Assessment of sugarcane productivity under drought conditions
2023
Delfin, E.F. | Olalia, L.C. | Mandac, R.L. | Reyes, J.A. | Casas, D.E. | Quilloy, E.P. | Ronavalles, E.M. | Gandia, J.L.
Variable weather conditions such as extreme dry spells and excessive rains are among stresses influencing sugarcane production. Drought for instance reduce stalk length, cane, and sugar yield. The identification of varieties that can withstand the adverse effect of drought is crucial in the development of climate resilient varieties. This study focused on the assessment of the response of sugarcane varieties developed by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). A field trial arranged in a split-plot design with three replications was established at SRA-LAREC. The water treatments irrigated, and drought were the main plots while the sugarcane varieties were the subplots. The sugarcane varieties were exposed to drought at four months after planting by withholding irrigation while the control plots were irrigated regularly. Drought significantly reduced plant height, internode distance, relative leaf greenness and cane yield. An overall 33% reduction in yield was observed. Analyses of images captured using Near-Infrared (NIR) and modified canon cameras showed the increase in canopy temperature from 39.97 deg C to 49.88 deg C in the drought treatment. Net difference Vegetation index (NDVI) showed higher NDVI in the non-stressed plots than the drought treated plots. Differential response to water treatment was observed in terms of juice quality, recoverable sugar per ton cane and sugar yield per hectare. The ten varieties differed significantly in terms of Drought Tolerance Index (DTI) and Mean Productivity (MP) based on cane and sugar yields. PHIL 2004-1011 and PHIL2009-1867 had the highest DTI and MP among the 10 varieties. Correlation analysis showed the negative correlation of temperature with cane yield and DTI for cane yield. The differential response of the 10 varieties presents an opportunity for improving sugarcane productivity through crop improvement for drought prone areas. The identified varieties can be readily used for planting in moisture stressed areas.
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