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Editorial BoardMr. Altaf M. Saleem ChairmanDr. Shahid Afghan Editor-in-ChiefDr. Iftikhar Ahmed MemberDr. Muhammad Zubair MemberDr. Javed Iqbal MemberDr. Aamir Ali MemberMr. Aamir Shahazad EditorMs. Asia Naheed Associate Editor

SubscriptionAamir ShahzadShakarganj Sugar Research InstituteToba Road, JHANGPh: +92 47 763 1001-5 Ext. 603, 604Email: aamir.shahzad@shakarganj.com.pk

Subscription RatePakistan PKR 1,000/-OVERSEAS US$ 50/-

Recognized byHigher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan

Cited byAsia Net Pakistan (Factiva International)Commonwealth Agriculture & Biology International(CABI-UK)

ISSN 1028-1193

Panel of RefereesDr. P. Jackson: Principal Scientist, CSIRO, AustraliaDr. Raul O. Castillo: Director General, Research StationEI Triunfo, EcuadorDr. Benjamin Legendre: Interim Director, Audubon SugarInstitute, USADr. Yong-Bao Pan: Research Plant Molecular Geneticist,USDA-ARS, USADr. Jack C. Comstock: Research Leader, ARS USDA,Canal Point Florida, USADr. Sizuo Matsuoka: Director, Canavialis SA, BrazilDr. Niranjan Baisakh: Asstt. Professor, - SPESS, LSU USADr. Abdul Rauf: Prof. & Chairman Plant Pathology PMASArid Agriculture University, RawalpindiDr. Asif Tanvir: Professor, Dept. of Agronomy, UAFDr. Muhammad Bilal Chattha: Assistant Professor,Agriculture College, Punjab University

CONTENTS02

The Effect of Fine Liquor ColourOn Refining CostVawda, A.S, Sarir, E. M, Donado, C. A., M. Wajid

Ijaz

09Screening of different sugarcane genotypes

against sugarcane white flyAwais Rasool, Muhammad Asad Farooq,Muhammad Zubair and Sagheer Ahmad

13Investigating Sugarcane Genetic Material

Inherited Capability for Agronomic Attributesunder Agro-ecological Conditions of Jhang

Shahid Afghan, Muhammad Asad,Uzair Farooq,Muhammad Bilal Anwar, Aamir Shahzad and

Fahmeed Ahmad Choudhary

19Sugar Industry Abstracts

24International Events Calendar

25Social Action Program of Shakaganj Foundatin

Art galleries

27Story of Sweets

i. Lemon-Scented Blueberry CupcakesIngredients

ii. Bourbon-Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

28Guidelines for Authors

PAKISTAN SUGAR JOURNAL

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THE EFFECT OF FINE LIQUOR COLOURON REFINING COST

Vawda, A.S, Sarir, E. M, Donado, C. A. & M. Wajid Ijaz

Environment Protection Agency, Punjab, PakistanAbstract

In today’s competitive sugar refining environment, refiners are spending more time andattention to improve their conversion costs. This means energy, maintenance and chemicalusage are constantly being measured and improved. As sugar refining consists of a series ofseparation processes, any inefficiency has a knock on an effect on operating costs.

IntroductionThe major conversion costof raw sugar to refinedsugar includes thefollowing: Labour Repairs and Maintenance Utilities Process Chemicals Environment Protection Sugar Losses by

Depreciation ProcessControl: In order tocontrol it, one has t

o measure it.This means that full controlof every production detailfrom raw goods to finalproduct. There are certainimportant items which if leftunchecked can eat upsubstantial profits andoccasionally, turn profitsinto losses. The followingareas will be discussed withrespect to process controlefficiency and thecorresponding financialgain or loss:

Affination Clarification Decolourization Crystallization Centrifugation

Affination

Affination is the firstseparation process in thesugar refining process. It isapplied to raw sugar with acolour higher than 1800ICU. It takes place by themingling of raw sugar withwarm syrup, whichremoves the molassescoating from the sugarcrystal to form magma. Thismagma is centrifuged toseparate the crystals fromthe syrup thus removing thegreater part of theimpurities from the inputraw sugar and leaving thecrystals ready for the nextstage, namely the melter.The control of the affinationprocess is critical as overwashing dissolves addition-al sugar which must beboiled multiple times at therecovery house before thesugar can be recovered.Each time sucrose isdissolved, it is impossible tofully recover it. Typicalimprovement is about 50–60% colour removal andalso ash and suspendedmatter removal.

