The present experiments were carried out in El-Mattana Research Station (latitude of 25.25°N and longitude of 32.31°E), Agricultural Research Center, Luxor Governorate, Egypt. The present work was conducted on two plant cane crops grown in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons to study the yield, quality and natural of infestation with lesser sugarcane borer, Chilo agamemnon Bles., and pokkah boeng disease (Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon) and other diseases of four sugarcane varieties (G.T.54-9, G.2003-47, Ph 8013 and C. 57-14) as affected by three levels of potassium fertilization (zero, 24 and 48 kg K 2 O/fed.). The results showed that the difference in mostly traits between sugarcane variety G.T.54-9 and G.2003-47 was insignificant, they surpassed the other two varieties in number of millable canes and cane and sugar yield/fed. Also, they recorded the highest percentages of infestation with C. agamemnon Bles., and pokkah boeng, during the two successive seasons. The sugarcane variety Ph 8013 showed significant superiority in stalk weight, sucrose% and sugar recovery%. However, the variance between the two sugarcane varieties namely Ph 8013 and G.2003-47 in sucrose% and sugar recovery% was insignificant. Increasing the applied dose of potassium fertilizer up to 48 kg K 2 O/fed. was accompanied by a significant increase in the values of number of millable canes, stalk weight/plant and sugar yields as well as decreased of percentage of infestation with C. agamemnon Bles., and pokkah boeng disease, during the two successive seasons. However, the variance between 24 and 48 K 2 O/fed. in sucrose%, sugar recovery% and cane yields/fed. was insignificant during the two successive seasons. Fertilizing sugar cane crop by 24 and 48 kg K2O/fed. increased cane yield by 6.47 % & 7.51 % during the first season and 4.51 % & 11.34 % during the second season, respectively, compared with check treatment.

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he aims of the present work is to introduce a mechanical sugarcane buds separation system for purpose of nursery planting. In current study, the machine was designed, fabricated and tested laboratory at the Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AENRI), Giza. The field test was conducted in Elmatana Research Station, Luxor Governorate. The machine was developed to cut the cane buds with an adequate part of root band to secure strong germination. The machine used to separate the bud from the cane stalk and leave the stalk for industrial process. The mechanical system consisted of the developed unit that powered by the compressed air provided by an air compressor at a pressure of 10 bar. A pneumatic cylinder pushes a special punch that separates the buds of the cane stalk. The physical and mechanical properties that related to cutting the sugar cane buds were measured. Average production of the machine under the conditions of the test was about 1056 buds/h. Buds sizes were classified according to the part of stalk diameter cut by the punch. The cuts were determined approximately as 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 of the stalk diameter, and the results showed a high vitality of the seedlings resulting from the separation of buds with this machine. Experiments in the nursery showed that the planting of the buds separated by using this machine gave a high germination percent. Bud chips germination significantly improved after treatment with fungicide (Rizolex-T 50%) for 5 minutes, compared with untreated treatment. Transplanting the healthy seedlings in the permanent field gave high cane yield (60.96 t/fed), which was 10.96% higher than that of conventionally planted cane crop (54.94 t/fed). it also produced higher tiller /clump (11), some millable canes /clump (7) and several millable canes /fed (59.56 thousand/fed) with survival (96.17%). This improved also higher stalk length (262.75 cm), diameter (2.8 cm) and weight (1.28 kg).

The examined treatments were distributed in a split-plot design with three replications. Sugarcane varieties were assigned to the main plots while the ages at harvest were distributed in the sub-plots. The results indicated that sugarcane varieties significantly differed in all studied traits. G.2004-27 variety recorded the highest millable cane length and cane yield in both seasons, while variety G.2005-47 gave the highest values of millable cane diameter, weight and sugar yield. However, the differences in millable cane weight between the sugarcane variety G.2005-47 and variety G.2004-27 were insignificant, in the second season only. Sugar cane variety G.2003-47 recorded the highest sucrose, purity and sugar recovery in both seasons. Also, variety G.2000-5 gave the highest values of brix% in both seasons. Harvesting at 14 months old recorded the highest mean values of millable cane length, diameter, weight, brix and cane yield in both seasons, as well as sugar yield in the second season. The highest mean values of sucrose, purity, and sugar recovery in both seasons, as well as sugar yield in the first season, were recorded at 13-month-old. Under this investigation, the maximum cane and sugar yield was obtained by G.2004-27 and G.2005-47 varieties when they were harvested at 14 and 13 months old, respectively.

The present study was carried out in a privet farm in El-Shaghap Region, South Esna of Luxor Governorate, Egypt (latitude of 25.30°N and longitude of 32.30°E). The work was conducted during the two plant-crop seasons of 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 to study the sugarcane planting using bud chips and conventional methods. Four sugarcane varieties G.T. 54-9, G.84-47, G.2003-47 and C.57-14 were tested in this study. The experimental design was a split plot design with four replications. The four varieties were randomly distributed to the main plots and the two planting methods (conventional method and bud chips) assigned as sub-plot (42 m2). Each plot contains six rows with the length of seven meters/row and one meter of row width.The results indicated that unique and high positive estimates of correlation coefficients were recorded between seeding survival % and each of millable cane length, millable cane weight, cane yield/ fed, brix, sucrose content, purity %, sugar recovery %, pol and sugar yield/fed across bud chips planting method. Otherwise, the previous results were not found for conventional planting method, reflecting the remarkable effect of bud chips planting method on correlation coefficients corresponding to the seeding survival produced using that method. Brix recorded high and positive correlation with each of sucrose %, purity %, sugar recovery %, pol % and sugar yield/ fed across both planting methods.It is remarkable results that the correlation coefficients between each of sucrose %, purity %, sugar recovery % and pol % were equal or close to unity, reflecting the very strong genetic make-up of those traits.