Effect of Trinexapac-Ethyl on Growth and Yield of Sugarcane

Abstract

-Growth regulators can be used to further retard or inhibit vegetative growth. In this sense, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of age and number of trinexapac-ethyl applications on the growth and yield of sugarcane. The experiment was in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were in a 3 x 2 + 2 factorial arrangement, where factor A corresponded to the application times of the plant growth regulator (120, 200 and 240 days after bud burst (DAB) of sugarcane) and factor B to the number of applications (one or two applications). In addition, two controls (one with three applications and another application without the regulator) were added. The application of trinexapac-ethyl decreased the number and the distance between buds, height, root volume and sugarcane yield. The sequential application (2 or 3 times) induced an increase in stem diameter and three applications of the product increased the number of plant tillers. The use of growth regulators applied at 240 DAB has reduced plant height, however without changing the number of buds. It can be concluded that trinexapac-ethyl changes sugarcane growth and yield, regardless of season and number of applications.Keywords: growth regulator, application timing, number of applications. RESUMO -Os reguladores vegetais podem ser utilizados para promover, retardar ou inibir o crescimento vegetativo. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os efeitos de épocas e número de aplicações do trinexapac-ethyl sobre o crescimento e a produtividade da cana-de-açúcar. O experimento foi delineado em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em esquema fatorial (3 x 2 + 2); o fator A correspondeu às épocas de aplicação do regulador vegetal (120, 200 e 240 dias após a brotação das gemas (DAB) da cana-de-açúcar), e o fator B, ao número de aplicações (uma ou duas). Além disso, foram adicionadas duas testemunhas (uma com três aplicações e outra sem aplicação do regulador

Effect of trinexapac-ethyl on sugarcane varieties

“…The main interest in augmenting the latter variable is elevating the number of buds per stalk, which will consequently lead to increased production of sugarcane seedlings. A similar result with decreasing distances between buds was observed by Faria et al (2015) at 200 days after emergence, with applications of trinexapac-ethyl. The decomposition of the variety × trinexapac-ethyl application interaction for tons of stalks per hectare (TSH) indicated that the growth regulator provided a considerable increase in stalk production in varieties RB83-5054 and RB96-6928 (Table 4).…”

“…Despite not having great yields in absence of the growth regulator, variety RB83-5054 showed the greatest increase (62.5%) in stalk yield with the use of the product, having its productive capacity considerably raised. Such alterations in productivity were also reported by Faria et al (2015) and Leite et al (2008). Faria et al (2015) stated that trinexapacethyl application affects the consumed CO 2 , internal CO 2 concentration, respiratory rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate of sugarcane, and the magnitude of these alterations depends on the time and number of applications.…”

“…Variety RB85-5156 did not have its tillering pattern altered by the application of the ripener. Faria et al (2015) and Leite et al (2008) worked with two varieties (RB86-7515 and SP80-3280, respectively) and found that trinexapac-ethyl changed several morphological factors and that this effect depended on the application time.…”

“…According to Vianna et al (2008), if applied properly and at the right time, trinexapac-ethyl is a plant growth regulator that promotes sucrose accumulation in the stalks and cell wall expansion, influencing the planning and maximization of the agro-industrial utilization of the sugarcane crop (RESENDE; SOARES; HUDTEZ, 2000). The use of trinexapac-ethyl in sugarcane has been the focus of many research studies that reported distinct responses regarding morpho-physiological parameters (LEITE et al, 2008;FARIA et al, 2014) and times of application (FARIA et al, 2015;ZILLO, 2015).…”

“…Trinexapac-ethyl efficiently slowed the height-development process in sugarcane plants without influencing the stalk diameter, the number of stalks at harvest, or the weight of stalks per hectare (LEITE et al, 2008;FARIA et al, 2015). Trinexapac-ethyl is applied at the end of the crop cycle to increase the stalk sucrose content, advance maturation, and augment sugar production (FARIA et al, 2015).…”