The Sugar Cane, Know its Characteristics

Sugarcane is a plant cultivated for the production of sugar in tropical countries, it has a very interesting history since its discovery. Worldwide, it has contributed to sweetening the palate of many people, among other uses, thanks to the fact that all the parts that make up this plant can be used, so if you want to know a little more about its characteristics, we invite you to continue reading this article.

Sugarcane

Sugarcane is a large-sized herb of the genus Saccharum, tribe Andropogoneae, and is part of the Poaceae group. Among its features stands out the hard stem with a sweet and fibrous tissue that is used to produce sugar, it can reach six meters in height, it has elongated leaves and violet flowers in a pyramidal panicle. Modern sugarcane crops are interspecific hybrids that come from a process involving both noble cane, Saccharum officinarum, and wild cane, Saccharum spontaneum, followed by a series of backcrosses with the noble parent.

The earliest known historical record of sugar cane and sugar comes from Indian writings from 3000 to 3400 years ago. The generic name for sugar cane, Saccharum, originated from the Indian Sanskrit term "sharkara" for the raw sugary product obtained from honey canes. The westward dispersal of Indian sugarcane occurred during the first millennium BC. Soldiers of Alexander the Great are known to have brought it to Europe from India around 325 BC. Later, Greek and Roman writers became familiar with the Indian honey cane and its product "honey" (sugar).

The early history of sugar cane is covered by various authors, including Deer (1949) and Barnes (1964). The origin of this plant is complex, different species probably originating from various places, for example Saccharum robustum in New Guinea, Saccharum barberi in India and Saccharum sinense in China. The species S. officinarum is thought to have occurred over a period of thousands of years in both the Pacific Ocean area, while the slenderer Indian reeds were developed and cultivated in the region of northern India and southern China.

Initially, pieces of cane stem would have been chewed to obtain the sweet juice, hence chewing canes still provide a conveniently packaged form of energy food in many cultures. On the other hand, it can be noted that the extraction of juice from the stem and its concentration by drying or heating to produce a crude sugary product must have been developed in a rudimentary way at least 3000 years ago.

The art of sugar making took longer to develop, probably in India and perhaps less than 2000 years ago. Deer (1949) considered that the Nestorian Christian monks at the mouth of the Euphrates River were the first to refine the crude product into a form of white sugar around 450 AD. The Mediterranean sugar industry was the first important in Europe and began around the time of the Arab conquest of Egypt in 640 AD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SuULDehbx0

It was distributed in North Africa and in Spain around 750 AD. C., where it was important for many years, with 30.000 hectares planted with cane in 1150 AD. C. In the early XNUMXth century AD, the Spanish brought cane to the Caribbean and the Americas, and the Portuguese to West Africa and Brazil. And so the global sugar cane industry was born. Before the XNUMXth century, the global sugarcane industry relied on noble canes (S. officinarum) and cane from India and China (S. barberi and S. sinense, respectively).

These canes were characterized by high levels of sucrose and low in fiber, but were susceptible to various pests and diseases. Situation that promoted a continuous improvement in the selection of the plant, especially since in 1858 it was determined that the panicles produced viable seeds. So it was the Dutch who established a breeding and breeding program in 1888 to incorporate the disease resistance, resistance, and tillering ability of S. spontaneum into the genetic material of S. officinarum.

The resulting hybrids were continually crossed with S. officinarum, this process resulting in the release of the first mixed nobilized cane plantings in 1921, serving as the basis for the pedigree of almost all modern locally developed and adapted cane plantations throughout the world. world. Nobilization was established as a method to retain the desirable qualities of S. officinarum, preserving the hardiness and disease resistance of S. spontaneum, while diluting the negative effects of wild germplasm.

Features

This large herbaceous perennial is cultivated for its high rate of sugar accumulation, ease of propagation through vegetative stem cuttings, multiple harvests from a single planting, and for being one of the main crops in tropical and subtropical regions providing approximately 70% of the world's sugar. Hence, it is important to make known all the aspects that characterize it, so we explain it in detail below:

Stem

Among its most outstanding characteristics is undoubtedly its stem, from which a greyish, greenish juice with a slightly bitter taste is extracted. A cane plant has between 5 and 20 vertical stems, also called “tillers”, that measure 2 to 5 meters in height and 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter. Each stem is a succession of nodes and internodes, each node having a bud and a band of root primordia. The sugar is stored in the pith, under the hard, waxy rind. Cuttings from a few stem nodes can be used to replant cane fields every five to ten years.

