Sugarcane Cultivation

In the last two or three decades, various researchers and specialized market analysts have been discussing the yield plateau of sugarcane cultivation. The Brazilian sugarcane industry is evolved, but still far from the fullest utilization of available sugarcane cultivation resources. Breakthrough innovation is a primary cause, but what is happening to the Brazilian sugar industry is also “lack of application of the known technology.” Following this idea, two important technologies which were developed years ago have not been properly applied to the sugarcane sector to obtain the maximum benefits. One of them is the assessment of edaphic climatic environments of production. A case study is presented showing the inadequacy of a low detailed soil map to be adapted for the Environments of Production technology. Important differences are noted when the map of environments of production is derived from detailed soil maps, and the impact on sugarcane clone selection is also reported. The second technology is called “Soil Groups for Agricultural Management” where the soils with the same physical and chemical characteristic were grouped. This technology is dedicated to offer series of technical recommendations for soil preparation and furrowing, erosion control (soil conservation), sugarcane cultivation, planting and harvesting zones and fertilizer, lime and gypsum application. A second study case is presented showing how the technology can be used as a tool for calculate vertical distance (VD) on soil conservation projects. In relation to technological advancements in new sugarcane varieties in Brazil, significant work has been developed by CTC-Piracicaba, IAC-Campinas, and RIDESA breeding programs for the development of new sugarcane varieties according to Brazilian climatic and soil conditions.