Sugarcane Root System Depth in Three Different Countries

Review of Plant Studies

Roots are the less explored yet essential part of the sugarcane plant for sufficient nutrient and water supply to ensure higher yield. Understanding the nature of the root system will help the plant breeder in selecting superior varieties adapted to different soil conditions. An experiment using 10 sugarcane HYVs was conducted to determine the root characteristics, physiological responses and yield performance in sandy soil of Pampanga, Philippines. The experiment was laid-out in RCBD with four replications. ANOVA revealed significant differences in all 18 parameters except in apparent purity and root density (RD) at 80-90cm soil depth. Phil 8013,

Sugar Tech

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil moisture deficits on the growth of root system and its effect on soil moisture utilization in sugarcane to identify relationship of root growth with drought tolerance of sugarcane varieties. An experiment with eight sugarcane varieties under rain-fed and irrigated conditions in a split-plot design was conducted from 2002 to 2007 at the Sugarcane Research Institute, Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka (6°21 0 N, 80°48 0 E). Root length densities (RLD) and soil moisture contents at different depths of the 1 m soil profile were measured. The variety SL 88 116 showed the highest RLD values of 1.49 in top (0-30 cm), 0.33 in middle (30-60 cm) and 0.65 cm cm -3 in entire (0-100 cm) layers of soil profile, and SL 83 06 showed the highest RLD of 0.14 cm cm -3 in the bottom (60-100 cm) layer of soil profile under rain-fed conditions. RLD of all varieties except SL 88 116 under irrigation were significantly (P \ 0.05) greater (15-63%) than under rain-fed conditions. The rain-fed cane yield showed a significant (P \ 0.05) positive correlation with RLD in the middle soil layer. Varieties with higher root length densities in the 30-60 cm soil layer survive better during significant water deficit periods in the top soil layer (0-30 cm), and such varieties produce high sugarcane yields in the rain-fed environments of Sri Lanka.

Pakistan Journal of Botany, 2019

The expansion of sugarcane production areas is limited, therefore, the improvement of yield components of sugarcane might be a strategy to enhance cane production. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify the relationship between roots in each tiller and their above-ground parts during the tillering phases. This research was carried out at the Agronomy Research Station in Khon Kaen University, Thailand, using a completely randomized design with four replications. Six sugarcane cultivars, namely KK3, KPS01-12, KKU99-02, KKU99-03, UT12 and UT13, with different drought resistance levels, were assigned as treatments. Above-ground growth traits such as height and tiller number were collected at 100-175 days after planting as intervals of 15 days. Leaf dry weight, stalk dry weight and biomass were measured at 175 days after planting. Root traits, i.e. root/shoot ratio, root surface area, root length, root volume, and root number were observed at 175 days after planting. The number of roots from the main to the seventh tillers of six sugarcane cultivars followed a tiller order; all root traits were highest in the main tiller. In some cultivars, root length followed the order (from high to low) of the tiller sequence. There was a positive correlation between the sum of the roots in all tillers per hill and shoot dry weight. In terms of root traits of individual tillers, for almost all cultivars, root volume, root surface area, root length, and root number were positively correlated with biomass and stalk dry weight, except for genotype KK3. These root characteristics can potentially be used as criteria to assess shoot performance. In contrast, the root to shoot ratio may not be an appropriate characteristic to assess shoot growth, and the root dry weight varied between cultivars.

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo

New strategies for sugarcane production have been very important since the incorporation of ethanol in the Brazilian energy mix in the early 1970s. Prior to planting sugarcane, the soil is prepared, and this process can affect root development and, consequently, sugarcane production. This study was conducted in an area of sugarcane crop renewal in the Cerrado biome (Brazilian tropical savanna), with the objective of identifying which tillage system generates the better root development and improved yield in sugarcane. The treatments were: 1) weed desiccation + moldboard plowing (0.4 m) + mild spike tooth harrowing (0.15 m); 2) subsoiler (0.3 m) + mild spike tooth harrowing (0.15 m); 3) weed desiccation + no-tillage (furrow opening and fertilizer); 4) weed desiccation + subsoiler (0.4 m); 5) ratoon destruction + subsoiler (0.4 m); 6) ratoon destruction + spike tooth harrowing (0.2 m) + moldboard plowing (0.4 m) + mild spike tooth harrowing (0.15 m). Characteristics of the sugarcane root system, such as the root length density, average distance between roots, and root soil exploration, after the first harvest (1.5 years) were studied. Root length density was greater for the treatments that included plowing (0.4 m) and harrowing (0.15 m) operations. The average distance between roots was low in the no-tillage system. The highest sugarcane yield in the plant crop was achieved by management practices with more extensive soil profile disturbances, like plowing followed by harrowing.