Now, so that you know more about the stem areas, this includes the joints developed from the buds, these are short at the base of the stem and of different heights in the rest of this plant cylinder, since it manages to reach a maximum in its middle part and then gradually decreases until it reaches the apex, where they become short again, in addition, the length of the stems can vary depending on the variety and the environmental conditions where it develops.

Each joint unit has 2 nodes where the corresponding leaf is articulated. For its part, the internode is the central portion of a joint, delimited by said nodes and also presents a variation in terms of its diameter, being thicker from the base and decreasing as it advances to the central part of the stem, from where it is It becomes constant and then gradually decreases until it reaches the apex. Other parts of the joint are as follows:

The growth ring which is the dividing zone between the node and the internode. The root band, which represents the strip immediately above the node. The leaf scar that is the point of attachment of the nomophilous sheath to the aerial stem and is located below the lateral bud. Likewise, there is a ring of wax, named for the whitishness of the area immediately below each node, where large deposits of waxy lipids accumulate in relatively high concentrations.

In turn, you can also point out the well-known suber stripes or ivory striae, the bud channel, which is a well-defined groove directly above the lateral bud, present in some varieties of sugar cane. In turn, it has buds that are a set of cataphylls much simpler than nomophils, which have a leathery consistency and lack chlorophyll. In this regard, it is highlighted that the primary stem will sprout from each bud.

Roots

The kind of roots that this plant has is known as branched or fasciculated, fibrous, made up of a bunch of rootlets of equal or similar thickness. These can be derived from the root primordia of the planted cutting, as well as from the rhizome primordia. In turn, those that originate from the stake are called transitory roots, these are thin and widely branched. While the roots that emerge from the lower radical rings of the rhizome are thick, fleshy, white and less branched.

One of the aspects to know about the parts of the plant aims to take water from the earth to facilitate the process of obtaining the necessary nutrients for the formation of the new stem until the new plant develops its own root system. Furthermore, root progress in sugarcane maintains the same general pattern of the monocot class of plants. As additional information, thanks to the density and depth of the roots, it can be said that it is a plant that protects the soil well, even when there is erosion caused by rains or storms.

Rhizome

On the other hand, we cannot fail to mention that there is a constitutive element of sugar cane that for many experts can be considered as a kind of stem, which is the rhizome. The roots are generated from it and due to the conditions of being the base of this vegetation, it can easily have an underground life, not requiring leaves and therefore chlorophyll; it could well be confused with the root of the plant.

Leaves

The leaves have an elongated shape, fine and not very thick, which are covered with small filaments similar to hairs with numerous stomatal openings, they are alternately articulated from the stem nodes, establishing two rows along this . Depending on the varieties of cane, the shape of the leaf can be spiral or intertwined and they undergo changes during their life cycle, that is, in a first phase they separate from the stem and then present the very characteristic inclined position of the plant. , which favors the process of harnessing solar energy.

Additionally, it can be mentioned about the elements that constitute its leaves, which are generally two: the blade or blade and the sheath. The leaf sheath is usually light green, in very young stems the sheaths overlap at the apex, as protection for the new buds located there and the apical meristem. The shape is tubular and tapered at the neck. Two faces can be seen in the sheath of the leaf: interior and exterior. The interior is mostly whitish and smooth, and the exterior is green, with an abundance of hairs often being observed, which in some species is unpleasant to handle.

It should also be known that the area where the intersection between the sheath and the leaf blade occurs, which experts call the neck. This can be different according to the types of this plant and even in the same species, to the extent that it matures. The shapes of the necks in mature leaves constitute a varietal identification characteristic, classified into three main types, among others: Rectangular or square, Deltoid or triangular and Ligular.

On the other hand, the element known as the leaf blade of the plant can reach two meters in length and between three and seven centimeters in width. Measurements that vary according to the variety, thus showing the predominant characteristics of the original species. In the same way, the color also varies, going from a green with yellow tones to a dark green, depending not only on the variety but also on the nutritional or health conditions of the plant.

In turn, it can be noted that said element has tooth-shaped edges in its structure, in addition to its apex it can have a somewhat pointed shape, with a central rib, which serves to conduct water and nutrients from plant. Similarly, it can be seen that the central rib also provides a support for the blade. Parallel to the midrib, several vascular bundles develop.

