SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.

II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

GROWTH AND PRODUCTION OF SUGARCANE

Willy Verheye
National Science Foundation Flanders and Geography Department, University of
Ghent, Belgium
Keywords: Bagasse, gur, jaggery, molasses, nobilization, ratoon crop, raw sugar,
sucrose, sugar cane, virgin cane.
Contents

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

1. Introduction
2. Botany
2.1. Cultivars and Classification
2.2. Structure
2.3. Propagation and Pollination
3. Ecology and Growing Conditions
3.1. Climate
3.1.1. Temperature
3.1.2. Rainfall and Water Supply
3.1.3. Sunshine and Photoperiodicity
3.1.4. Wind
3.2. Soils
3.2.1. Physical Aspects
3.2.2. Chemical Aspects
4. Crop and Land Husbandry
4.1. Field Layout and Land Preparation
4.2. Planting
4.3. Growth Cycle and Crop Rotation
4.4. Fertilization
4.5. Maintenance
4.6. Pests and Diseases
4.6.1. Bacterial Diseases
4.6.2 Fungal Diseases
4.6.3 Viral Diseases
4.6.4. Pests
4.6.5. Nematodes
4.7. Harvest
4.8. Yield
5. Cane Processing
6. Utilization and Use
7. Production and Trade
Glossary
Bibliography
Biographical Sketch
Summary

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

Sugar cane is a perennial grass that thrives well in tropical and frost-free warm
temperate areas. It requires high temperatures, plenty of sunlight, large quantities of
water (at least 1500 mm of rain per year unless grown with irrigation), fertile soils, and
good drainage. The crop cycle varies between 10 and 24 months, but can be extended
four times or more by additional ratoon cropping. Cane is harvested after 12 to 18
months for most plant crops, after 12 months for ratoon crops. In modern, fully
mechanized cultivation areas, as is the case in the US and Australia, the growing period
may be considerably shorter, with plant cane harvested 9 months after spring
emergence, and 7-8 months for ratoon crops. Harvesting is generally done in the dry
period and when the stalks contain the maximum amount of sucrose.

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Sugar cane is a Gramineae, tribe Andropogenae which contains 6 species. The currently
cultivated crop (Saccharum spp.) is an inter-hybrid cane with high sugar content.
Propagation is mainly in a vegetative way with 30-40 cm-long fresh cuttings. Average
yields are around 90-100 tons/ha for the first planting, and between 40 and 60 tons/ha
for the ratoon crops. Smallholders plantations yield on average 15-20% lower. Fullymechanized crops in the US (Hawai, Louisiana) and Australia may yield up to 200
tons/ha.
Sugar cane provides the cheapest form of energy food with the lowest unit of land area
per unit of energy produced. The crop was originally used for chewing, but is now
almost exclusively grown for the production of sugar as a food sweetener or for the
production of ethanol for motor fuel. Most of the manufacturing process for extracting
the sucrose from the cane is done at or nearby the plantation. Only the final refining of
the sugar takes place in the importing countries.
1. Introduction

Sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) is a perennial grass and one of the few plants which stores
its carbohydrate reserves as sucrose. Its economic value lies in the stalks, and the
sugar/sucrose they contain after crushing. Sugar cane supplies more than half of the
worlds sugar consumption. In Brazil, it is moreover a major component of biofuel.
Other plants producing sucrose are: sugar beet, sugar maple, sorghum and a few palms.
Cane and beet sugar are indistinguishable in terms of composition and quality, and thus
serve to supplement each other. In other words, the source of the crop is of little
importance as long as the final product is near pure sucrose.
Sugar cane is currently grown on estates and by smallholders. The establishment of a
nucleus estate around the sugar mill is both to compensate for the short-term
fluctuations in the cane supply to the mill, and to be assured that freshly-cut cane can be
rapidly processed. To be economically viable such an estate should constitute a more or
less uniform block of 3,000 to 4,000 ha. Smallholders cultivate however smaller fields
and either deliver the cane to the factories on the estates (outgrowers) or process their
cane themselves into brown sugar (gur or jaggery).
Traditionally, sugar cane was grown in developing countries where much unskilled
labor was available for harvesting. When the crop extended into industrial countries
field preparation and harvest were gradually mechanized. In the US the sugar cane

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

industry varies between production areas. In Louisiana individual owners produce cane
for the local mills, and farms range from 200 to 2000 ha in size. In Florida, most of the
cane is produced by large companies, although some is also produced by individual
growers. In Brazil, the mill size varies greatly, with some individual mills having a
capacity to threat the yield of 75,000 ha or more.