Carbonatation

The mechanism ofcarbonatation is byimpurity entrapment withinthe growing calciumcarbonate crystal.Ca(OH)2+CO2=CaCO3+H2O

The process at consists ofadding milk of lime (anaqueous slurry of calciumhydroxide) to the raw meltsolution prior to entering areaction vessel.Phosphatation

The mechanism ofPhosphatation is primarilythe flocculation of impurityparticles. The reactionproduces a precipitate oftri-calcium phosphate, towhich is added aflocculent to coagulate it.3Ca(OH)2 + 2 H3 PO4 =Ca3(PO)4 + H2O

The precipitate is very fineand is difficult to filter;therefore, the liquor isaerated by dispersed airand subject to flotation in aclarifier.

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Decolourization

There are basically threetypes of decolourizationsystems1. Activated Carbon2. Ion Exchange3. High PerformanceAdsorbent (HPA) and PAC.Activated Carbon

The principal mechanism isthat of adsorption.Activated carbon has anenormous surface area.Colourants are physicallyadsorbed onto the carbon.Not specific removes allcolour including colour pre-cursors, organics, odoursetc. Requires substantialamount of heat forregeneration therebyreleasing gases to theatmosphere.Ion Exchange

The principal mechanism isthat of ion exchange.Anionic bodies oncolourants displace the

chloride ions on the resinmatrix.Requires sodium chloridefor regeneration.

It generates large amountof brine and other pollutingliquids. Ion exchangecompetes with phosphate-tion for the samecolourants.

The Cost of Poor ColourRemoval

We have briefly studiedclarification anddecolourization processes.Both processes havecertain decolourizationefficiencies.Phosphatation 25 – 45%Carbonatation 35 – 55%Granular ActivatedCarbon 65 – 85%Ion Exchange 55 – 75%High PerformanceAdsorbents (HPA) 85%

If the final product is EUspecification of max 50ICUcolour, the final colour offine liquor has a financialimplication.Ie. The cost of processing afine liquor of ICU 500 colourwill be much moreexpensive compared to afine liquor of 100 ICUcolour.The following work wasdone at refineries in Africaand Europe.Experimental work done tocompare the effectivenessof washing showed ageneral equation y =151.14x-0.479 where Y is thesugar colour and x thewash time. See figure 1.This was done using R1massecuites between 450and 550 ICU. In thisparticular case, the colourbottomed out at 20ICUindicating no furtherbenefit beyond 25 litres ofwash, i.e. 2.5% on thisparticular massecuite.

Figure 1. Sugar colour vs Wash for R1 Massecuite between 450 and 550 ICU

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The following graph, figure2, shows the wash waterusage for massecuite ofdifferent colours, collectedfrom various refineries.

The wash times wereconverted to volumebased on the centrifugalmanufacturer’s nozzledata. Despite the refinerieshaving differentmassecuite colours,

different clarification anddecolourization processes,a definite trend is clearwhere darker massecuitesdemanded more washwater.

It can be seen that as fine liquor colour increases, the wash water demand increases too. Inorder to compute the cost of water addition at the centrifugals, a mathematical model wasbuilt using the following assumption.

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The following graph, figure2, shows the wash waterusage for massecuite ofdifferent colours, collectedfrom various refineries.

The wash times wereconverted to volumebased on the centrifugalmanufacturer’s nozzledata. Despite the refinerieshaving differentmassecuite colours,

different clarification anddecolourization processes,a definite trend is clearwhere darker massecuitesdemanded more washwater.

It can be seen that as fine liquor colour increases, the wash water demand increases too. Inorder to compute the cost of water addition at the centrifugals, a mathematical model wasbuilt using the following assumption.

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The following graph, figure2, shows the wash waterusage for massecuite ofdifferent colours, collectedfrom various refineries.

The wash times wereconverted to volumebased on the centrifugalmanufacturer’s nozzledata. Despite the refinerieshaving differentmassecuite colours,

different clarification anddecolourization processes,a definite trend is clearwhere darker massecuitesdemanded more washwater.

