Abstract:
Sugarcane quality is the prominent factor that determines sugar recovery and productivity in
sugar industry; so that managing cane sugar content is crucial. Improper drying off period for
different soil management groups is the recurrent problem in sugar factory while undertaking
pre-harvest cultural practice, which severely affects cane and sugar quality parameters. The
field experiment was conducted at Wonji Sugar Estate during the 2022/2023 cropping season to
determine the effect of drying off period on cane yield and quality of sugarcane (Saccharum
officinarum L) varieties during cool season. The varieties NCo-334, N53-216 and L-188 were
used under the five levels of drying off periods (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 days) in a split plot design
with three replications by putting the varieties under main plot and the drying off levels as sub
plots. The required data were collected at the end of each drying off periods accordingly.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that drying off period significantly influenced soil
moisture content (p < 0.01), also highly significantly (p < 0.001) influenced quality parameters
(brix%, pol%, and sucrose %) and sugar yield. The highest mean value of brix (21.52), pol %
(20.67) and sucrose% cane (14.61) were recorded from 50 days of drying off period.
Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between varieties and drying off periods on
cane yield, brix, pol% and sugar yield whereas stalk count, plant height, soil moisture content
and sucrose % cane were shown significant difference on main effects. Brix, pol, sucrose and
sugar yield were significantly increased with increasing level of drying off period up to 50 days
of drying off period. Therefore, the optimum drying off period at which maximum yield obtained
was found to be 50 days for heavy black soil cycle.
