(Impact of Micronutrients Spraying on Yield and Quality of Sugar Cane in heavy textured soil at Upper Egypt)

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of micronutrient spraying on the yield and quality of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) under Upper Egypt agro climatic condition. A field experiment was conducted during two seasons 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 on eight sugar cane varieties. Three micronutrients' spraying treatments as control (untreated), 1g/L and 2g/L of Iron, Zinc, and Manganese mixtures were applied at the two seasons. Yield parameters such as millable cane length, diameter, cane yield and sugar yields were determined. The quality indicators of brix, sucrose, reducing sugars, juice purity and sugar recovery percentages were measured to evaluate sugar cane quality. Two representative soil profiles were sampled from the studied fields and analyzed using the standard methods of soil analysis to be characterized as well as identified for the micronutrients' situation. These soil profiles were used to assess the suitability of the study area to be cultivated with sugar cane. The salient findings of this study revealed that the level-2 micronutrients (2g/L) significantly affected the yield and quality of the cultivated varieties at in the two investigated seasons. These findings contributed to the understanding of micronutrient management practices in sugar cane farming, specifically tailored to the needs of this region, with implications for optimizing agricultural productivity and crop quality.