Evaluation of sugarcane varieties under the edaphoclimatic conditions of the North of Las Tunas

José G. Leyva Quevedo

ABSTRACT
In order to evaluate the agroproductive and phytosanitary performance of the Saccharum officinarum cultivars, the varieties C 137-81, C 86-503, C 90-530 and B63-118 were used. A trial was conducted on Vertisol soil in two different plots (No. 1 and 2), located at the UBPC Velasco 20 and at the UBPC Velasco 26, respectively, belonging to the sugarcane production enterprise “Antonio Guiteras” of the Puerto Padre municipality, Las Tunas province, with a slightly acid pH, organic matter contents of 2,81 % and 2,43 %, respectively, high content of assimmilable phosphorus and moderate potassium level. For planting the cultivars a combination of technology was used for the soil preparation with tractor and animal draught, sowing was carried out using a planting distance of 1,60 m between rows and 0,60 m between plants. The size of the cuttings or stems was 30 to 40 cm, each one having between three and five buds per stems. The seed was 10 months old and the planting depth was 18 to 20 cm. For covering a hoe was used with a soil thickness of 3 to 5 cm. The study was conducted without irrigation or fertilization, in the spring season. The harvest was made at 12 months. The design used was randomized blocks with four replications and four treatments. The studied variables were: stem height, stem diameter, stems per plantlet, weight of green stems, weight of the top, active leaves, dry leaves, edible mass and produced biomass. Because of the importance ascribed to the interrelations between the produced biomass and its components; in that sense, it can be stressed in trial 1 the existence of strong and positive correlations (P≤0,05) between it and the stem diameter, number of stems and the quantity of active leaves and the weight of the top. In trial 2 it could be observed that the correlations were higher and significant for P ≤ 0,05 compared with those obtained in trial one. The variables that showed higher correlation with the produced biomass were the number of stems, weight of the stems, and weight of the top. In the other variables higher correlations were observed.