Search Results (424)

The growth and yield of sugarcane have been negatively impacted by drought stress, particularly during two stages of development, namely, tillering and elongation. This research aimed to determine the responses of diverse sugarcane cultivars under water-withholding conditions during the tillering and stalk elongation stages. A factorial experiment in CRD with four replications was used. Two water regimes were allocated to factor A, namely, providing water and controlling soil moisture at the field capacity (FC), and providing water-withholding (WW) conditions continuously at the tillering and elongation stages. Five different sugarcane cultivars were assigned to factor B. Drought significantly impacts the physiological characteristics of sugarcane during both the tillering and stalk elongation stages, with the tillering stage being more severely affected. KK3 and PK4 demonstrated superior drought tolerance in terms of relative water content and stomatal conductance, maintaining higher levels compared to the others. Increased proline content in the roots of K88-92 and MPT14-618 under drought conditions facilitated osmotic adjustment. Biomass production varied significantly across genotypes, with MPT14-618, KK3, and K88-92 maintaining better biomass compared to UT12 and PK4. The findings suggest that drought stress differentially impacts sugarcane genotypes, with KK3, K88-92, and MPT14-618 exhibiting superior physiological and growth resistance. These genotypes show promising potential for cultivation in arid regions. Full article

Soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) and salinity poses a significant challenge, affecting crop health and productivity. This study explores the combined application of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to mitigate the toxic effects of Cd and salinity in wheat plants. Field experiments conducted in Cd-contaminated saline soils revealed that the application of SCB (0, 5, and 10 t ha⁻¹) and ZnO NPs (0, 12.5, and 25 mg L⁻¹) significantly improved key soil physicochemical properties, including soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). The combined application of SCB and ZnO NPs significantly mitigated the effects of Cd and salinity on soil and wheat plants. SCB (10 t ha⁻¹) reduced soil pH by 6.2% and ESP by 30.8% compared to the control, while increasing microbial biomass by 151.1%. ZnO NPs (25 mg L⁻¹) reduced Cd accumulation in wheat shoots by 43.3% and seeds by 46.3%, while SCB and ZnO NPs combined achieved a reduction of 74.1% and 62.9%, respectively. These amendments enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, with catalase (CAT) increasing by 35.3% and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) by 54.9%. Wheat grain yield increased by 42% with SCB alone and by 75.2% with combined SCB and ZnO NP treatment, underscoring their potential as eco-friendly soil amendments for saline, Cd-contaminated soils. These results underscore the potential of SCB and ZnO NPs as eco-friendly amendments for improving wheat productivity in contaminated soils, offering a promising strategy for sustainable agriculture in salt-affected areas. Full article

Sugarcane mechanized harvesting generates large volumes of data that are used to monitor harvesters’ functionalities. The dynamic interaction of the machine-onboard instrumentation–crop system introduces discrepant and noisy values into the data, requiring outlier detectors to support this complex and empirical decision. This study proposes an automatic filtering technique for sugarcane harvesting data to automate the process. A three-step automated filtering algorithm based on a sliding window was developed and further evaluated with four configurations of the maximum variation factor f and six SW sizes. The performance of the proposed method was assessed by using artificial outliers in the datasets with an outlier magnitude (OM) of ±0.01 to ±1.00. Three case studies with real crop data were presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed filter in detecting outliers of different magnitudes, compared to filtering by another method in the literature. In each dataset, the proposed filter detected nearly 100% of larger (OM = ±1.00 and ±0.80) and medium (OM = ±0.50) magnitudes’ outliers, and approximately 26% of smaller outliers (OM = ±0.10, ±0.05, and ±0.01). The proposed algorithm preserved wider ranges of data compared to the comparative method and presented equivalent results in the identification of regions with different productive potentials of sugarcane in the field. Therefore, the proposed method retained data that reflect sugarcane yield variability at the row level and it can be used in practical application scenarios to deal with large datasets obtained from sugarcane harvesters. Full article

