Sugarcane in the EAA

Curtis Rainbolt

Belle Glade, FL
 Everglades Agricultural Area
Consists of about 500,000 acres of land on the
southern and eastern shores of Lake
Okeechobee
Approximately 80% is sugarcane and the
remainder is mostly vegetables, sod, and rice
Total sugar acreages are ~450,000
Primarily grown on muck soils, but some is
grown on sandy soils
 Muck Soils
Formed over a period of ~5,000 years from
decaying remains of saw grass and other
marsh plants under flooded conditions
Soil organic matter contents are high, typically
ranging between 80 to 90%
Depths range from 6 in to over 4 ft
Histosols range from 0.5 to over 3.5% total N,
with EAA histosols averaging 2-4% N (Porter
and Sanchez, 1994).
 Subsidence
Drainage of soils resulted in oxidation and
mineralization of large quantities of organic N
Microbial oxidation has been reported to be
responsible for 50 to 75% of the subsidence
The reported subsidence rates for EAA
Histosols range from 0.13 to 1.71 inches/yr
Influenced by soil type, carbon content, water
table level, bulk density, and temperature
Other factors (compaction, erosion) contribute
In 1924 a 9ft post was driven into the bedrock at the
EREC
 Taxonomy
Sugarcane is a giant grass (Poaceae)
Tribe: Adropogoneae
Genus, species: Saccharum
officinarum L.
Saccharum officinarum L. is the so
called noble cane with long, thick,
heavy, juicy, and sweet stalks
Other species include: S. barberi, S.
robustum, S. sinese, and spontaneum
Commercial clones are typically 3-
part hybrids
 Growth and Development
The EAA is well suited for sugarcane growth
Grows well in the summer period of warm
temperatures and high rainfall
Matures, ripens, and is easily harvested during
the cool, dry winters
The lake provides a winter warming effect
It is also well adapted to the photoperiod and
light intensity
 Temperature Requirements
Grows slowly at temperatures above 70 F
Ambient temperature above 80 F are ideal
Prolonged temperatures above 90 F and water
stress can slow growth
Very sensitive to cold, few buds will survive
temperatures below 27 F
 General Agronomy
Sugarcane is perennial that is harvested
annually
The first year is referred to as plant cane and
the successive years are ratoon or stubble
crops
Typically replanted every 3 to 5 years
Grown on 5 ft row spacing
 Planting
Vegetative pieces are planted
Sugarcane cultivars are clones of a single plant
produced from seed
Typically planted from late September through
December/January
Fields that are planted earlier are more actively
growing and consequently more susceptible to
frost damage
Traditionally planted by hand with large crews
 Furrows are opened (6-8 inches deep) and two
stalks of cane are laid side by side
Workers follow with knives and cut the cane
into shorter pieces to stimulate germination
and allow it to lay flat in the row
Insecticides are placed into the furrow
The cane is covered with soil and in 2-3 weeks
shoots emerge
 Mechanical Planting
Currently ~50% of the cane is mechanically
planted
Modified harvesters cut the cane into billets
Billets are loaded into a mechanical planter
and metered out
Shorter seed pieces are more susceptible to
disease
Damage to eyes (buds) requires higher seeding
rates
 Fertility
Soil tests are used by all (BMP requirement)
Sugarcane requires all essential elements and yields
are typically improved with added Si
Prior to planting fertilizer is placed in furrow
N is typically not needed on muck soils
Excessive N can reduce sucrose contents
P tend to be deficient, particularly in ratoon crops
K is the element most deficient for sugarcane
production in the EAA
 Water Management
Sugarcane requires substantial amounts of water to
produce high yields
Fields are irrigated by sub-irrigation (seepage
irrigation) and open ditch drainage
Sub-irrigation is defined as supplying water to the
crop root zones by controlling the water table
A water table is established above an existing water
table or above a restrictive (impermeable) soil layer
by pumping water into open ditches
 Lowering ditch water levels allows water to
flow out of the soil profile back into the
ditches.
South Florida lends itself to water table
management because of its flat land, relatively
high soil hydraulic conductivity underlain by a
restrictive layer, and large quantities of
available water
Pump stations are used to remove excess water
following rainfall events
 Weed Control
Weeds are controlled primarily through the use
of pre- and post- emergence herbicides and
cultivation
Warm season grasses tend to be the most
troublesome
Sugarcane is very competitive and can out
compete most weeds once the canopy closes
 Disease Management
Disease issues in sugarcane are handled
primarily through planting of resistant or
tolerant cultivars
A collaborative breeding effort between the
USDA-ARS at Canal Pt. and the University of
Florida works to continuously develop new
high quality disease resistant cultivars
 Cultivar Selection
A variety release committee comprised of
growers and researchers meets and votes on
which cultivars are released from the breeding
program
Selection criteria include: disease resistance,
yield (tonnage), sucrose content, ratooning
ability, freeze tolerance, growth habit and
characteristics, fiber content, and others
 Harvest
Harvest occurs from October to March
If there are no freezes yields are highest after
January
Because of milling limitations some fields
must be harvest prior to optimum dates
Fields are burned immediately prior to harvest
to remove dead leaves and reduce the amount
of trash delivered to the mill
 A 40 acre field typically requires 20 minutes to
burn
Burning is strictly regulated based on air
quality and wind directions
Prior to the mid 80s a majority of cane was
hand harvested
Labor issues and costs resulted in shift to
100% mechanical harvesting by 1993
The cane is deposited from the harvester into
wagons that are hauled to ramps and dumped
in highway trailers or rail cars