Growth and production of sugarcane varieties under supplementary irrigation and no irrigation

-The area cultivated with sugarcane in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, has increased significantly in recent years, in which to meet the demand of the mills, the use of adapted varieties has proved to be a fundamental strategy, combined with the use of irrigation, especially in periods of water deficit. The study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield of four sugarcane varieties (CTC 4, RB966928, RB975201, and RB92579) in plant cane cultivated with and without irrigation. The experiment was conducted at Embrapa Western Agriculture (Embrapa Agropecuaria Oeste) in Dourados, MS, Brazil. A randomized block design arranged in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme with three replications was used. At 90, 150, 210, 270, 330, and 390 days after planting (DAP), stalk height and diameter, leaf area index (LAI), and dry biomass were evaluated. The soil cover percentage (%SC) was determined through aerial images taken with a drone, with evaluations made from planting to the maximum soil cover. Total recoverable sugar (TRS), number of stalks m-1, stalk (STY), and sugar (SGY) yield were evaluated at 390 DAP (harvest). The RB975201 variety has the highest growth in height, stem diameter, and LAI when grown under irrigation or without irrigation, and the CTC 4 variety has the smallest. The irrigated production system increases the growth of stalks, LAI, and degree of soil cover for the sugarcane varieties in plant cane and a greater amount of stems m-1, STY, and SGY, highlighting the varieties RB92579 and RB975201.