The MADS-box transcription factor (TF) gene family is pivotal in various aspects of plant biology, particularly in growth, development, and environmental adaptation. It comprises Type I and Type II categories, with the MIKC-type subgroups playing a crucial role in regulating genes essential for both the vegetative and reproductive stages of plant life. Notably, MADS-box proteins can influence processes such as flowering, fruit ripening, and stress tolerance. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural features, evolutionary lineage, multifaceted functions, and the role of MADS-box TFs in responding to biotic and abiotic stresses. We particularly emphasize their implications for crop enhancement, especially in light of recent advances in understanding the impact on sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), a vital tropical crop. By consolidating cutting-edge findings, we highlight potential avenues for expanding our knowledge base and enhancing the genetic traits of sugarcane through functional genomics and advanced breeding techniques. This review underscores the significance of MADS-box TFs in achieving improved yields and stress resilience in agricultural contexts, positioning them as promising targets for future research in crop science. Full article

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. Hybrids), serving as a vital sugar and energy crop, holds immense development potential on a global scale. In the process of sugarcane breeding and variety improvement, single-stalk weight stands as a crucial selection criterion. By cultivating sugarcane varieties with heavier single stalks, robust growth, high yields, and superior quality, the planting efficiency and market competitiveness of sugarcane can be further enhanced. Single-stalk weight was determined by measuring individual stalks three times in the field, calculating the average value as the phenotypic expression. The distribution of single-stalk weights in the orthogonal and reciprocal populations revealed coefficients of variation of 19.3% and 17.7%, respectively, with the reciprocal population showing greater genetic stability. After rigorous filtering of Hyper_seq_FD sequencing data from 409 sugarcane samples, we identified 31,204 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) evenly distributed across all 32 chromosomes, providing a comprehensive representation of the sugarcane genome. In this study, we evaluated the predictive performance of various genomic selection (GS) methods for single-stalk weight in the 299 orthogonal population, with the male parent being GZ_73-204 and the female parent being GZ_P72-1210, and in the 108 reciprocal population, with the male parent being GZ_P72-1210 and the female parent being GZ_73-204. Initially, we compared the performance of five prediction approaches, including genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (SSBLUP), Bayes A, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) approaches. The results showed that the GBLUP model had the highest prediction accuracy, at 0.35, while the deep learning model had the lowest accuracy, at 0.20. To improve prediction accuracy, we assigned different scores to various regions of the sugarcane genome based on gene annotation information, thereby giving different weights to SNPs located in these regions. Additionally, we incorporated inbred and outbred populations as fixed effects into the model. The optimized SSBLUP model achieved a prediction accuracy of 0.44, which was a 17% improvement over the original SSBLUP model and a 9% increase compared to the originally optimal GBLUP model. The research results indicate that it is crucial to fully consider genomic structural regions, population structure characteristics, and fixed effects in GS predictions. Full article

Sugarcane is the primary crop in the global sugar industry, yet it remains highly susceptible to a wide range of diseases that significantly impact its yield and quality. An effective solution is required to address the issues caused by the manual identification of plant diseases, which is time-consuming and has low detection accuracy. This paper proposes the development of a robust Deep Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network (DECNN) model for the accurate detection of sugarcane leaf diseases. Initially, several transfer learning (TL) models, including EfficientNetB0, MobileNetV2, DenseNet121, NASNetMobile, and EfficientNetV2B0, were enhanced through the addition of specific layers. A comparative analysis was then conducted on the enlarged dataset of sugarcane leaf diseases, which was divided into six categories and 4800 images. The application of data augmentation, along with the addition of dense layers, batch normalization layers, and dropout layers, led to improved detection accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores for each model. Among the five enhanced transfer learning models, the modified EfficientNetB0 model demonstrated the highest detection accuracy, ranging from 97.08% to 98.54%. In conclusion, the DECNN model was developed by integrating the modified EfficientNetB0, MobileNetV2, and DenseNet121 models using a distinctive performance-based custom-weighted ensemble method, with weight optimization carried out using the Tree-structured Parzen Estimator (TPE) technique. This resulted in a model that achieved a detection accuracy of 99.17%, which outperformed the individual performance of the modified EfficientNetB0, MobileNetV2, and DenseNet121 models in detecting sugarcane leaf diseases. Full article