Flores

The inflorescence, or spike, is a panicle comprising a multitude of flowers that produce tiny seeds, known as 'fuzz'. The floral cluster is made up of a main axis with joints, where the spikes containing a hermaphroditic flower with three anthers and an ovary with two stigmas are inserted. In addition, each ovary has an ovule that, once fertilized, gives rise to a simple caryopsis-type fruit. Likewise, the fruit that has an oval shape with measures of 0,5 mm wide by 1,5 mm long.

In the same way, it can be pointed out that the emergence of flowers will be subject to a series of factors, of which it can be said that they are: age, fertilization, photoperiod, temperature and humidity. Under these conditions silver will go from a state of vegetative growth to a reproductive one. The internodes of the cane stem will continue to lengthen and finally the leading leaf will appear, indicating the prompt arrival of the inflorescence.

Most relevant species

Sugarcane experts consider that there are 6 most relevant species in the field of genetics as progenitors in the origin of hybrids for marketing (Saccharum spp.), based on their sugar content, the thickness of the stem , floral characteristics, number of chromosomes and epidermal hairs. The first four in the list below are in cultivation, while the last two (S. spontaneum and S. robustum) are wild species that grow in South Asia and New Guinea.

• Officinarum L: is a sweet, juicy, thick-stemmed garden cane native to New Guinea.
• Barberi Jesw: These are fine-stemmed, sweet Indian reeds.
• Sinense Roxb: it is a kind of Chinese cane, very sweet and with a fine stem.
• Edule Hassk: is a garden cane with an edible inflorescence, native to New Guinea, Melanesia.
• Spontaneum L: These are very thin, hardy, low sugar wild canes that occur widely in New Guinea and South Asia.
• S. robustum Brandes & Jeswiet ex Grassl: These are tall, hard and thick stemmed, juicy wild reeds low in sugar, produced mainly in New Guinea and eastern Indonesia.

Sugar Cane Cultivation

The success of crops in countries such as Brazil, India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Cuba, among others, is in the abundant availability of water and adequate soil for plants to develop. well in an approximate period of 11 to 17 months, as well as its tropical location allows the crops to sufficiently assimilate solar lighting. In this regard, it is estimated that an efficient plantation can generate a production between 100 and 150 tons of cane per cultivated hectare per year.

Of the annual total harvested, average values ​​of 15,5% sucrose, 15% fiber and 2% other usable soluble products are obtained. As for the nutrients required, there are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and certain trace elements for fertilization. In addition, it is important to anticipate that sulfur will be needed to control sodium levels in areas with high salinity. In this sense, below we specify more about the aspects that allow the growth of crops:

Climate: This is a fundamental factor for crops, as they thrive in warm, sunny regions. Therefore, it's important to understand the following: First, temperature, which should be at least 14 to 16 °C, and ideally between 32 and 38 °C. Second, high relative humidity is required, as low humidity levels combined with infrequent watering prevent the plant from growing or developing properly. And third, crops benefit from high and prolonged periods of sunlight.

Soil: Regarding this factor, it's worth noting that this plant can be grown in all types of soil, provided they are well-drained both internally and externally and contain organic matter. A pH between 5.5 and 7.8 is recommended for optimal crop development. Additionally, silty loam and sandy loam soils are generally suggested. However, it's important to be aware that acidic soils can cause problems, and chlorosis may appear in calcareous soils.

Irrigation: This must be optimal to allow for the absorption, transport, and assimilation of nutrients by the plant. The water requirements of these crops are estimated at between 1200 and 1500 mm per year. During the month before harvesting the sugarcane, it is advisable to reduce the frequency and amount of irrigation. Finally, it is generally recommended to avoid waterlogging at the base of the plants, as they suffer greatly in such conditions.

Fertilization: Due to the characteristics of this type of planting, the vegetation may consume most of its nutrients in a short period. Therefore, proper fertilization planning is necessary. In general, the nutrient requirements are as follows: As a substrate: 100 kg of phosphorus, 250 kg of nitrogen, and 100 kg of phosphorus per hectare. Additionally, topdressing: 200 to 300 kg of nitrogen per hectare, applied in two or three applications during the summer and autumn.