It can be seen that as fine liquor colour increases, the wash water demand increases too. Inorder to compute the cost of water addition at the centrifugals, a mathematical model wasbuilt using the following assumption.

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Item ValueRefinery capacity tpd 1000Sugar colour ICU 40Steam cost mt US$ 15Water cost m3 US$ 1.1Sugar per mt US$ 500Number of White Boilings 4Refinery Overall Yield 97%Centrifugal Capacity kg 1250

Worksheet 1 showing the various aspects measured (FL 100ICU)

R1 R2 R3 R4Refinery Capacity tpd 1000 500 250 125 CommentsDays operation d 350 350 350 350Recycle 12 12 12 12Massecuite Brix 91 91 91 91Wash Time sec 3 6 9 14Volume H20 L/cyc 3.63 7.25 10.88 16.92 For BMA1250 NozzlesTemp Mcte C 75 75 75 75Brix Sat 78.0 78.0 78.0 78.0Sugar Dissolved kg/cycl

e12.82 25.65 38.47 59.84

Centrifugal Capacity kg/cycle

1250 1250 1250 1250Filling % 80 80 80 80Massecuite kg/cycl

e1000 1000 1000 1000

Crystal Content % 60 60 60 60Max Theoret Sugar kg/cycl

e600 600 600 600

Actual Sugar Yield kg/cycle

587.18 574.35 561.53 540.16 2,263New Cent Yield % 58.72 57.44 56.15 54.02 113Massecuite tons 430,769 215,385 107,692 53,846 403,846No. of Cycles cycles 430769 215385 107692 53846 807,692Water Usage tons 1,562 1,562 1,171 911

Price of Steam $/t 15 15 15 15Price of Water $/m3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

Summary showing various consumption of water, steam and sucrose recycle

Fine Liquor Colour ICU 100 200 300 400 500Wash Time lit/cycle 38.7 54.4 70.1 116.0 151.0Water Usage m3 5,205 7,743 10,345 16,396 22,122Sucrose Dissolved tons 18,413 27,389 36,595 58,000 78,254Cost of Steam $/ton 81,712 121,546 162,402 257,392 347,275Cost of Water $/m3 5,726 8,517 11,380 18,036 24,334Cost of Sucrose Loss $ 276,189 410,831 548,925 869,994 1,173,802Total Cost $ 363,626 540,894 722,707 1,145,422 1,545,411

The previous table showsclearly the negativeImpact of high colour andhigh washing inside thecentrifugal

While crystallization is avery efficient separationprocess, over-washing canundo the good work donein the pans.

High wash is required toremove the surface layersof the crystal where thecolourants reside.

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Comparing 100ICU vs500ICU

Case 500ICU: 536 k

Excessive washing due tohigh fine liquor colour is theroot cause for the followingproblems:

Less sugar directly to thesilo

Smaller crystals due todissolution

Loss of sugar to molassesdue to repeated re-crystallization

Increased energyconsumption due toreprocessing andevaporation.

Loss of process capacitydue to high recycle.

So what is the effect of500ICU fine liquorcompared to 100ICU?

One day:

171 mt of sugar is dissolveddaily, which could havebeen sent to the silo

48.3 m3 additional water isused daily.

50.6 tons of additionalsteam is used daily.

4.6 tons of additional sugarlost into molasses daily

So what is the effect of500ICU fine liquorcompared to 100ICU?

One year:

59,850 mt of sugar isdissolved annually, whichcould have been sent tothe silo

16,900 m3 additional wateris used annually.

17,710 tons of additionalsteam is used annually.

1,610 tons of additionalsugar lost into molassesannually (0.46%)

The Solution to High Colour

How does a refineryovercome these hugelosses ?

Start with a low raw sugarcolour

Achieve optimum colourremoval using existingprocesses

Phosphatation 25 – 45%

Carbonatation 35 – 55%

Granular ActivatedCarbon 65 – 85%

Ion Exchange 55 – 75%

High PerformanceAdsorbents (HPA) 85%

If the colour removalperformance targets arenot being met, then somenew technologies shouldbe considered to enhancethe colour removal

processes process.Backend refineries couldapply colour transferinhibitors to reduce rawsugar colour. Refineriescould apply specialadsorbents to remove upto 50% more colour inphosphatation andcarbonatation.