Bacterial wilt of tomatoes, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a significant soilborne disease that often causes significant reductions in the yield of tomatoes. Dark septate endophytic fungi (DSE) represent potential biocontrol agents against plant pathogens that can also enhance plant growth. To collect DSE fungi with potential for biocontrol, the fungus Cladophialophora guangxiense HX2 was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of sugarcane in Hengzhou Guangxi Province, China, and a novel species of Cladophialophora was identified based on morphological properties and DNA sequence analysis. C. guangxiense HX2 demonstrated a controlling effect of 76.7% on tomato bacterial wilt and promoted a 0.5-fold increase in tomato seedling height. It colonized tomato seedling roots, enhancing the activity of antioxidant and defensive enzyme systems. Transcriptomic and qPCR approaches were used to study the induction response of the strain HX2 infection by comparing the gene expression profiles. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment revealed that tomatoes can produce salicylic acid metabolism, ethylene-activated signaling, photosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis to the strain HX2 infection. The expression of IAA4 (3.5-fold change), ERF1 (3.5-fold change), and Hqt (1.5-fold change) was substantially enhanced and Hsc 70 (0.5-fold change) was significantly reduced in the treatment group. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further investigation into the potential of C. guangxiense HX2 as a biological agent for the prevention and control of tomato bacterial wilt. Full article

The influence of potassium fertilizer on sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum Spp.) yields and leaf and soil potassium levels was evaluated at six locations in Louisiana. The objective of this study was to determine if the sugarcane yields in Louisiana could be improved with potassium application. Different rates of potassium fertilizer (0–179 kg K₂O ha⁻¹) were applied to plant cane and ratoon sugarcane fields in Louisiana. Soil samples and sugarcane leaf samples were also collected from all experiments. Yield data were collected by harvesting plots with a single row, chopper harvester and a field transport wagon equipped with electronic load sensors. At all locations and soil types, potassium fertilizer did not increase cane or sugar yields. Soil properties data showed that significant increases in soil potassium levels did not occur until the second ratoon crop, where soil potassium increased by 30% for the high rate. Increases in plant potassium were also not observed until the second ratoon crop, where plant potassium increased by 10.5% for the high rate. The potential cause of the observed lack of response may be explained by interference from calcium and magnesium, combined with fixation by smectite and vermiculite clay minerals. Our soil and plant uptake data would suggest that repeated K applications at recommended rates, which currently vary from 90 to 157 kg ha⁻¹, may be required to achieve the potential benefits of K fertilizer in Louisiana sugarcane soils. However, this must be verified by additional on-farm trials. Full article

Intercropping can enable more efficient resource use and increase yield. Most current studies focus on the correlation between soil nutrients and crop yield under intercropping conditions. However, the mechanisms related to root exudates and soil nutrients remain unclear. Therefore, this study explored the correlation between rhizosphere soil nutrients and root exudates in sugarcane/peanut intercropping. Root extracts, root exudates, rhizosphere soil enzyme activities, and soil nutrients were analyzed and compared in monocultured and intercropped peanut and sugarcane at different growth stages. The root metabolites were annotated using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways to further identify the connection between soil nutrients and root exudates. The effects of intercropping differed in peanut and sugarcane at different growth stages, and the difference between podding and pod-filling stages was significant. Intercropping generally had a great effect on peanut; it not only significantly increased the organic acid, soluble sugars, and phenolic acids in root exudates and extracts from peanuts, but also significantly increased rhizosphere soil enzyme activities and soil nutrient levels. Intercropping peanuts promoted fumaric acid secretion from roots and significantly affected the metabolic pathways of alanine, aspartate, and glutamate. Sugarcane/peanut intercropping can increase root exudates and effectively improve soil nutrients. The changes in soil nutrients are closely related to the effects of fumaric acid on alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. Full article