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Sugar cane originates from New Guinea and the South Pacific, where it was mainly
used for chewing. From there it progressed westwards, especially under the form of the
hybrids Saccharum sinense (in China) and S. barberi (in India). During the conquest of
India by Alexanders army in 326 BC sugar from cane was reported as honey produced
from reeds. By 500 BC S. barberi had reached Persia and the Mediterranean region,
where it took its mark as a source of sugar and food sweetener in Syria, Cyprus, Crete,
Sicily, etc. The Arabs introduced it in AD 641 in Egypt, in Morocco and in Spain
(introduced in AD 714), and by AD 1150 there were 30,000 ha of sugar cane under
cultivation in Spain.

In the 15th century the Portuguese brought canes to Madeira and subsequently to the
Canaries and Western Africa. Columbus took them in 1493 to Hispaniola (where they
first disappeared) and a second time in 1506. The first West Indian sugar was made in
Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in 1509. The crop was later taken to
Mexico in 1520, Brazil in 1532, Peru in 1533. In the US, sugar cane cultivation did not
become established until the 18th century. Its development is closely linked to the
introduction of slave labor.
For more than two centuries only one variety, S. barberi (Cana Criolla) was grown in
the New World. Towards the end of the 19th century it was replaced in Brazil by S.
sinense, which was hardier and more resistant to several diseases. S. sinense was then
introduced into Mauritius and into Natal in 1882.

The present day sugar cane varieties have been the subject of many improvements. The
original S. spontaneum and S. robustum were rapidly replaced by S. barberi and S.
sinense (see above), but were themselves ousted later by S. officinarum or noble cane.
The latter is the result of numerous intra-specific and inter-specific crosses, and is
characterized by a good productivity and high sucrose (or saccharose) content, and a
low proportion of fiber. The term nobilization has been coined to describe this process
of improvement.

The evolution described above was to a large extent driven by different uses of the
plant. Originally, sugar cane was grown solely for chewing, mainly in the Pacific and
Southeast Asia. Thick noble canes which are relatively soft with a higher sugar and
juice content and low fiber are the best for chewing. Over time, cane became a source
for sweetening food. The production of sugar by boiling the juice was first discovered in
India, probably in the first millennium BC, where the preparation of sugar from palms
was already known. This form of raw sugar is known as gur in India, jaggery in Africa,
or panela in Latin America. Raw sugar made in the producing countries is now often
refined in importing countries by washing and removing the last traces of impurities.
The end product is a fine, almost pure white sugar.

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

Since the Middle Ages sugar from cane has largely replaced honey as a sweetener. At
the beginning it was considered a luxury and costly product. With the development of
the sugar industry in the 18th century in the New World sugar became much more
plentiful and cheaper worldwide.
2. Botany
2.1. Cultivars and Classification

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) is a monocotyledonous perennial belonging to the family

of Poaceae or Gramineae, tribe Andropogenae. The plant can be cut 10 times or more in
succession depending upon the fertility of the site and the care with which its growth is
managed. Two to three weeks after harvesting the stumps shoot again, producing the
ratoon crop. The cycle in between two successive plantings may last up to 4 years in
highly intensive, mechanized cropping, or 10-12 years in more extensive agriculture or
smallholder farming. The first vegetation produced after planting is called virgin cane
(or primary stalks).
The tribe Andropogenae contains 6 species:

Saccharum spontaneum is a wild form of cane occurring from East Asia to North
Africa through the Middle East, India, China, Taiwan and Malaysia up to the
Pacific. It is rather disease-resistant and is still used for breeding commercial
hybrids. Natural hybridization with S. officinarum has produced S. barberi and S.
sinense.
Saccharum robustum, another wild species, is indigenous in New Guinea and
Melanesia. It is renowned for its excellent vigor and hardiness, forms dense canebreaks up to 10m high along river banks, and is sometimes used for fencing. S.
robustum probably gave rise to S. officinarum, with which it is inter-fertile.
Saccharum edule is a sterile form of S. robustum; it is a food crop in Melanesia and
is appreciated for its flowers.
Saccharum barberi, containing a series of hybrids, is mainly found in India and
other subtropical and warm-temperate climates. Stalks are short, medium to slender
in thickness, with high fiber and medium sucrose contents. Because of its rather
poor yields it is no longer cultivated.
Saccharum sinense, another hybrid, is indigenous to Canton, Indo-China, Taiwan,
Southern India, Bihar and Bengal. Clones are tall, hardy and vigorous, with a wide
adaptability and early maturity, high fiber content, and poor juice quality. S. sinense
is thought to be a hybrid between S. officinarum and S. spontaneum. It is resistant to
mosaic disease, but susceptible to red rot and streak (see below: Pests and Diseases).
It is no longer cultivated.
The cultivar Uba, is a commercially grown S. sinense variety in Brazil (late 1860s),
Mauritius (1869), Natal, South Africa and India (1882) after the cultivar Otaheite
was attacked by diseases in these countries. In recent years, it has mainly been
replaced by S. officinarum.
Saccharum officinarum (noble cane) originates from the South Pacific islands,

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

where it is still given prominence in the folklore of many of its peoples. S.

officinarum is only suited to tropical conditions and requires a favorable soil and
climate to perform well. A vast number of clones are recognized, with selections
being made for sweetness, quantity of juice, fiber content, etc.
The cultivar Otaheite (or Bourbon) is a vigorous and thick noble cane with a high
sugar content and high yields, particularly on virgin or relatively new land. Otaheite
replaced the much thinner Creole variety and was dominant in Mauritius until its
sudden failure in 1840. The Cheribon variety, first developed in Java, replaced later
Otaheite and is now still widely used in breeding; most of the present-day
commercial cultivars are derived from it.

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Almost all modern commercial varieties are inter-specific hybrids of Saccharum spp.,
many of which are hybrids between Saccharum officinarum and S. spontaneum. The
Louisiana industry was dependent on noble canes at the turn of the 20th century and was
almost destroyed when the mosaic disease moved into the area. It were the new hybrids
that saved the industry and also allowed to achieve yields that rival many tropical areas
with a much shorter crop cycle. The same is true for the majority of other subtropical
and warm-temperate areas.
2.2. Structure

Figure 1. Structure of sugarcane (Legend: A: young plant growing from sett; B: portion
of stem; C: sett, showing early growth; D: base of lamina; E: inflorescence; F: portion

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

of inflorescence; G: spikelet; H: floral diagram). (Courtesy Purseglove, 1976)

The cane is a tall stalk formed by a series of joints both above and below ground. The
cylindrical or slightly flattened stalk reaches a height of 2 to 4 meter, with a diameter of
3-5 cm. The cane has more or less protruding nodes and slightly bulging internodes,
with a vegetative bud at the node which develops in the axil of the leaf sheath. On the
joints above ground the leaves develop fully, while roots and buds normally remain
dormant (Figure 1).

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Roots Immediately after planting the young cane depends for a while upon the vigor
of the thin branched roots of the sett, being the name given to stem cuttings of living
canes used for propagation (see below, section 2.3: Propagation and Pollination).
Shortly afterwards, thick white roots grow out from the basal nodes of the new plant,
and take over from the sett roots. After the third month these are already supplying all
the nutrients. Buttress roots are produced from nodes near the base of the stem, and
these help to anchor the plant. The majority of fibrous roots most active in absorption
are in the top 25-30 cm of soil. The new tillers of the ratoon crop form their own root
system and soon replace the old roots of the stool, which die and break down. The root
system of the ratoon crop is sensitive to soil compaction and is more superficial than
that of the original plant crop.
Stem The erect stem is usually unbranched and is composed of a series of joints, 5-25
cm long and 1.5-5 cm in diameter, consisting of a node and inter-node. The length,
diameter, shape and color of the joints vary with the cultivar and are a means of
identifying them. The length of internodes is shorter at the base and apex of the stem,
and is longer in the middle; adverse growing conditions result in a shortening of
internodes. The top portion of the stem is low in sucrose and is therefore removed
before processing. The terminal meristem which may eventually produce an
inflorescence, is surrounded by leaf sheaths.
The stem consists of a hard epidermis or rind, fibro-vascular bundles and soft
parenchyma full of sap containing sugar. The somewhat harder rind protects the plant
against borers, rodents, jackals and other pests, but may add to the difficulty of chewing
and milling. The variety Uba for example has very hard rinds, Otaheite has a much
softer rind.