Conclusion

The model has shown thatdarker syrups result indarker massecuites, whichrequires extra washing inthe centrifugal.

The cost of extra washinghas a well provendisadvantage in terms ofcost:

More sugar dissolved in thecentrifugal basket, resultingis low yield and highrecycle.

Extra washing increasesheating and evaporationload.

Dissolved sucrosecontribute to highermolasses loses due torepeated re-crystallization.

Sucrose recycling, is a lossof capacity of thecrystallization andcentrifugal stations.

Recommendation

There are huge savings tobe made when low

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massecuite colours areachieved.

Strive to reducemassecuite colour whichleads to a reduction in

washing reducesmassecuite volume due toless recycle, reducessucrose losses in molassesand reduces energy due toevaporation.

If current colour removalprocess is under-performing, use highperformance adsorbents toachieve targets.

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SCREENING OF DIFFERENT SUGARCANE GENOTYPESAGAINST SUGARCANE WHITE FLY

Awais Rasool*, Muhammad Asad Farooq, Muhammad Zubair and Sagheer Ahmad*National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad.

ABSTRACTNine sugarcane genotypes were screened against sugarcane whitefly at National AgriculturalResearch Centre, Islamabad. Highest infestation was observed in sugarcane genotype CSSG-239 followed by HSF-240 and US-240. Minimum infestation was recorded in sugarcanegenotypes US-272 and CSSG-212. None of the sugarcane genotypes was free from white flyinfestation.Keywords: Screening, sugarcane, genotypes, whitefly.

INTRODUCTIONSugarcane (Saccharumofficinarum L.) is animportant cash crop ofPakistan and grownthroughout the tropicaland subtropical parts ofthe world (Khaliq, 2002). Itsshare in value addition toagriculture and GDP is 3.2and 0.7 percent,respectively. Sugarcanecrop was cultivated on anarea of 1124 thousandhectares, 6.2 percent morethan last year’s area of1058 thousand hectares.The production ofsugarcane for the year2012-13 is reported at 62.5million tonnes, against thetarget 59 millions tonnes setfor 2012-13 shows a healthyperformance of 5.9percent and to comparelast year which was 58.4million tonnes, depicts anincrease of 7.0 percent(Anonymous, 2013). In

Pakistan, average yield ofsugarcane is much lowerthan that of worldaverage, which is 75.89tha-

1 (FAOSTAT, 2012).Sugarcane plant duringtheir different growthstages are attacked by anumber of insect which aremajor constraints in gettinglow yield (Iqbal et al.,2012). Due to heavyinfestation of the pests,serious decline (86.00%reduction in cane yield;1.4-1.8% reduction in sugarrecovery) has beenreported. Among varioussugarcane pests, thewhitefly is considered oneof the most dreaded pestsresponsible of sucking cellsap from leaves andsometimes it became anendemic to the sugarcanecrop. The population of thisspecie flare-up very fastlyand reaches up toeconomic threshold level

(10 per leaves) enormouslyunder water loggedcondition and nitrogendeficient areas (Ahmed etal., 2004; Mann et al. 2006;Arain et al., 2011). Theadults of whitefly are smallpale yellow about 3 mmlong, ovate in outline withblack and grey coating onthe body. Only the nymphsare found on theunderneath of the leavesand cause the damage bysucking the cell sap and itbecame pale and dryafterword. Ultimately, theleaves turn black in lieu ofthe development of fungusand render the crop unfitas fodder (Parsana et al.,1995; Mann and Singh,2003; Ansari et al., 2007).The whitefly as economicpests seems to expandingcontinuously and insectdamage crop byextracting large quantitiesof phloem sap which can

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reduce yield up to 50%. Thehoney dew excreted bythis insect serves as amedium for sooty moldand fungi growth and fewspecies of whitefly serves asvectors of severaleconomically importantviral plant pathogens(Byrne and Bellows, 1991).Due to high reproductionas well as damagepotential, sucking cell sapand acquired resistance tomost commonly usedinsecticide, the control ofwhitefly has becomeincreasingly difficult withinsecticide. Moreover, theindiscriminate use of theseinsecticides since past fewdecades has led to manyserious problems likeresurgence of minor pests,destruction of beneficialfauna and environmentalpollution. There is a need toexplore alternativemethods to reduce the useof pesticides and theiradverse effects onenvironment and humanhealth. The researchers aretrying to explore thetechniques which must beproficient, eco-friendly,clean and affordable toreduce pest infestation oncrops. Varietal resistance isan important component

of IPM as it is environmentfriendly, harmless and costeffective methods of pestcontrol therefore, a studywas planned to evaluatedifferent sugarcanegenotypes against white flywhitefly.

