Drip Irrigation Boosts Sugarcane Yields, Slashes Water Use, Offers Affordable Fertilization
An experiment on growing sugarcane showed that using drip irrigation at certain levels can increase cane yield. Drip irrigation at 80% of water loss gave the best results, followed by 60% and 40% levels, compared to the traditional surface irrigation method. For the second crop, all three levels of drip watering had similar good results. The most efficient use of water was with a 40% level of drip irrigation. Adding nitrogen to the sugarcane didn't make a big difference in yield. So, applying 175 kg of nitrogen per hectare through watering the plants was the best for growth and savings.