Recently, some growers in El-Minia Governorate, Middle Egypt,
got used to late planting of sugar cane after wheat or sugar beet. Sugar
Crops Research Institute produced many promising varieties of
sugarcane among them G.84-47 and Phil.8013. Therefore, it was
necessary to study the effect of delaying planting date on vegetative
characters, juice quality, cane and sugar yields of these sugar cane
varieties. So, two field experiments were conducted at Mallawi
Agricultural Research Station, Minia Governorate, including two plant
cane crops planted in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons and their first
ratoons grown in 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 seasons. Three sugarcane
varieties namely G.T.54-9 (the commercial variety), Phil.8013 and
G.84-47 were randomly planted in four replicates, in a randomized
complete block design in four dates, i.e. 15 March (the optimum
planting date, control), 15 April, 15 May and 15 June. Thereafter, a
combined analysis between the sugar cane varieties grown in the four
dates was done. Sugarcane was harvested at age of 12 months for the
plant cane crops and 10 months for the first ratoons.
The obtained data pointed out that planting dates had a significant
effect on stalk height and diameter, total soluble solids, sucrose, purity,
sugar recovery, pol. percentages, quality index as well as millable
canes and recoverable sugar yields/fed of the plant cane and first
ratoon crops. Meanwhile, the tested sugarcane varieties differed
significantly in all studied traits, except millable cane yield/fed of the
plant cane and first ratoon. Moreover, results of the present work
cleared that Phil.8013 variety was the highest affected by delaying
planting date.
Under conditions of the present work, planting G.84-47 and/or
G.T.54-9 sugarcane varieties on the 15th of March or April is preferable
to get the highest cane and sugar yields/fed.