Additionally, another class of nutrients can be highlighted at this point regarding sugarcane fertilization, such as the following: 47 kg of calcium, 47 kg of magnesium and 60 kg of sulfur, all these quantities distributed per cultivated hectare. In the same way, it is essential to take into consideration that, if the plantations of this type of vegetation show deficiency symptoms in the plants, the doses of the main nutrients, as well as the moment of their application, may vary, as indicated below:

• In case of presenting yellowish leaves, slow growth and decreased thickness of the stems, between 100 and 150 Kg of nitrogen per hectare should be applied depending on the type of variety, that is, 12 months for the first and 24 months for the second. . This should be applied during the time of cultivation.
• In turn, when purple leaves, slow development and decreased flowering are observed, 200 to 500 kg of phosphorus per hectare should be applied, which should be applied during cultivation.
• At the moment of observing very fine stems and with a yellowish hue, as well as the edges of the withered and old leaves, it is best to apply 800 Kg of potassium per hectare before its period of greatest development.

How is it planted?

The timing of planting will depend on the chosen species. Generally, planting can be done twice a year, from February to March and from June to July. It's also important to note that, due to its physiological characteristics, this plant does not produce true seed under commercial conditions. Therefore, propagation is carried out using stem cuttings, known as vegetative propagation.

One of the main ways to carry out its reproduction is through the technique of cuttings, also known as seeds with cuttings or pieces of stems; In turn, the use of fresh inputs is recommended, without changes in their genetic composition, free of pests and diseases. Three-bud cuttings are generally used for planting, although two-bud cuttings are also used in some places.

It is common practice in this type of cultivation to make a series of cuts necessary to obtain cuttings that are over half a meter long, with four buds, grouped into clusters of thirty cuttings. These cuttings are then distributed and transplanted into the furrows. The planting density of the cuttings can vary depending on the furrow arrangement . Currently, a density of between 9 and 12 buds per meter of furrow is used. It is recommended that the planting be carried out from east to west to maximize sunlight exposure.

Another cultivation method is through seedbeds, where seeds with specific characteristics must be selected, such as being disease-free, of adequate size, and having optimal nutritional status. The varieties used should be those that are harvested at 12 months and cut between 7 and 9 months for transplanting to the field. The planting distance between seedlings in the seedbeds is 80 cm, although in varieties with low tillering it can be reduced to 70 cm. Transplanting is done manually or mechanically. Using mechanical methods, it is possible to transplant 12000 seedlings in 8 hours.

Preparation of the land

It is important to point out the need to have an environment that contains all the necessary conditions that allow the development and growth of sugarcane. This procedure seeks to transform the soil to ensure adequate water supply. In this way, two kinds of it can be distinguished: the traditional one and, on the other hand, the one that is done with minimal tillage. The selection of one method or another will depend on its characteristics and the crop to be established.

In this order of ideas, it can be said that the use of heavy machinery in planting and harvesting, as well as the transfer of the product to the mills, can deteriorate the physical conditions of the soil, generating compaction, reduced storage, air movement and water, causing greater mechanical resistance for root growth and the difficulty of absorbing nutrients provided by the soil itself or by fertilizers.

In turn, extensive soil preparation before a new planting season benefits the proper development of the cuttings. Furthermore, the emergence of vegetation in the field promotes root growth due to improved aeration and reduced soil compaction, facilitating nutrient uptake for increased productivity . Additionally, it allows for the incorporation of crop residues and organic fertilizers , and eliminates weeds, pests, and diseases. Overall, this process promotes optimal chemical and biological activity in the soil.

For its part, the traditional model of soil transformation that has been practiced for generations, supposes the following indicative elements: the initial plowing that is carried out half a meter or more deep to break the compact earth; In addition, there is the plow to collect the remains of the previous sowing and the organic fertilizers, where the tillage operations carried out with implements attached to the tractor are the most appropriate and fastest.

When the soil is heavy, uneven, and has shoots growing from the same plant, it's advisable to use a disc harrow for tillage. If you want to invert the soil, use a moldboard plow . Also, be sure to adjust the terrain to create the appropriate slope and drain excess water during the rainy season. To do this, consider creating furrows 25 to 30 cm deep. The furrows should be 25 cm deep, and the bottom of the furrow should be loosened to about 10 cm.

In relation to the drainage channels, they must have these must be deeper than the furrows, along the edges of the field and also within the field, spaced at regular intervals. They are especially important in areas with high rainfall to drain excess water during the rainy season. While, in a system of minimum tillage, on green manure, the land is cleaned by passing a knife roll over the existing vegetation, 15 days before planting to allow the vegetation to dry.

Pile up the soil and replant

It is an activity that tries to remove a small portion of soil on each side of the furrow, and then surround it with the base of the stems. It must be applied after a month and a half of having planted it, in order to ensure that the place where the cane is cultivated is partially filled. After 120 days, the complete piling up of the soil is carried out, coinciding with the period of maximum population of shoots.

