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SUGARCANE RESEARCH EXTENSION BY UF/IFAS
PRESENT PROGRAMS AND FUTURE PLANS
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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYDr. Robert Gilbert

• Stage III CP Breeding Program
• Collaborators USDA, FSCL
• Cultivar Maturity Trials
• Collaborators SCGC, USDA
• Transgenic Sugarcane Evaluation
• Collaborators Agron. Dept., TREC, USDA
• Organic Amendments for Sandland Nutrition
• Collaborators FL Crystals, USDA
• Sugarcane Response to Flooding
• Collaborators USDA
• Green Cane Harvest
• Collaborators SCGC, SWFREC, FL Crystals, USDA,
  USSC

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMY
Mill mud strip
SCMV field day
No mill mud
Somaclonal variation
CP Cultivar field day
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SUGARCANE AGRONOMY
Low water table
Flooded cane
Adventitious roots
Burnt vs. green
Raking residue
Trash weight
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SUGARCANE AGRONOMY

• RESULTS
• Stage III CP Breeding Program
• CP clones grown on gt 80 of FL acreage
• Cultivar Maturity Trials
• Harvest schedule recommendations on EDIS
• Transgenic Sugarcane
• SCMV-resistant high-yielding clones identified
• Organic Amendments for Sandland Nutrition
• Mill mud gt soybean rotation inorganic
  fertilizer
• Flooded Cane
• 3-month flood reduced sucrose yield 30 in plant
  cane
• Green Cane
• Significant differences in soil temp., LAI and
  TCA on muck

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SCMV-resistant VR18-54
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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYFUTURE RESEARCH PLANS
Multi-disciplinary Projects Agronomy Gilbert,
Kingston Ezenwa Weeds
Rainbolt Insects Nuessly Cherry Diseases
Raid Water Quality Daroub Morgan Crop
Nutrition McCray Morgan Extension Rice
Baucum

• Continuing
• Stage III
• Crop Modeling
• Sandland Nutrition
• Transgenic Sugarcane
• Green Cane
• New
• Green Cane Management on Sand
• Sugarcane for Ethanol proposal

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYGreen cane production
systemDrs. Kingston et al.

• Field trials for agro-ecology and management of
  green cane
• Experiments on muck and sandy soils.
• Collaborators Gilbert, Kingston, Ezenwa,
  Eiland, Rice, Shine, Luo, Raid, Rainbolt, Roka,
• Applications for more precise agriculture

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYAgro-ecology of green cane
system

• Sandland expt. Established 2005-06
• Compares burnt, trash rake, trash blanket trash
  blanket with disking

• Muck soil expt. established 2004-05
• Compares burnt, trash rake trash blanket

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYApplications for more precise
agricultureDr. G. Kingston et al.

• Assessing utility of earth conductivity for
  applications of precision agriculture on EAA
  Histosols.
• Collaborators Kingston, Luo, Shine, Rice
• Cost benefit analysis of land levelling for
  sugarcane production on sandland soils.
• Collaborators Ezenwa, Kingston

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYEarth conductivity and
precision agriculture

• Objective
• Is bulk electrical cond. of muck a function of
  soil depth?
• Is soil depth related to properties that affect
  cane yield? eg. pH and sulfur application

• Commenced summer 2005
• Initial results show good correlation of ECa with
  depth to 3ft.
• Chemical data to be interpreted.

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMYCost benefit of land leveling

• Objective
• Determine yield response cost benefit of land
  leveling on sandland
• Commenced summer 2005

• Ditch cleaning cultivation causes dished
  surface profile between beds.
• Potential for effect on drainage soil fertility.

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SUGARCANE AGRONOMY ON MINERAL SOILSDr. Ike V.
Ezenwa
Current studies

• N fertilization of sugarcane on organic- and
  non-amended mineral soil
• Rate and method of P application on mineral soils

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Main Focus of Program

• Improved agronomic management practices
• N, P, K fertilization
• Soil organic matter Improvement
• No-till production systems
• Weed management
• Sustainable harvesting methods
• Green cane harvesting

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N fertilization of sugarcane on organic- and
non-amended mineral soil
No compost- 0 N
With Compost- 0 N
No compost- 234 kg N/ha
With compost- 234 kg N/ha
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N fertilization of sugarcane on organic- and
non-amended mineral soil
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Future research plans
SUGARCANE AGRONOMY ON MINERAL SOILS
Green cane harvesting Positive vs. Negative
effects?

