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Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is an important crop grown for the production of sugar, ethanol, and other by-products. The cultivation cycle from planting until harvesting usually takes at least a year, during which the plant is exposed to various environmental stress conditions. To improve tolerance to such stressful conditions, sugarcane plants can be treated with biostimulants, such as extracts from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum. Whether the application of such a biostimulant, alone or in combination with nutrients, improves stress resistance in sugarcane is unknown. In this study, we conducted two field trials: one in a cane-plant field and one in a ratoon field, with treatments applied to leaves during the fall (before the dry season) or spring (positive water balance in the soil). The treatments consisted of foliar application of nitrogen, potassium, boron, and zinc, provided alone (nutrient treatment) or together with A. nodosum extract (biostimulant treatment) and a control treatment (without foliar application). Overall, foliar application of biostimulant increased sugarcane stalk yield by 24 Mg ha−1 and sucrose yield by 4 Mg Pol ha−1 compared to nutrient treatment. In addition, agronomic efficiency and nutrient accumulation were higher in plants under biostimulant treatment compared to nutrient and control treatments. Therefore, the foliar application of A. nodosum extracts to sugarcane leaves is a promising strategy for improving drought tolerance, yield, and the nutritional status of the stalk.

Objective: To evaluate if there is an increase in the concentration of sugars in sugarcane grinding stalks as a result of controlled water stress. Design/Methodology/Approach: An experimental plot on cultivar MEX 69-290 was established in 2nd ratoon cycle, on a mollic Gleysol soil in the supply area of the Pujiltic sugar mill. Five treatments in irrigation suspension were established: T1=15 days; T2=30 days; T3=45 days; T4=60 days, and T5=75 days of suspension. The treatments were distributed in the field in a gradient plot design, following the slope of the land, with four repetitions within each irrigation strip. Results: The results show that suspending irrigation between 45 and 60 days before harvest increases the quality of the juices as well as the yields of the grinding stalks. In addition, natural precipitation plus irrigation water do not satisfy the water needs of the crop in the area under the scheme followed by the farmers. Study Limitations/Implications: Irrigation rotation. Findings/Conclusions: The authors recommend providing the necessary amount of auxiliary irrigation to satisfy the water demand of the crop during the growth cycle but suspending irrigation at the beginning of the ripening and maturity stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]