This procedure is usually done manually or using the appropriate machinery. Its advantages include halting the development of new shoots, thus providing a larger volume of soil for root growth, soil aeration , and better anchorage for the crop. Reseeding is used to rehabilitate areas where spaces have been lost due to the disappearance of rootstocks and suckers. It is recommended to maintain an average of 110 to 125 seeds per hectare at harvest time.

weed control

The existence of weeds can harm the crop that you want to carry out. The identification, as well as the potential economic damage to the crop, must be carried out through regular examinations in the fields to know the controls that must be applied. It must start at the beginning or end of the season; The ideal is to plan a series of practices that lead to an integrated control of weeds, more towards prevention of the economic damage that they can cause, among which are manual control, adequate preparation of the land and use of rotational crops and associates.

For the application of a weed control program, it is recommended not to sow the land for a while so that it can recover. Plowing and harrowing must be done in such a way that the rhizomes, stolons or tubers of perennial weeds are exposed on the soil surface to facilitate their desiccation by solar radiation and wind. Other control alternatives contemplate the use of a shorter fallow period and planting a legume capable of suppressing weed growth.

Harvest

Sugarcane Processing

Once harvested, the stems are treated through a process of separation and crushing in the mills located near the planting fields, to facilitate their bulky transport, since it must be processed as soon as possible to minimize the deterioration of the sugar. The raw material is then sent to refineries to produce refined sugar. End products include powdered, granulated, and brown sugar, which is sugar that contains some molasses. The stems are also very rich in cellulose and lignin, which have many uses in the green chemical industry and as fuel, energy, among others.

Pests

The first pest to mention that affects this crop is the borer worm. With this pest, the different phases or generations that this worm goes through during its life cycle must be taken into account. In its adult phase it is in a state of rest. Additionally, the insect hides on the underside of the dry leaves of the cane during the hours of sunlight. At nightfall the worm returns to its activity attacking the plant.

It is interesting to explain that during its period as a larva it can get through the rachis of the leaves and in this way it manages to drill the entire plant. The action of the larva in plants with a greater development, becomes more laborious at the foliar level. Therefore, it awaits the arrival of the second moult, penetrating through the trunk, forming galleries along the stem. The damage caused by the attack of the borer worm in sugarcane translates into loss of juice content, as well as a decrease in the Brix degrees of the plant, death of young canes and a decrease in the vegetative power of the plant.

Although, one cannot fail to mention that there is a variant of this called Minor Driller. In this case, the larva drills into the bark, but to a greater degree, managing to get even the death of the stem for a new plant. The solution to combat this threat is to flood the furrows with water. Additionally, there is knowledge of the presence of another plague called the screw worm, which causes damage thanks to the excavations with which it forms galleries that run from the bottom of the stem to the roots.

Another type of threat is the Jobot, which produces a destructive effect in the root zone of the crop, making the plant turn yellowish in color and the foliage slowly dying. A method of preventive control of this pest is through the passage of machinery for soil work, which manages to eliminate the larvae and pupae. On the other hand, the Inchworm can also be pointed out, which becomes a kind of parasite that consumes the edges of less mature plants, and it is even known that it can leave only the main nerve of the leaf.

Continuing with the mentions of the various types of pests that plague these crops, the striped weevil can be highlighted, which causes problems in the seed that for different reasons is more weakened. In this way, an already infected specimen will be planted. Resulting in shoots or new plants that will be weak. As a result of this, a sugarcane with a content of juices with a lower concentration of sucrose will be harvested.

Additionally, the sugarcane spittlebug or spotted fly can be highlighted, which, depending on its stage of development, may prefer to attack a specific area of ​​the crop. For example, the nymphs of this pest suck the sap from the roots of the plant while the adult flies prefer the sap from the leaves. As additional information, at the same time that it sucks the sap, it injects the crop from which the sugar is obtained with a toxin that will later cause the appearance of reddish spots, necrosis and weakening it until it dries completely.

One of the pests that affects this type of vegetation is the Antillean Leaf Hopper, which aims to suck the sap and expel a substance from which sooty mold is obtained, which will hinder photosynthesis and transpiration of the plant's plant tissues. Although many do not believe it, it can also be attacked by the termites, which enter through the cuts at the ends of the cuttings or through the buds and feed on succulent tissue. The cavity formed by the termites is filled with moist soil, leaving free galleries through which they move and if they are not treated, they can cause the end of the crop.