Leaves Sugarcane is a C4 plant with alternate leaves, 1-2 m long and 5-7 cm wide,
borne in two rows on either side of the stem at nodes (Figure 1). The first leaves from
the bud are scale leaves, but as the cane grows the leaves increase in size to a maximum,
followed by a reduction in size at flowering. As new leaves emerge, the older lower
leaves dry and die; they may drop off or be retained. Thanks to its total leaf surface,
which may be up to 7 times the soil surface covered by the crop, sugar cane is one of the
plants that can capture a maximum of solar energy per hectare and per month.
Inflorescence At maturity the cane changes from a vegetative to a reproductive stage.
The terminal meristem ceases to form leaves, and may turn into an inflorescence (or
arrow), especially during short-day periods. The axis of the inflorescence elongates and
pushes the panicle up through the enclosing sheath. This loose terminal pyramidal

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

panicle, 25-50 cm long, has a silky appearance due to rings of long hairs below each
spikelet. On the ultimate branches are the spikelets, oblong lanceolate in shape with two
boat-shaped hard glumes, borne in pairs at each node. Within the glumes are two
florets: a lower sterile and an upper hermaphrodite floret. The flower is bisexual, with
only one ovule (Figure 1).
Fructification is rarely observed, but can not be ruled out. The small seed is a caryopsis
as in other grasses. It is about 1mm long, with persistent stigmas, and with whorls of
silky hairs for wind dispersal. The fruits mature and are shed about three weeks after
fertilization.

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Sugarcane rarely flowers in an annual crop, but often does in a 24-month crop.
Flowering can be avoided in a 24-month crop as well by selecting varieties not likely to
flower, or to use growth regulators. Flowering is detrimental to sucrose yield because
flowering stalks use up sucrose and therefore deteriorate the quality of the cane. After
producing seed the cane dies.
2.3. Propagation and Pollination

Cultivars of sugar cane are clones which are mainly propagated in a vegetative way.
This is achieved by stem cuttings of immature canes known as setts, with 2-3 lateral
buds (or dormant eyes). Cuttings are usually taken from the upper third of the stalk in
plant canes 8-12 months old or from ratoons of 6-8 months. Setts are usually 30-45 cm
in length, and are planted in long furrows 15-30 cm deep, or in trenches. After planting,
the buds develop into primary and secondary stalks, and gradually form a dense,
homogeneous tuft, known as a stool. Cuttings are carefully sorted in order to eliminate
those that are misshapen or have already started to sprout. They are soaked for 20-30
minutes in a bath of hot water at 52 C to which a fungicide has been added by way of
diseases control.
Cuttings are taken from carefully selected canes. While the cane grows, the lateral buds
remain dormant because of the terminal meristems apical dominance. A few days
before the cuttings are taken the stems terminal section is removed, allowing the buds
to burst. The upper parts of the canes, which are low in sugar, yield the best cuttings;
they are taken before flowering. On industrial plantations, a whole field is sometimes
set aside as a nursery for the production of cuttings. In such a case the cane is harvested
prematurely and the whole stalk is used.

The average planting density is 15,000 to 24,000 cuttings per hectare, with an intended
stalk density of 90,000-150,000/ha. Setts may be planted at an angle of 45 or laid
horizontally in the base of a furrow, sometimes placed end to end. Setts grown in a
nursery have the advantage that they have received special attention and have been
monitored for virus and other diseases.

