Report on Visit to the LouisianaReport on Visit to the Louisiana Sugarcane Industry

bybyJames Fearon

S I d t R h I tit tSugar Industry Research Institute

Statistics

Year Avg. tc\ha

1990 622002 862002 86

Source: Louisiana Sugar

• ~ 700 family farms• 186,000 hectares of land• Cane sugar production about 1.5 million

tonnestonnes

Objectives

• To highlight some important practicescarried out in Louisiana Sugar Industry,g y,U.S.A.

• To identify reasons for increased productionTo identify reasons for increased productionand productivity.

Cane Sugar Production inCane Sugar Production in Louisiana

• Began about two hundred years ago• Contribution to the Louisiana economy• Contribution to the Louisiana economy

- Approximately US$2 billion annually

Responsible Organizations • Louisiana State University Agricultural Research• Louisiana State University Agricultural Research

Center• American Sugarcane Leagueg g• Louisiana Department of Agriculture• USDA

Overview

• Sugarcane- Tropical crop?

Success Story Begins With…• …LSU AgCenter mandated to maintain competitiveness

• Yields are comparable to the tropics because:• Yields are comparable to the tropics because:Effective Breeding Programme

» Cold tolerance» Disease resistance (RSD, YLS, stalk rot)» High sucrose content» Early maturity» High yield

LCP85-384!O t t di ! R l ti ! LCP85 384!Outstanding! Revolution! LCP85-384!Yields up to 25 % more sugar than other varieties

Cold tolerant

Long ratooning ability4-5 ratoons as against the conventional 2-3 ratoons

Growers have established some 82% of the totalsugarcane area

High productivity & recumbencepromoted use of combine harvesters

Other varieties

• Occupy 18% of sugarcane area and include:include:

HOCP85-845CP79-318HOCP91-555CP70-321LHO83-153

Sugarcane EstablishmentSugarcane Establishment

• Temperate climate

• Short growing season of 7-9 monthsBy December a plant killing freeze sets in andBy December a plant killing freeze sets in and continues until March

Narrow window of opportunity for cropNarrow window of opportunity for crop care and harvesting

Land Preparation and Plantingp g• Land preparation & planting

– Usually done by August and September• Whole stalks and/or billets used

• Billet planting is the preferred method– More cut ends predispose billets to attack byp p y

pathogens

Pre alence of stalk rot ith the billet planting– Prevalence of stalk rot with the billet planting• Increases with severity of freeze• Planting rate 20 tc/haPlanting rate 20 tc/ha

Planting cont’dPlanting cont d.• 50cm long billets

– Cut by combine harvesters equipped withprotective guard– Minimizes bud damage

Planting cont’d.

• Planting is done with the use of drum planters.S lk l d d h f 10 i f• Stalks are planted at a depth of 10cm in furrowsthat are 1.8m apart.

ili li i i d 1 6 d 6 k• Fertilizer application is made at 17,67and 67 kgper hectare of NPK respectively.R ll d i d il f• Rollers used to increase seed to soil surface

Ploughing out old stools

Harrowing to Desired Tilth

Ready for Planting!

Drum Planter - Close Up

Drum Planter at Work

Laid Billets

Billets in Furrow

Stalk Rot

Roller – Ensuring Soil to Seed Piece Contact

Weed ControlJ h d B d• Johnson grass and Bermuda grass

glyphosate during the fallow stage Pre emergentapplication of herbicide prior to Winterapplication of herbicide prior to Winter

• Spot spraying and inter-row cultivation in March & April• Spot spraying and inter-row cultivation in March & April

• Herbicides used:• Herbicides used:– Sencor

Prowl– Prowl– Pendimax

Direx– Direx– Karmex + Command.

Application of Glyphosate under Shielded SprayerShielded Sprayer

Sugarcane Disease• RSD, YLS, Stalk Rot, Leaf Scald, Mosaic• Controlled through on-farm healthy seedControlled through on farm healthy seed

program most important disease that affects sugarcane.

• using commercial seed cane produced throughtissue culture and the growth of varieties withlower rates of spread of RSD have broughtlower rates of spread of RSD have broughtabout significant control.

• Other diseases that affect the industry are:Other diseases that affect the industry are:• leaf scald mosaic and yellow leaf.• controlled through a healthy seed canecontrolled through a healthy seed cane

selection programme or planting of resistantvarieties.

Chemical RipeningChemical Ripening

• Chemical used in this exercise isChemical used in this exercise isglyphosate.

• Ripener is applied to increase sucrose• Ripener is applied to increase sucrosecontent in all canes that are second ratoonsand olderand older.

Prescribed Burningg

• Controlled application of fire in a predeterminedpp parea to accomplish harvesting of sugarcane underspecified smoke and ash management guidelinesth b d i t h i lthereby reducing trash in cane supply.

• Prescribed burning is done to manage smoke andash under weather conditions with burningash under weather conditions with burningtechniques that keep the impact of smoke and ashon the environment and the public withinpacceptable limits.

Prescribed burning Contd.

• Prescribed burning is carried out on everyf b C ifi d P ib d B Mfarm by Certified Prescribed Burn Managers(CPBM) trained and certified by LouisianaDept of Agriculture LSU Ag Center and theDept. of Agriculture, LSU. Ag Center and theAmerican Sugarcane League.

• Prescribed burning is allowed only when• Prescribed burning is allowed only whenCPBM is present from start to finish.

Prescribed burning in Progress

Harvesting

Harvesting commences on the first of Septemberand last until January when the freeze sets inand last until January when the freeze sets in.

• Harvesting is done mechanically with the use ofcombines or chopper harvesterscombines or chopper harvesters.

• Average yield at harvest is approximately 86tonnes cane per hectare.p

• With the variety LCP85-384 average yield is over100 tonnes per hectare.

Conclusion

• The increased and sustained high levels of• The increased and sustained high levels ofproduction and productivity have been achieved inthe Louisiana Sugar Industry for a multiplicity ofreasons. The approach has not been to treat eachagricultural practice as a separate function but toapply the methods collectively The differentapply the methods collectively. The differentlevels of management and agricultural functionsare highly organized and well executed. Thetemperate climate affords growers a narrowwindow of opportunity for cultivation andharvesting As such the promotion of agronomicharvesting. As such, the promotion of agronomicpractices that involve the timely application ofresource inputs in sufficient quantities hasi d i i l h h f h i d

• Integrated crop management has proved a usefultool that has addressed the mandate to produce athigh le els One component of this tool integratedhigh levels. One component of this tool, integratedpest management (IPM) has proved effective atcontrolling pests and diseases. In addition, theg p ,healthy seed cane selection programme providessugarcane varieties that are of the highest standardand have low risk for disease infectionand have low risk for disease infection.

•• The dual capability of combine harvesters• The dual capability of combine harvesters

promotes greater efficiency in the harvestingprocess as well as for the preparation of planting

• controling pest and diseases, adopting a systemf h ti th t i id l it d f tof harvesting that is idealy suited for greater

efficiency as well as instituting prescribedburning of sugarcane through certified prescribedbu g o suga ca e t oug ce t ed p esc bedburn managers are only some of the factorsinstituted by the industry which can be attributedt h h l ito such an overwhelming success.

•The only disadvantage however is where thevariety LCP85 384 which predominates the canearea could potentially put the industry at seriousrisk if it should become affected by deceaserisk if it should become affected by decease.