What causes sugarcane to crack?
Sugarcane is one of our favorite fruits, and when we buy it we often end up with cracked sugarcane, which loses water quite seriously and does not taste good. This phenomenon is also a headache for growers, so what causes sugarcane to crack? Let's take a detailed look together.
1. Insufficient water
From the sprouting stage to the harvest stage, sugarcane has an extremely large demand for water and is also quite sensitive to it. According to research by the relevant departments, producing every 1 ton of sugarcane requires consuming about 130 tons of water. Its water requirement pattern is low at both ends and high in the middle, meaning that the water requirement is lower during the seedling stage and the maturity stage, while the water requirement is greatest during the elongation stage. Generally, the water requirement during the seedling stage and the maturity stage is about 40%, while during the elongation stage it is about 60%, and once there is a water shortage during the elongation stage, it will cause sugarcane to crack.
2. Variety reasons
Sugarcane varieties differ, and different varieties differ in how easily they crack. Generally speaking, varieties with harder sugarcane rind and stronger cork layer tissue are not prone to cracking; on the contrary, varieties with thinner sugarcane rind and weaker cork layer tissue crack extremely easily. Therefore, when planting, choose varieties with thick, hard rind that do not crack easily.
3. Calcium deficiency
During the dry growing process, a variety of elements are needed. In addition to the conventional nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, there are also many trace elements, and among these, the calcium element is related to the tissue structure of the sugarcane rind. But when there is a calcium deficiency, the cells of the sugarcane rind tissue grow more slowly and cannot keep up with the internally expanding tissue, so cracking occurs. Therefore, when fertilizing, increase the application of organic fertilizer to provide the plant with multiple elements, and in the middle and late stages of growth, calcium can be maintained through foliar spraying so that it grows normally.
4. Low temperature and frost
The maturity stage of sugarcane coincides with the low-temperature season. If there is frosty weather, it will cause the water in the sugarcane to freeze, directly bursting the sugarcane rind and causing cracking, which is also the main reason normal sugarcane cracks. For this situation, do a good job of cold and frost protection during maturity, and measures such as binding, smoking and watering can be used to improve the sugarcane's cold and frost resistance and reduce cracking.
The above is an introduction to the causes of sugarcane cracking. We hope it helps you. To learn more related knowledge, please follow us.