Commercial sugar cane production focuses logically on the most productive variety in
terms of sucrose and sugar content. This was for a long time almost exclusively
obtained from noble canes, i.e. S. officinarum. The sudden and almost worldwide failure
of Otaheite in the 19th century lead to the search for other cultivars which were more

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

resistant to diseases.
With the rediscovery of fertility and seed in sugar cane in 1888 by Soltwedel in Java
and Harrison and Bovel in Barbados, breeding became possible. While at first breeding
methods were largely empirical, modern methods have placed the application of
cytogenetics on a more scientific basis.
Plant breeding is achieved by true seed or fuzz from specially cultivated canes, as
flowering is undesirable in the commercial crop. The spikelets open about sunrise,
beginning at the top of the panicle and proceeding downwards and from the tips of the
branches inward over a period of 5-15 days. The swelling of the lodicules by water
uptake causes the glumes to be pushed apart and the stigmas are excluded.

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

The seed has a short viability, but can be stored in a desiccator for 1-2 weeks. Dry fuzz
in airtight polyethylene bags in the deep-freeze will retain its viability for several years.
The fuzz, which germinates better in light, is placed on the surface of shallow trays of
sterilized compost and kept at a high atmospheric humidity. Germination takes 2-5
days, and after 6 weeks the seedlings are ready for transplanting.
Male sterility occurs in some cultivars and is now utilized in cane breeding; this male
sterility may be genetic due to incompatibility of chromosome complements which
cause abortion during pollen development. A few noble canes are male-sterile, as is the
case for Otaheite. A second cause of male sterility is largely environmental: although
some pollen may be produced, the anthers may not dehisce and may vary when a
cultivar is grown in different countries. Sugar cane pollen, under normal environmental
conditions, remain viable for only a few hours, but modern freeze-drying techniques
permit storage and the transport between countries. Resistance to disease is usually
governed by a few major genes; such oligogenetic resistance tends to be rather
impermanent, and new virulent strains of the pathogen arise. Modern cultivars are
complex polyploids or aneuploids, but often behave as auto-polyploids showing diploid
segregation ratios. Seedling populations tend to be very variable and most breeders use
as wide a range of parent types as possible to produce maximum variability.
3. Ecology and Growing Conditions

Sugar cane is a warm-temperate and (sub)tropical crop which requires a warm, sunny
and moist climate and fertile, deep and well aerated soils. The crop cycle, growth and
maturation are largely influenced by climatic conditions: moisture and heat favor
growth, while dry sunny periods and low night temperatures are favorable for
maturation and sugar accumulation. The crop is sensitive to frost and hurricanes or
typhoons. Most commercial sugar cane is grown between 37 North (Spain) and 35
South (South Africa) from the Equator. The various cultivars require a particular
ecology. The wild species of Saccharum behave best in open situations: S. robustum
grows along river banks; S. spontaneum extends mainly in warm temperate regions and
can tolerate a much wider range of conditions; S. officinarum is essentially tropical,
while S. barberi and S. sinense can be grown in subtropical and temperate countries.
New modern hybrids have been developed which are adapted to a shorter growth cycle
in subtropical areas.

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

TO ACCESS ALL THE 34 PAGES OF THIS CHAPTER,

Visit: http://www.eolss.net/Eolss-sampleAllChapter.aspx
Bibliography

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

Arnon, I. (1972). Crop Production in Dry Regions. Vol. 2: Systematic Treatment of Principal Crops: 9.
Sugar Crops. Leonard Hill Publishers, London, pp. 422-486. [Evaluation of plant characteristics, growth
conditions, pest and disease control, irrigation and management conditions for sugar cane and sugar
beets].