Crop diseases

Sugarcane plantations are harmed by biological agents causing multiple pathological diseases to the plants. The main infections that affect the crop are caused by fungi, although there is also evidence of bacteria and insects. The first that can be mentioned is the disease caused by the coal caused by the fungus Ustilago scitaminea Sydow, which invades the meristem of the bud, producing the formation of something similar to a black whip at the ends of the infected stems, damaging their growth and leading to its death.

This type of disease usually occurs when the appropriate humidity conditions are generated, that is, when flooding occurs, thus producing the development of the fungus and its reproduction. The best preventive control treatment is the planting of specimens of resistant varieties. In turn, another infection can be mentioned, rust, which is generated by the fungus Puccinia melanocephala H. Sydow and P. Sydow, which attacks the foliage of the plants, producing a loss in the volume of the infected plant. The plants most prone to this type of infection are four-month-old plants.

The symptoms can be detected when they start with small elongated yellowish chlorotic spots, easy to see on both sides of the leaf. As the leaf grows, the spots turn brown and are surrounded by a pale yellow ring. For all of the above, it is usually recommended that, during the cultivation of this plant species, use be made of specimens that have a degree of resistance and optimal health, since it is the appropriate way to avoid this type of disease.

The eye spot is another of the defects that the crop can suffer, and it is generated due to the fungus Bipolaris sacchari. The identification of the disease is very simple, you only have to observe if the crop has elongated ogival spots that form in the same direction as the veins of the leaves, which are reddish in color bordered by a yellow halo. And in a more advanced stage, the symptoms increase with streaks appearing towards the end of the leaf from the original spot. It is recommended to cultivate strong species and avoid the use of excessive fertilizer.

In this same order of ideas, we can mention the well-known ring spot or ring spot, which occurs in the plantation after being infected by a fungal agent, which lodges mainly in the leaf blades, but can also infect the pods and in some cases the stems. At first, small reddish, spherical spots appear on the leaves, which later become irregular as they increase in size. The lesions on the leaves have a characteristic straw color in the center, surrounded by a ring with reddish brown tones.

On the other hand, we can highlight the foliar scald that is generated by Xanthomonas albilineans. It is a kind of disease that is somewhat difficult to detect, since when affected seeds are used, the symptoms cannot be appreciated and the stems simply die. Although, it may happen that the nodes of the stems when they mature show a loss of their hue or parallel white stripes are seen on the central nerve of the leaf. The solution against it in a preventive way is the same as the previous two, plant strong specimens.

For its part, we also have the existence of the disease known as soca rickets, which is caused by a fungal agent that produces growth retardation, a decrease in the number of stems per vine and stunted-looking specimens. Thermal treatment of the seed with continuous cleaning of cutting tools are the main control measures when resistant varieties are not available.

The red stripe should also be considered, which is generated by a microorganism that generates two types of serious problems in the crop, on the one hand, the stripe on the leaves and on the other, the rotting of the plant shoot. The most effective control for this disease is planting resistant varieties, good cultivation technique and not using infected plant material. It is recommended not to thin out diseased plants. In turn, you can get to witness another type of disease known as the Common Mosaic.

This last type of infection is generated by a virus that can cause serious problems in the foliar system of crops, causing the stems that are in the stage of maturity to present a strong loss of color in the leaf blades. As previously recommended, the best preventive solution is planting from seeds whose quality and health are guaranteed, as well as effective implementation of cultivation.

Finally, we cannot fail to mention the infection caused by a fungal agent called Peca Amarilla, which, as its name indicates, can cause spots on the leaves. They can be seen with the naked eye against the light. Additionally, it should be noted that, when the infection progresses, the hue will turn red with a series of yellowish freckles. Ultimately, the leaves will fold and die prematurely.

Uses of Sugar Cane

It is a plant that has a wide utility in the world. On the one hand, after its stem is harvested and cut, it can be processed to obtain a liquid that can serve as a seasonal drink. It can also be found concentrated in a panela that can later be used in confectionery or candy making, as well as drinks. Another of the most common uses is for the manufacture of the well-known drink called Rum. Additionally, it has uses in medicine thanks to its properties that improve metabolism and offers antioxidant elements, among others.

If you liked this article on the Characteristics of Sugarcane and want to learn more about other interesting topics, you can check the following links:

• Ecological garden
• Ionic energy
• Xeriscape