In addition to being an important instrument in the search for increasingly greater productivity, agricultural production with adequate use of irrigation systems significantly minimizes the impact on water resources. To meet high productivity and yield, as well as industrial quality, a series of studies on sugarcane cultivation are necessary. Despite being able to adapt to drought, sugarcane is still a crop highly dependent on irrigation to guarantee the best quality standards. Our study aimed to analyze the agronomic performance and technological attributes of two sugarcane cultivars, evaluating the vegetative and productive pattern, as well as the industrial quality of the cultivars RB92579 and SP80–1816, which were cultivated under split-irrigation management in the Sugarcane Research Unit of IF Goiano—Campus Ceres, located in the state of Goiás in the Central-West region of Brazil. A self-propelled sprinkler irrigation system (IrrigaBrasil) was used, duly equipped with Twin 120 Komet sprinklers (Fremon, USA). The cultivars were propagated vegetatively and planted in 0.25 m deep furrows with 1.5 m between rows. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD), with a bifactorial split-plot scheme (5 × 2), with four replications, where the experimental plots were subjected to one of the following five split-irrigation management systems: 00 mm + 00 mm; 20 mm + 40 mm; 30 mm + 30 mm; 40 mm + 20 mm; or 60 mm + 00 mm. At 60 and 150 days after planting (DAP), the following respective irrigation management systems were applied: 00 mm + 00 mm and 20 mm + 40 mm. Biometric and technological attributes, such as plant height (PH) and stem diameter (SD), were evaluated in this case at 30-day intervals, starting at 180 DAP and ending at 420 DAP. Measurements of soluble solids content (°Brix), apparent sucrose content (POL), fiber content (Fiber), juice purity (PZA), broth POL (BP), reducing sugars (RS), and total recoverable sugars (TRS) were made by sampling stems at harvest at 420 DAP. RB92579 showed total recoverable sugar contents 11.89% and 8.86% higher than those recorded for SP80–1816 under split-irrigation with 40 mm + 20 mm and 60 mm + 00 mm, respectively. Shoot productivity of RB92579 reached 187.15 t ha⁻¹ under split-irrigation with 60 mm + 00 mm, which was 42.16% higher than the shoot productivity observed for SP80–1816. Both cultivars showed higher qualitative and quantitative indices in treatments that applied higher volumes of water in the initial phase of the culture, coinciding with the dry season. Sugarcane cultivar RB92579 showed a better adaptation to the prevailing conditions in the study than the SP80–1816 cultivar. Full article

Thraustochytrids are emerging as a valuable biomass source for high-quality omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), crucial for both human and animal nutrition. This research focuses on cultivating Schizochytrium limacinum SR21 using cost-effective agro-industrial by-products, namely sugarcane molasses (SCM), corn steep liquor (CSL), and residual yeast cream (RYC), to optimize biomass and lipid production through a comprehensive multistep bioprocess. The study involved optimization experiments in shake flasks and stirred-tank bioreactors, where we evaluated biomass, lipid content, and DHA yields. Shake flask optimization resulted in significant enhancements in biomass, lipid content, and lipid production by factors of 1.12, 1.72, and 1.92, respectively. In a 10 L stirred-tank bioreactor, biomass surged to 39.29 g/L, lipid concentration increased to 14.98 g/L, and DHA levels reached an impressive 32.83%. The optimal concentrations identified were 66 g/L of SCM, 24.5 g/L of CSL, and 6 g/L of RYC, achieving a desirability index of 0.87, aimed at maximizing biomass and lipid production. This study shows that agro-industrial by-products can be effective and low-cost substrates for producing lipids using thraustochytrids, offering a sustainable option for omega-3 PUFA production. The findings support future improvements in bioprocesses and potential uses of thraustochytrid biomass in food fortification, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, and as vegan omega-3 sources. Full article

Converting agricultural biomass wastes into bio-chemicals can significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions and foster global initiatives towards mitigating climate change. This study examined the co-production of xylitol and ethanol from xylose and glucose-rich hydrolysates of corn cob (CC), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), and rice straw (RS) without prior detoxification, using C. magnoliae (C. mag), C. tropicalis (C. trop), and C. guilliermondii (C. guil). A score ranking system based on weighted yields and productivity assessed the best raw material and yeast strain combination. The study revealed that C. mag cultivated on RS hemicellulosic and CC cellulosic media exhibited statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) superiority in xylitol (272 ± 5) and ethanol 273 ± 3, production. The single-phase emulsion system using frozen-thawed whole cells of CC—C. mag, CC—C. trop, and RS—C. guil was utilized for phenylacetylcarbinol (PAC) biotransformation. Although similar PAC concentration within 14.4–14.7 mM was obtained, the statistically significant higher (p ≤ 0.05) volumetric pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) activity from C. mag at 360 min was observed by 28.3 ± 1.51%. Consequently, further utilization of CC—C. mag in a two-phase emulsion system (Pi buffer: vegetable oil (Vg. oil) and Pi buffer: deep eutectic solvents (DES)) revealed that Pi buffer: DES medium preserved volumetric PDC activity (54.0 ± 1.2%) statistically significant higher (p ≤ 0.05) than the Pi buffer: Vg. oil system (34.3 ± 1.3%), with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in [PAC]. These findings outlined the sustainable pioneering approach for the co-production of chemicals and reusing the residual yeast cells for PAC biotransformation in the Pi buffer: DES system. Full article

