Sugarcane yields, juice quality and stem borer (Eldana saccharina W) infestations as influenced by increasing nitrogen rates in Ferké, Northern Ivory Coast

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important cash crop in Ivory Coast with a total production of about 2 million tons of cane/annum and 200,000 tons of sugar/annum. It contributes to about 1.2% of total country DGP and 3.3% of agricultural GDP. However, stem borer (Eldana saccharina W) infestations in Ferké sugarcane plantations have significantly impacted both cane and sugar yields over the last three cropping seasons with total sugar losses estimated to 5,000 tons in 2016-17. That pest damage outbreak was hypothesized to be linked to higher fertilizer rates applied to sugarcane plantations over 2014-15 and 2015-16 cropping seasons. The study aimed to determine the optimum Nfertilizer rate in sugarcane that could maintain stem borer infestations under control (BIN ≤ 5%). It was carried out on a commercial plantation of Ferké 2 sugar mill in northern Ivory Coast. That field which was cultivated with SP70-1006 variety was sprinkler irrigated with a center pivot and the experimental design was a randomized complete block with 11 N-fertilizer rates in four replications. Results obtained over two successive cropping seasons showed that, in plant cane, yield performance, cane juice quality and stem borer infestations were not significantly influenced by fertilizer treatments indicating that nitrogen was not a limiting factor in the soil profile to crop growth and development probably due to the decay of organic matter as a result of soil tillage. In contrast, in first ratoon, cane yields and stem borer infestations in terms of per cent of bored cane and bored internode percentage were significantly influenced by N-fertilizer treatments with an optimum rate of 100 to 110 kg N/ha. Cane yield increase resulting from additional N-fertilizer applications to that optimum rate was very little compared to the return cost of fertilizer with higher levels of stem borer infestations (> 8% BIN).

Climate Impact on the Productivity of Sugarcane Varieties in Ferke1 Industrial Plantations

“…This lower production could also be associated to inefficient irrigation systems and cultural practices that were quite costly and less environmental friendly. The reform of the European Union (EU) sugar regime, initially based on export quotas for African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries with highly remunerative prices compared to those of the international market which took place in 2006, necessitated the implementation of a policy to revive the sugarcane sector through sectoral financial support from 2009 à 2016 [4].…”

IoT and Machine Learning Based Stem Borer Pest Prediction

“…Brazil, India, Thailand, China, and Pakistan are major sugarcane growing countries. In 2018 sugarcane production has been 1.9 billion tons; Brazil at the top with 39% of total production [3]. In 2018, sugarcane is grown at 26 Million hectares across the world.…”