---

SUGARCANE@ [RATOONING] [SALINE SOIL] [WATER STRESS] [QUALITY] [SPECIFIC REGIONS] [RAINFED CONDITION] [SUSTAINABLE] [CANE SETT] [JUICE CANE]
SORGHUM@ [GRAIN PURPOSE] [DUAL PURPOSE] [GRAIN MOLD] [STRESS CONDITION]
LOCAL FIELD CROPS@ [LOCAL FIELD CROPS]
[HOME]

Sugarcane Improvement under Saline Soil Conditions.

Project coordinator : Preecha Prammanee

More than 50 % of sugarcane in Thailand is produced in the western part of Thailand. At present, the widespread distribution of salt affected land in this area is causing a serious problem in sugarcane production. Under saline soil conditions cane is severely damaged. Salt affected cane shows premature wilting and scorching of the leaves, growth is restricted and in severe cases, death of the plant can occur. The aim of the project, began in 1994 was to investigate the effects of salt stress on cane growth. The project also includes a plant breeding programme using the tissue culture technique and the use of factory waste to solve salinity problems.

Breeding

Sugarcane improvement for salinity tolerance : preliminilary yield trial : plant and first ratoon cane.

Ten sugarcane clones were selected from seventy five clones which were induced for salt tolerance by tissue culture technique. These ten selected clones were planted in 1994 in a preliminary yield trial. Evaluation of these clones were carried out on the plant cane in 1994 and on the first ratoon cane in 1995. It was found that clone UT 1-8-2 and UT 1-8-1 showed better performance and higher cane yield than others. Growth and development of standard variety UT 1 was completely inhibited under the saline conditions in this experiment.

Agronomy

Responses of sugarcane clones to soil salinity.

A number of clones of sugarcane were selected for resistance to the condition of salinity. Tissue culture technique was used for the selection. At present, 12 clones were evaluated in terms of salinity tolerance. Some physiological characters such as leaf water potential and relative water content were examined in these clones. The results indicated that it may be possible to select salt tolerant sugarcane by using tissue culture technique. There was genotypic variation in the materials that were used in this study. Clones with salt tolerance seemed to be the ones that conserve relative water content better than other most sensitive ones. Most of the clones showed slow growth in saline conditions. Reductions in cane yield, internode length, and number of millable canes were observed. In conclusion, clone UT 1-8-1 and UT 1-8-2 tended to be the most tolerant genotypes.

Effect of salinity level on growth and development of sugarcane

To determine the effect of salinity level on the growth and development of sugarcane, the experiment was conducted in a circular cement pots at Suphan Buri Field Crops Research Center in 1994. Different level of salinity (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 % NaCl) were compared in a CRD with 4 replications. The result indicated that increased salinity level decreased tillerring, cane yield and yield components. Cane yield decreased by 31 % in soil with 0.2 % NaCl (5 mmho/cm) and was reduced 63 % when salinity level was 8 mmho/cm (0.4 % NaCl). The results were confirmed in 1995.

Use of various soil amendment to solve the salinity problem in soil used to grow sugarcane.

The experiment was conducted in circular cement pots 80 cm in diameter and 40 cm high. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of various soil amendments for solving the salinity problem in soil used to grow sugarcane. It was found that salinity at 1 % NaCl w/v inhibited cane sett germination and cause a delay in growth and development. Bagasse and filter cake could eleviate salinity problems, though cane yields were 21-46 % lower than cane grown in non saline soil. Gypsum, lime and rice husk did not show any effect on solving soil salinity. The effectiveness of different soil amendments, in order of most effective first, are as follows ; bagasse > filter cake > rice husk > gypsum > lime > factory ash.

The optimum level of filter cake and bagasse for salinity problem eleviation in sugarcane soil.

An attempt was made to solve the salinity problem in sugarcane soil by using bagasse and filter cake, the organic wastes from the sugar mill. The experiment was conducted in the circular cement pots at Suphan Buri Field Crop Research Center . Three levels of soil salinity were combined with baggasse and filter cake at three rates of application in a 3 x 2 x 3 factorial with non-saline soil and saline soil (0.6 % NaCl) as the two control plots. It was found that bagasse effectively eleviated the salinity problem. Application of bagasse improved growth and development of sugarcane by increasing tiller numbers, height and stalk weight. Using bagasse did not show any deterioration of cane juice quality. The optimum rate of application was 25-37.5 tonnes/ha for this level of soil salinity (0.4-0.6 % NaCl).

Seed Technology

A study on cane sett germination under saline condition.

The experiment was conducted at the seed laboratory of Suphan Buri FCRC using factorial in RCB. Factor 1 was the variety, these being F 140, K 84-200, U-Thong 1 and U-Thong 2. Factor 2 was the concentration of NaCl which were 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 % w/w. It is observed that NaCl 1 % w/w is equivalent to an electrical conductivity of 8 mmho/cm. The results indicated that the germination and growth of 4 cane varieties decreased when the concentration of NaCl increased. However, K 84-200 showed a high value in the salt tolerance index measured at 8 mmho/cm whereas the other varieties showed lower values (7.0, 5.8 and 5.5 STI of U-Thong 1, F 140 and U-Thong 2 respectively). A similar result was also obtained in the 1995 experiment when variation in resistant to saline soil was found in K 84-200.

Germination of sorghum and other field crops under saline condition.

The ability to resist saline soil condition of sorghum , corn, cotton, mung bean and soybean had been studied under various levels of salt at the seed laboratory, Suphan Buri FCRC. They were evaluated for salinity resistance using Salinity Tolerant Index (STI). The results suggested that most field crops have the ability to germinate at 5-10 mmho/cm or 0.5-1 % w/w NaCl. Corn variety, Nakorn Sawan 1, can resist up to 8.8 mmho/cm whereas other crops can resist lower levels than this such as sorghum (STI = 7.7 mmho/cm) cotton (STI = 7.4 mmho/cm) soybean (STI = 5.8 mmho/cm) and mung bean (4.2 mmho/cm). The ability to resist saline soil varies also depending on the variety. Sorghum variety, late Hegary gave the highest value of salt resistance of 8.7 mmho/cm, followed by Suphan Buri 60, Suphan Buri 1 and U-Thong 1 (7.7, 7.4 and 6.8 mmho/cm) respectively.