Conservation soil management, such as no-tillage and Rip Strip^®, can be developed as an alternative to degradation processes such as compaction. This study aimed to compare conventional and conservation soil tillage regarding their soil physical attributes, root system, and stalk yield for two years. The experiment was conducted on the premises of Fazenda Cresciúma in an area of Typic Eutrudox in the municipality of Jardinópolis, state of São Paulo, Brazil, with an experimental design in random blocks. The treatments evaluated for the transplanted sugarcane were as follows: CT—conventional tillage with disk harrow; CTS—conventional tillage with disk harrow and subsoiling; MT—minimum tillage with Rip Strip^®; NT—no-tillage. The variables evaluated were dry root mass, soil bulk density (Bd), total porosity (TP), and stalk yield for sugarcane plant and first ratoon harvest. The results allowed us to observe that CT was the system that most reduced the TP (varying 0.44–0.47 m³ m⁻³), while MT was the one that presented fewer changes (TP varying 0.47–0.51 m³ m⁻³). NT obtained the highest stalk yield (123 Mg ha⁻¹) in the sugarcane plant cycle and greater amounts of roots in depths below 0.80 m. Conservation tillage by Rip Strip^® proved to be a viable system for use in sugarcane because it provides greater dry root mass on the surface and maintenance of physical attributes compared to conventional tillage. Full article

Drought is the major abiotic constraint affecting sugarcane productivity and quality worldwide. This obstacle may be alleviated through sugarcane genotypes demonstrating good water use efficiency (WUE) performance. This study aims to investigate the WUE characteristics of various sugarcane genotypes under different soil water availability levels. Plant and ratoon field experiments were conducted using a split-plot randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plots were assigned three types of irrigation: (1) rainfed conditions (RF), (2) field capacity conditions (FC), and (3) half-available water (½ AW). The subplots consisted of six sugarcane genotypes with varying levels of drought resistance, i.e., KK3, UT13, Kps01-12, KKU99-03, KKU99-02, and UT12. Data on yield, stalk numbers, stalk diameter, height, and WUE were collected throughout the crop cycle for both plant and ratoon crops. For the plant crop, the net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf area index (LAI) were recorded during the crop period. In both plant and ratoon crops, the WUE in the RF treatment was lower than in the FC and ½ AW treatments during the drought stress period 4 months after planting (MAP). In the recovery phase, the WUE in the ½ AW treatment fell between the FC and RF treatments. The RF treatment exhibited the lowest WUE compared to the other two water regime treatments at the maturity stage. The drought-resistant genotypes KK3 and UT13 maintained high WUE values throughout both the drought and recovery periods and exhibited outstanding LAIs at 4 and 6 MAP. A significant relationship existed between WUE and LAI during these periods. Moreover, WUE was positively correlated with cane yields and yield components, such as stalk weight, shoot diameter, and height, during recovery and tiller number and height during ripening. Therefore, WUE and LAI are efficient parameters for supporting and maintaining growth and yield during water deficit and recovery phases under rainfed conditions. Full article

In the energy transition process, aiming for zero disposal and clean production in the elimination of waste is crucial; consequently, agricultural residues have significant potential for reduction in the use of fossil fuels. This study investigates the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sugarcane bagasse (BSC) and straw (SSC), examining the products’ distribution and bio-oil composition relative to the reaction conditions. The experiments used a 2³ factorial design, evaluating the temperature (300–350 °C), constant heating time (0–30 min), and the use of the K₂CO₃ concentration as the catalyst (0–0.5 mol/L⁻¹). The main factor affecting the biocrude yield from BSC and SSC was the use of K₂CO₃. Statistically significant interaction effects were also observed. Milder conditions resulted in the highest bio-oil yields, 36% for BSC and 31% for SSC. The catalyst had no impact on the biocrude production. The bio-oils were analyzed by GC/MS and FTIR; a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to evaluate the samples’ variability. The FTIR highlighted bands associated with common oxygenated compounds in lignocellulosic biomass-derived bio-oils. The GC-MS results indicated a predominance of oxygenated compounds, and these were highest in the presence of the catalyst for both the BSC (90.6%) and SSC (91.7%) bio-oils. The SSC bio-oils presented higher oxygenated compound contents than the BSC bio-oils. Statistical analysis provided valuable insights for optimizing biomass conversion processes, such as determining the optimal conditions for maximizing product yields. Full article