Braun, T. (1999). Sugarcane. Ethno-Botanical Leaflets, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

http://www. ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/cane.htm [A short article describing the history of the industry and
sugar cane processing].
Cheesman, O. (2004). Environmental Impacts of Sugar Production: The Cultivation and Processing of
Sugar Cane and Sugar Beet. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 270p. [This book deals with the
cultivation and processing of sugar cane and beet, and their impacts on soil erosion, runoff and leaching
of nutrients, water and air pollution, and loss of natural habitat].
Euroconsult (1989). Agricultural Compendium for Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics.
Elsevier Science Publishers, Adam- N. York, 740p. [Field manual for land management and crop
production in the tropics].
Glyn, J. (2004). Sugar Cane. Blackwell Publishing, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK, 224p. [This book
discusses agricultural aspects of cane growing, including botany, breeding, weed and pest control, and
harvest management].
IFA (1992). World Fertilizer Use Management. International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris, 632p.
[Compendium of fertilizer requirements and techniques for various crops].
Mmento (1980). Mmento de lAgronome. Collection Techniques Rurales en Afrique, Ministre de la
Coopration, Paris, 1600p. [Excellent overview of agronomic practices for a wide range of crops].
Nizet, A., Langhendries, H., Lubaki, I and Baudoin, J.P. (2001). Sugarcane. In: R.H. Raemaekers, ed.:
Crop Production in Tropical Africa, Direct. Gener. Intern. Coop., Ministry Foreign Affairs Belgium,
Brussels, Belgium, pp. 279-306 [Good overview article on growth conditions and processing of sugar
cane, with a focus on Africa].
Purseglove (1972, reprint 1976). Tropical Crops: Monocotyledons. Longman Group Ltd., Third Edition,
London, 607p. [Textbook on the botany, ecology, agronomy and husbandry of most tropical crops,
including sugar cane].
Ricaud, C., Egan, B.T., Gillaspie A.G. Jr., and Hughes, C.G. (1989). Diseases of Sugar Cane.: Major
Diseases. Elsevier PubL., Adam.[A state of the art on sugarcane diseases, partly to be updated].
Richard, N. (2005). Fuels from Sugar Crops: Systems Study for Sugar Cane, Sweet Sorghum and Sugar
Beets. US Dept. of Energy and University Press of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, 152p. [Evaluation of
sugar crops as renewable sources for the production of fuels, based on agricultural considerations and
anticipated future yields].
Rott, P., Bailey, R.A., Comstock, J.C., Croft, B.J. and Saumtally, A.S., eds. (2000). A Guide to Sugarcane
Diseases. CIRAD/ISSCT [A state of the art on the diseases and their remediation].
Sharpe, P. (1998). Sugar Cane: Past and Present. Ethno-Botanical Leaflets, Southern Illinois University,

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)

SOILS, PLANT GROWTH AND CROP PRODUCTION Vol.II - Growth and Production of Sugarcane - Willy Verheye

Carbondale. http://www.ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/cane.htm [A good overview of cane: botany,

production and uses].
Srivastava, S.C. (1992). Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L). IFA World Fertilizer Use Manual, Intern.
Fertilizer Ass., Paris, pp. 257-266 [Good monograph on crop nutrient requirements and fertilizer
application].
Stirling, G. and Blair, B. (2000). Nematodes. In Rott, P., Bailey, R.A., Comstock, J.C., Croft, B.J. and
Saumtally, A.S., eds. : A Guide to Sugarcane Diseases. CIRAD/ISSCT [Good up-to-date overview of the
effect of nematodes on cane].
Biographical Sketch
Willy Verheye is a former, now retired Research Director at the National Science Foundation, Flanders,
and a Professor in the Geography Department, University of Ghent, Belgium. He holds an MSc. in
Physical Geography (1961), a PhD. in soil science (1970) and a Post-Doctoral Degree in soil science and
land use planning (1980).

U
SA NE
M SC
PL O
E
C EO
H
AP LS
TE S
R
S

He has been active for more than thirty-five years both in the academic world, as a professor/ research
director in soil science, land evaluation, and land use planning, and as a technical and scientific advisor
for rural development projects, especially in developing countries. His research has mainly focused on the
field characterization of soils and soil potentials, and on the integration of socio-economic and
environmental aspects in rural land use planning. He was a technical and scientific advisor in more than
100 development projects for international (UNDP, FAO, World Bank, African and Asian Development
Banks, etc.) and national agencies, as well as for development companies and NGOs active in intertropical regions.
W. Verheye is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer reviewed papers published in national and
international journals, chapters in books and contributions to the Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems
(EOLSS). He is Honorary Theme Editor for the EOLSS, Theme 1.5: Crops and Soil Sciences.

Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS)