Effect of chemical ripeners application on yield, quality and technological ripening of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

This study was performed at Khuzestan Sugarcane Development Company during 2013- 2014 on CP54-614 variety to evaluate the effect of chemical ripeners on yield and technological ripening at harvest time of sugarcane. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used where three chemical ripeners and untreated control were randomly distributed in plots. The chemical ripeners were Ethrel hormone, Glyphosate herbicide and Fitomas M growth regulator that four doses (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 l.ha-1) for each. Results showed that different doses of glyphosate caused reduction of stalk height, invert sugar %) and cane yield and increased brix, pol, recoverable sugar and fiber as compared to control. However, increase (%) in quality yield was more than decrease (%) in cane yield. Therefore, ethrel without decreasing cane yield led to increasing in pol and recoverable sugar in higher doses. On the other hand, Fitomas without increasing cane yield when compared to control led to decrease in pol (%). In conclusion, one liter of glyphosate, decreased cane yield (8%) and increased recoverable sugar (10.6%) and harvest index, and 1.5 liter of ethrel that increased pol (5.6%) were identified as suitable treatments.