• Obtain and analyze data on effects of green cane
  harvesting
• Help industry determine potential impact of the
  practice

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SOIL and WATER SCIENCEDr. K.T. Morgan

• Program Emphasis
• Improved nutrient use efficiency
• Contribution of crop residue to N, P, and K
  cycling
• Soil nutrient modeling
• Studies
• Demonstration of CRF use on sugarcane
• Documentation of N reductions using CRF
• N, P, and K availability from crop residues
  (Green Cane Harvest)

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SOIL and WATER SCIENCECRF DEMONSTRATION
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SOIL and WATER SCIENCE CRF RATE STUDY

• Experimental Design
• Randomized complete block
• 3 replications per treatment
• Repeated sampling over time
• Treatments
• Soluble fertilizer 5 X per year
• Complete CRF at planting
• Slow release N / soluble P and K at planting
• Soluble N, P, and K at planting/ slow release N
  at 60 days after planting
• N rates from 100 to 50 of 265 lb/ac

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SOIL and WATER SCIENCE GREENCANE HARVEST

• Measurements -
• Stalk heights and weights
• Leaf N concentration
• Soil N concentration
• Estimated sugar yield
• Crop Residue - Mineralization
• Burned cane - ash
• No-till - surface residue
• Till incorporated residue
• Soil Transformations
• Nitrification rates
• Denitrification rates
• Phosphorus solubility

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SOIL and WATER SCIENCEFUTURE RESEARCH PLANS

• Use of soil test for phosphorus fertilization.
• Soil variability effects on nutrition.

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Water Quality and BMP ResearchSamira Daroub,
Ming Chen, Orlando Diaz, and Timothy Lang

• Highlights of Research Results
• and
• Overview of New Scope of Work

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Specific Conductance in EAA Canals

• Specific conductance research on farm canal water
  completed. Report issued by IFAS accepted by
  SFWMD and FDEP, March 2005
• No BMPs needed for specific conductance in EAA

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Control of Particulate P
Final Report submitted to SFWMD and FDEP Control
floating aquatic weeds Limit main canal drainage
velocity Regularly remove canal sediments
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New Scope of Work

• Particulate P Demonstration Farm
• Analysis of Existing BMP Data
• BMP Training Workshops
• BMP Consultation Program
• Extension Publications

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BMP Demonstration Farm

• Objective evaluate the impact of improved
  particulate P control practices compared to
  conventional practices on drainage water quality
• Overview
• two similar sugarcane blocks at EREC
• each block isolated w/ pump and monitoring equip
• agronomics sugarcane production w/ fallow,
  rotational crops

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Improved BMP Block 200 acres sugarcane Weed
boom upstream of pump Aggressive FAW
control Velocity control Canal level control
Control Block 150 acres sugarcane Weed boom near
pump Minimal aq weed control Drainage manager
controlled
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BMP Training Workshops

• Half-day training workshops offered at Everglades
  REC
• Topics include BMPs related to
• Soil testing
• Fertilizer application
• Water table management
• Particulate P control
• Sediment control
• Pesticide Safety
• CEUs offered

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Analysis of Existing BMP Data

• Compile IFAS conducted BMP research into one
  comprehensive accessible database
• Determine questions of interest
• Conduct initial low level analyses
• Follow up with higher order geo-statistical and
  modeling analyses
• Produce and extend recommendations

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BMP Consultation Program

• Purpose
• Optimize BMP implementation throughout EAA
• Methods
• Individual consultations between IFAS and growers
• Utilize knowledge base of IFAS and grower
  community
• Develop recommendations for individual farms
• Impact measured by tracking changes in farm loads
• Personnel
• Samira Daroub, Orlando Diaz, Tim Lang

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Extension Publications

• Sediment Control
• Soil Testing
• Fertilizer Spill Prevention
• Fertilizer Application Control

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Landowners support of this
project thru EAA-EPD funding is greatly
appreciated
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Sugarcane NutritionDr. Mabry McCray

