higher which makes the lost production potential dearer.
Drip irrigation enables scheduling of frequent irrigation applications, providing constant water availability. As a result, the canes continue growing and the production reaches its full potential. At full canopy, crop coefficient (Kc) is 1.0-1.1.
Irrigation
Most of the cultivated sugarcane is rain fed, furrow irrigated, or watered with sprinklers. However, in recent years drip irrigation was introduced. Regular, uniform irrigation increases yield and sugar content.
Large movable sprinklers on high tripods or traveler guns serve for supplementary irrigation. These systems require a lot of labor and high energy costs. They are also very sensitive to winds and they require longer intervals between irrigation cycles.
Drip irrigation is the most efficient watering system solution in areas where irrigation is required for long periods. Most commonly the driplines are embedded under the soil surface (Subsurface Drip Irrigation - SDI). Many growers burn the foliar trash before harvest; and as the driplines are placed underground, they are well protected. Besides fire, driplines are also more protected from damage caused by pests or vandalism, and so they can serve for many ratoons. Some growers lay the driplines above ground and retrieve them before harvest.
Drip layout can either be with a single dripline beneath each planted row or one dripline between double rows. The optimal spacing between drippers along the dripline and between driplines depends upon the soil texture.
Fertigation
A fertigation program will maintain soil fertility and enable more years of ratooning and production without yield loss. In poor soils, it is common to apply NPK right from the planting year, especially when driplines are embedded in the soil. This way
uptake by plants is easier. In fertile soils, only Nitrogen is applied in the first years. Later, when the fertility of the root zone is depleted, other nutrients should be applied as well.
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