Scientia Agricola, 2011

Root length density (RLD) is a critical feature in determining crops potential to uptake water and nutrients, but it is difficult to be measured. No standard method is currently available for assessing RLD in the soil. In this study, an in situ method used for other crops for studying root length density and distribution was tested for sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). This method involved root intersection counting (RIC) on a Rhodic Eutrudox profile using grids with 0.05 × 0.05 m and modeling RLD from RIC. The results were compared to a conventional soil core-sampled method (COR) (volume 0.00043 m 3 ). At four dates of the cropping season in three tillage treatments (plowing soil, minimum tillage and direct planting), with eight soil depths divided in 0.1 m soil layer (between 0-0.6 and 1.6-1.8 m) and three horizontal distances from the row (0-0.23, 0.23-0.46 and 0.46-0.69 m), COR and RIC methods presented similar RLD results. A positive relationship between COR and RIC was found (R 2 = 0.76). The RLD profiles considering the average of the three row distances per depth obtained using COR and RIC (mean of four dates and 12 replications) were close and did not differ at each depth of 0.1 m within a total depth of 0.6 m. Total RLD between 0 and 0.6 m was 7.300 and 7.100 m m -2 for COR and RIC respectively. For time consumption, the RIC method was tenfold less time-consuming than COR and RIC can be carried out in the field with no need to remove soil samples. The RLD distribution in depth and row distance (2-D variability) by RIC can be assessed in relation to the soil properties in the same soil profiles. The RIC method was suitable for studying these 2-D (depth and row distance in the soil profile) relationships between soil, tillage and root distribution in the field.

African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2016

The amount of straw of sugarcane needed to remain in field for sustainability of the production system and quantity that could be used in sectors such as cogeneration and production of bioethanol for optimization of power generation by the sector are unclear issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different amounts of straw on the development of the sugarcane root system and yield using the variety SP 801816 in a Rhodic Eutrudox in southern Brazil. Six treatments were evaluated: 0 (no straw), 25, 50, 75 and 100% (20 Mg ha -1 ) of straw and straw burned at 60, 180 and 270 days after planting in 150 m 2 plots. Root samples were collected at 0.45 and 0.75 m from the planting line at depths of 0-0.10, 0.10-0.20, 0.20-0.40 and 0.40 to 0.60 m at harvest, and the stems of the plots were weighed to measure yield. In water stress period, the 50, 75 and 100% straw treatments promoted a greater root mass to 0.20 m deep, which was also reflected in the yield. The 50 and 75% ...

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 2012

Sugarcane, which involves the use of agricultural machinery in all crop stages, from soil preparation to harvest, is currently one of the most relevant crops for agribusiness in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to investigate soil physical properties and root growth in a eutroferric red Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico) after different periods under sugarcane. The study was carried out in a cane plantation in Rolândia, Paraná State, where treatments consisted of a number of cuts (1, 3, 8, 10 and 16), harvested as green and burned sugarcane, at which soil bulk density, macro and microporosity, penetration resistance, as well as root length, density and area were determined. Results showed that sugarcane management practices lead to alterations in soil penetration resistance, bulk density and porosity, compared to native forest soil. These alterations in soil physical characteristics impede the full growth of the sugarcane root system beneath 10 cm, in all growing seasons ...

