Abstract
Twelve sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) clones grown in Barbados were assessed for pol in cane during the months of January (start of the dry season), February (traditional start of the sugarcane crop harvest) and at maturity in plant cane and first ratoon to determine the feasibility of starting the crop harvest in January. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three guarded blocks and three replicates per block. One-way ANOVA showed that differences between clones in January, February and at maturity were significant at P < 0.001 in both crop cycles. Two-way ANOVA within each crop cycle showed that month differences were not significant and that there were no differences between values obtained in either month and those obtained at maturity. Furthermore, comparison of linear regression lines showed that the lines obtained in January, February and at maturity in each crop cycle can be written as a single line. Correlations between pol in cane values in January and February in each crop cycle were large (0.97 and 0.95); and those between January, February with values obtained at maturity were also large being r = 0.99, 0.97 (plant cane); r = 0.99, 0.95 (first ratoon). Mean pol in cane values in January, February and at maturity were 13.4%, 13.5%, 13.7%, respectively, in plant cane; and 12.7%, 12.5% and 12.9%, respectively, in first ratoon. These results suggest that sugarcane harvesting in Barbados can commence in January.