• Current Studies
• DRIS Fertilizer Supplement Study
• Cooperators Florida Crystals, Stitt Ranch, Lykes
  Bros.
• 25 paired comparisons in plant cane fields in
  2004/05, 29 comparisons in plant and 1st stubble
  fields in 2005/06
• Tests the effect of a fertilizer supplement based
  on DRIS leaf nutrient indices in April/May
• Develop guidelines for economic use of DRIS-based
  supplements and for incorporation of leaf
  analysis into an overall program

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Sugarcane Nutrition

• DRIS Study Harvest Data All Fields (2004/05)
• TCA TSA
  Yld
• Control 47.84 5.69
  11.89
• DRIS 47.82 5.55
  11.60
• Comparisons 19 16
  16
• p gt t .9945 .7812
  .4830

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Sugarcane Nutrition

• Current Studies
• Leaf and Soil Survey
• Cooperators Florida Crystals, Duda, King Ranch,
  R. C. Hatton, Hilliard Bros., Lykes Bros., Alico,
  Stitt Ranch
• 162 plant cane fields sampled in 2004, 63
  additional fields in 2005
• Look for trends in deficiencies or imbalances
• Examine nutrition in relation to production
• First year results indicated that Si, Mg, and Mn
  were the nutrients most limiting production in
  fields surveyed

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Sugarcane Nutrition

• Current Studies
• Phosphorus Rate Study
• 2 locations planted in fall 2004 (Okeelanta and
  EREC),
• 6 P rates, band and broadcast
• Ike Ezenwa planted a similar test on a mineral
  soil in 2004/05
• IFAS/SCGC rate tests are ongoing
• All available data will be used to update IFAS
  recommendations

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Sugarcane Nutrition

• Current Studies
• Silicon/Magnesium Study
• 2 locations planted in fall 2004, Sugar Farms
  Cooperative (muck) and Hilliard Bros (sand)
• Designed to compare sources, rates, and placement
  of silica and magnesium amendment materials
• Found significant increases in tons sugar/acre
  with Ca silicate application in first year
  (05/06) at each location
• Application of magnesium increased percent sugar
  yield but did not significantly increase tons
  sugar/acre (05/06)

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Sugarcane Nutrition

• New Research
• Nutritional Impact of Green Harvest EREC
  location started in 2004/05, Hilliard location
  started fall 2005
• Comparison of sugarcane on organic soil with and
  without added N fertilizer (EREC) fall 2005
• Furrow application of mill mud and compost on a
  mineral soil (Hilliard Bros) fall 2005
• Silicon rate study (EREC) fall 2005

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Economic Thresholds for Wireworm Control in Plant
Cane on Sand and Muck

• Dr. Phil Stansly
• Southwest Florida Research and Education Center
• Dr. Ron Cherry
• Everglades Research and Education Center

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Objective

• To determine when it is really necessary to
  use soil insecticides for wireworm control when
  planting sugarcane

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Methods

• Determine if wireworms can be sampled at planting
  to decide if soil insecticides are required.
• Determine if soil type affects wireworm
  populations.
• Determine if season affects wireworm populations

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Benefits

• Economic savings
• Reduced handling toxic substances safety issue
• Reduce environmental contamination
• Good public relations
• Reduce possibility of insecticide resistance

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Acknowledgements

• Thanks to Florida Sugar Cane League for
  substantial funding
• Thanks to Paul Grose and King Ranch for
  cooperation and land use

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Sugarcane Insect Pest Management
Yellow Sugarcane Aphid
Wireworms
Lesser Cornstalk Borer
Dr. Gregg Nuessly
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Yellow Sugarcane Aphid
Early season YSA feeding reduces internode
width/length and leaf length with season long
effect of reduced sugar at harvest
Leaves with lt50 green color at time of treatment
for aphids 50 of leaves 12 yield loss 90
of leaves 19 yield loss
Sugarcane Insect Pest Management
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Yellow Sugarcane Aphid
Evaluated all CP98 and CP99 Stage IV clones for
susceptibility to YSA
Resistant CP98-1497
Susceptible CP98-1569
Evaluated biology and efficacy of natural
enemies to control YSA
Graduate student Fall 2006
Sugarcane Insect Pest Management
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Lesser Cornstalk Borer
Early season damage to sugarcane, corn beans
Shot holes
Worse in warm, dry Spring following similar
Winter
Graduate student begins January 2006
Dead shoots
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Wireworms
Evaluating seed treatment insecticides for
wireworm control in vegetables Then examine
technology transfer to sugarcane
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FUTURE RESEARCH PLANS

