Growing sugarcane in Corsica: A promising response to climate change in Southern France

Source Agritrop Cirad (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/610712/)

International audience

英语. Climate change has a significant impact on the cultivation of sugarcane, which is the most widely harvested crop on the planet. Increasing mean temperatures (especially night temperatures), changes in rainfall patterns, and higher CO2 levels will most likely affect productivity in various sugarcane growing areas. Consequently, these changes may even modify the geographical locations where this crop will be produced in the future. Following work on adaptation of varieties to low temperatures in the Highlands of Reunion Island, CIRAD has undertaken studies on sugarcane cultivation in Corsica. To assess the performance of tropical sugarcane in a temperate zone of Southern France, tissue-cultured plantlets of five varieties (R581, R582 R583, R92/4246, and R 98/401) were planted in 2022 in a randomized trial with four replications at Domaine de Padulone. Stalk biomass and fiber content were determined in plant cane and first ratoon crops. Highest yields (75.48 t of cane/ha) were obtained for variety R92/4246 in plant cane crop (11 months) and 50.16 t of cane/ha for R583 in ratoon crop (11 months). For the two crop cycles, juice production averaged 35,433 l/ha for R583 with a sucrose content of 18.3 Brix and a fiber content of 21.5% (= 12.3 t dry matter/ha). These initial studies are very promising for a new sugarcane production in Southern Europe but it raises numerous questions about the adaptation of tropical varieties to temperate environments, including crop cycle length and timing, water consumption, and weed management.