Scientifc Reports, 2021

Sugarcane is a very important economic crop that relies heavily on agricultural machinery, which contributes to soil compaction and a consequent decline in productivity. Subsoiling operation reduces the problems caused by compression; however, it is necessary to know its location and intensity. Accordingly, the aim of this work is to present a compression diagnostic method based on soil resistance to penetration as the parameter that indicates need for intervention in the subsoil. Measurements of penetration resistance was carried out in areas of sugarcane, located in the municipalities of Goianésia, Barro Alto and Santa Isabel, in the Brazilian state of Goiás. The Falker penetrometer (PLG 1020) was used, adjusted to a maximum depth of 40 cm and adopted as a critical resistance value of 4.0 MPa. The data were interpolated using kriging and adjusted in AutoCAD 2013 (Autodesk). The methodology proved effective in areas of compacted soil, and the surface layer had less resistance. The reduction in soil preparation was 96.54% and when considering the topographic adjustments, the reduction was 74.07%, showing the viability and importance of the diagnosis to show the proper management. Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is one of the most important crops for the global economy. It is a valuable source of income, employment and supports economic development 1,2. In the Brazilian socioeconomic scenario, sugarcane occupies a remarkable position. Brazil is the world's largest producer of this raw material, which is the primary industrial input to produce sugar 3,4. Moreover, it is also used in the production of ethanol, used as biofuel, and utilized as biomass production for renewable energy 5. Because of its importance to the national economy, sugarcane production has expanded into almost all Brazilian states and biomes. The data was collected in the Brazilian State of Goiás, located in the Cerrado biome. The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome, extending over an area of 2,045,064 km 2 6,7. Only the Amazon surpasses the Cerrado in terms of total area. Currently, the Cerrado is considered to be the last agricultural frontier in the Americas 8-12. Within this context, Goiás stands out as a state of central importance, due to the expansion of its planted area, as well as its increasing production and productivity 4,13. In the municipality of Goianésia, for instance, sugarcane cultivation began in the late 1960s. Nowadays, it is one of the region's most important agro-industrial activities, and the local economy benefits through higher tax revenues and job creation 14. The most important sugarcane varieties originate from Oceania (New Guinea) and Asia (India and China), whereas the cultivated varieties in Brazil and the world are multispecific hybrids 15. Belonging to the Poaceae family and to the class of monocotyledons, sugarcane has a long life-cycle with a span of 5-7 years 2. Some of its main characteristics are barb type inflorescence, stem growth in culms, leaves with silica blades on their edges and an open hem 15. In spite of the long life-cycle of sugarcane, an important feature is the sufficient development of its root system 2 because it provides increased productivity of culms 16 , which are the parts of greater commercial interest. Root system development may be limited by the physical conditions of soil, especially regarding compression. Soil compression increases resistance to the plant's root development and consequently decreases agricultural productivity 17 .

Functional Plant Biology, 1989

Stomatal conductance, leaf and soil water status, transpiration, and apparent root hydraulic conductance were measured during soil drying cycles for three sugarcane cultivars growing in containers in a greenhouse. At high soil moisture, transpiration and apparent root hydraulic conductance differed considerably among cultivars and were positively correlated, whereas leaf water potential was similar among cultivars. In drying soil, stomatal and apparent root hydraulic conductance approached zero over a narrow (0.1 MPa) range of soil water suction. Leaf water potential remained nearly constant during soil drying because the vapor phase conductance of the leaves and the apparent liquid phase conductance of the root system declined in parallel. The decline in apparent root hydraulic conductance with soil drying was manifested as a large increase in the hydrostatic pressure gradient between the soil and the root xylem. These results suggested that control of stomatal conductance in sugar...

2011

Sugarcane breeding has greatly advanced in recent decades, but many aspects of sugarcane physiology are still poorly understood, including the root-shoot relationships that ultimately affect yield. Traditional methods for studying root systems are imprecise due to methodological difficulties of in situ assessment and sampling; this seems especially true for the sugarcane root system. Studies on sugarcane roots lag well behind those on other crops, in part due to the large plant stature and long crop cycle. Commercial sugarcane cultivars are hybrids from crosses mostly between Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum made by breeders at the beginning of the last century. These hybrids have a genomic structure composed of 80% S. officinarum, 10% S. spontaneum and 10% recombinants of these two species. S. spontaneum is included in large part for the robustness of its underground organs (root and rhizome). The S. spontaneum genes controlling these characteristics may be lost during recurrent backcrosses with S. officinarum to increase sugar content and yield. Thus, ratooning ability is one of the most desired traits. Ratooning ability comes mainly from the rhizomatousness of S. spontaneum, but this trait has been diluted during the selection process so that the stubble of hybrids does not have rhizomes sensu stricto. In this review, we revisit some basic aspects of the sugarcane root system, mainly from an ecophysiological view, and point out considerations for breeders to consider in designing the architecture of a new sugarcane cultivar that can meet the need for sustainable agricultural production.