• 1. Continue to evaluate effects of green harvest
  sugarcane production systems on insect
  populations and sugarcane damage

2. Examine the biology and control of lesser
cornstalk borer in sugarcane
3. Examine the ecology of yellow and white
sugarcane aphids
Sugarcane Insect Pest Management
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SUGARCANE WEED SCIENCEDr. C.R. Rainbolt

• K4 herbicide evaluation for plant cane and
  sandland cane
• Collaborators DuPont, ALICO, USSC, Duda, Paige
  Farms, Les Baucum, Ike Ezenwa
• Palisade ripener and seedcane evaluation
• Collaborators Syngenta, King Ranch, USSC, SCGC,
  FL Crystals
• Experimental herbicide evaluation
• Collaborators Syngenta, FMC, ISK Biosciences,
  Bayer Crop Science

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SUGARCANE WEED CONTROL
Palisade seed piece trial
K4 on sandland cane
Sandea for nutsedge control
Experimental herbicides
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WEED SCIENCE

• Palisade ripener and seedcane evaluation
• Increased number of nodes per linear foot of
  stalk and increased stand counts in field trial
• Experimental herbicide evaluation
• Initial trials are encouraging with some
  herbicides
• K4 herbicide evaluation for plant cane and
  sandland cane
• Establishing rate guidelines for weed control
  efficacy and crop safety

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SUGARCANE WEED CONTROL
Envoke Asulox applied to 4-5 inch tall
crabgrass and fall panicum
applied 13 days later
applied 20 days later
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WEED SCIENCEFUTURE RESEARCH

• Nutsedge interference with sugarcane
• Biology of sorghum almum
• Green cane residue weed suppression

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Examining the potential of Barn Owls as rodent
controllers
Jason Martin Graduate Student
Dr. Richard Raid
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UF Barn Owl ProjectAreas of Activity

• Barn owl behavior and population studies
• Rodent population dynamics
• Examining the effectiveness of barn owls as
  rodent controllers
• Public education and agricultural outreach

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Barn Owl Population Studies

• 282 barn owls banded since June 2004 (89 adults
  and 193 nestlings)
• Spring 2005 nests in 52 of 233 nest boxes in
  Palm Beach County
• Fall 2005 nests in 71 of 233 boxes, but most
  destroyed by hurricane Wilma
• Spring 2006 nests in 78 of 85 boxes

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Rodent Population Studies

• Trapping surveys conducted Jan. 2005 Dec. 2006
• Surveys conducted 3 times during growing season
  (post-harvest, mid-way, pre-harvest) along 16
  field ditches in EAA
• Collecting data on community structure and
  abundance
• Preliminary results indicate very low populations
  after harvest, but gradual increases through
  growing season
• Results will be useful in regards to optimizing
  rodent control strategies

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Owl/Rodent Relationships

• 6 sites selected to examine the impact of owl
  predation on rodent abundance (3 experimental, 3
  control)
• 25 nest boxes placed in each experimental site to
  establish high predator density, while very low
  owl density maintained in controls
• At least 60 nesting occupancy in experimental
  sites in spring 2006
• Rodent populations and sugarcane damage are being
  periodically monitored

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Education and Outreach

• Educational booths and displays during special
  events
• Distribution of owl pellets to schools and
  community groups
• Nest box construction with Boy Scouts, Audubon,
  schools, and other groups
• Conducting field trips and owl prowls
• Creation of barn owl website with live nest
  cameras

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CONCLUSIONS

• UF/IFAS sugarcane research now encompasses many
  disciplines.
• Agronomy Crop Nutrition Soil Science
• Weed Science Entomology Water
  Quality
• New faculty at SWFREC Ike Ezenwa Kelly Morgan
• New extension agents Ron Rice Les Baucum
• Thanks to sugarcane industry for their financial
  support.
• Thanks to collaborators for their effort in the
  field.
• Look forward to grower input on future research
  projects.

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