Everglades Station Mimeo Report EES66-11 Uay, 1966

 WATER CONTROL FOR SUGARCANE PRODUCTION ON ORGANIC SOILS

 By

 W. C. LeCroy and F. H. Thomas-


 Sugarcane requires an adequate supply of available water during its growing
 cycle and an adequate air supply around the root system. Therefore, the control
 of water is of the utmost importance in the growing of this crop under the ecolo-
 gical conditions in Florida. The control of water is critical on the sandy soils
 as well as the organic soils, especially during the periods of germination of
 seed cane and starting of regrowth after mature cane has been harvested.

 This report is a summary from the progress reports of seven years' (1936-
 1942) data from a set of water table plots located at the Everglades Experiment
 Station and which were not replicated. Hence, no recommendations or conclusions
 are intended. This merely reports the data collected realizing its limited value.
 Also, the four sugarcane varieties used in this study are no longer grown commer-
 cially. However, these data should be of interest to persons engaged in sugarcane
 production or contemplating research on water control in sugarcane.

 A series of eight plots was used. The water levels in the plots were con-
 trolled by a series of ditches, dams, and pumps. Two of the plots were equipped
 with overhead sprinkler systems to permit one inch of water to be added each week
 during the dry periods of the growing cycle. A third plot was designed to bring
 the water level to within six inches of the soil surface, through sub-surface
 irrigation, each week when sprinkler irrigation was applied. Then the water level
 was allowed to drop to approximately 34 inches by gravity flow.

 Fertilization of the plots was uniform. In January 1936 each plot was plant-
 ed with sugarcane varieties Co. 28., Co. 290, F. 31-962, and F. 31-253.

 The average depths to water table are recorded in Tables 1, 2 and 3. These
are averages and considerable variation in depth to water table did occur within
each year. This was partially caused by seepage through the underlying rock into
or out of the plots.

 The plant crop and six successive ratoon crops were harvested from the plots.
Data collected during this period were pounds of millable cane, percent brix, and
percent sucrose in the juice for each variety in each plot. These data were used
to compute the amounts of millable cane and sugar produced on a per acre basis.

 Table 1 shows the average tons of millable cane per acre per year for each
of the four varieties grown in the eight water control treatments. In general,
the tonnages declined as the water table was lowered until a 31.2-inch depth was
reached. Then tonnages increased above those obtained on the 14.4-inch depth to
water table. Why this sudden rise occurred is not known. However, this may be
caused by variability in soil or other environmental factors and not due.entirely,
if at all, to water control. Also note the variability between varieties Co. 281
and F. 31-253.


1/ Formerly Assistant Agronomist and Assistant Chemist, Everglades Experiment
 Station, Belle Glade, Florida.