Impact of Drought on Sugarcane

Sugarcane occupies a very prominent position on the agricultural map of the world covering a large area in sub-tropics and tropics. The studies were conducted to understand the dynamics of yield potential in sugarcane in relation to different water stress regimes/level during crop growing period and to identify the most suitable genotype for water stress. An attempt was also made to study the physiological, biochemical, quality and yield attributing characters under different water regimes and to identify the potential physiological traits contributing to the water stress tolerance in sugarcane. The study revealed the impact of water regimes treatment at critical growth stages of sugarcane has a detrimental effect on yield and quality parameters. The grand growth stage is the most susceptible stage of sugarcane under water regimes. In case of limited water availability, one may sustain sugarcane productivity by irrigating at critical stages of growth. This study showed sugarcane productivity and juice quality are profoundly influenced by the effect of water regimes prevailing during the various crop-growth sub-periods.