MATERIAL AND METHODSExperiment was conductedat National AgriculturalResearch Centre,Islamabad. Ninesugarcane genotypeswere planted with RCBDduring month ofSeptember, 2011 with threereplications. All standardagronomic practices werefollowed. Data on pestinfestation (nymphs/cm-2)was recorded duringOctober, 2012. Three plantswere randomly selectedfrom each plot andnumbers of insects werecounted from an area ofone cm-2 from upper,middle and lower portionof three leaves of eachplant. The data wereanalyzed statistically byusing M-STAT software withthe help of an IBMCompatible computer. Themeans were compared byDMR Test at P = 0.05.

RESULTSResults presented in Fig. 1shows that incidence ofwhite fly differedconsiderably in variousvarieties. Highestinfestation was recorded insugarcane genotypeCSSG-239 (6.11 nymph cm-

2) followed by HSF-240 (5.34nymph cm-2) and US-54(4.59 nymph cm-2). Thegenotypes US-272 andCSSG-212 had minimuminfestation as 1.30 and 1.44nymphs cm-2 respectively.Other genotypes showedintermediate degree ofinfestation. None ofgenotypes tested werefree from white flyinfestation. Mann andSingh (2003) alsoconducted an experimentto screen 32 sugarcanegenotypes for theirreaction to whitefly(Aleurolobus barodensis). Atotal of 9 genotypes werefound highly susceptible.Co 1148 followed by Sel917/98 and CoPt 84212rated as least susceptible,while CoS 96258 and Sel126/92 were mostsusceptible. None of thegenotypes were free fromwhitefly attack.

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CP-77/400 CPSG-25 CSSG-239 US-272 US-540.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

3.042.63

3.11

1.44

6.115.34

1.30

3.744.59

Sugarcane Genotypes

Nymphs cm-2

Fig. 1: Whitefly infestation cm-2 on different sugarcane genotypes.

REFERENCESAnonymous, 2013. Economic Survey of Pakistan (2012-13). Govt. of Pak. Financedivision. Economic Advisory Wing, Islamabad. P.20Ahmed, A., A. Suhail, Z.U. Abdin, S. Iftikhar and K. Zahoor. 2004. Biodiversity ofinsect associated with sugarcane crop in Faisalabad. Pak. Entomol. 26: 65-69.Ansari, M.I. and T.P. Lin. 2011. Subcellular localization of Arabidopsis thylakoidlumen 18.3 protein (TLP 18.3). Int. Res. J. Plant Sci. 2:6-9.Arain, M.Y., R.N. Panhwar, N. Gujar, M. Chohan, M.A. Rajput, A.F. Soomro and S.Junejo. 2011. Evaluation of new candidate sugarcane varieties for somequalitative and quantitative traits under Thatta agro-climatic conditions. J. Anim.Plant Sci. 21:226-230.Byrne, N. and Bellows. 1991. Studies on whitefly biology. Ann. Rev. Entomol.36:431-457.FAOSTAT (2012) Crop Production, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations. http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor.Iqbal, M., Z. Haq, Y. Jamil and M.R. Ahmad. 2012. Effect of pre-sowing magnetictreatment on properties of pea. Int. Agrophys. 26:23-31.Khaliq, A. 2002. Integrated Pest management of Top borer (Scirpophaga novellaF) in sugarcane (Punjab; Pakistan) Ph. D. thesis, Depart. Entomol. Univ. Agric.,Faisalabad, Pakistan, p 11-12.Mann, R.S. and K. Singh. 2003. Screening of sugarcane genotype for theirreaction against sugarcane whitefly (Aleurolobus barodensis Mask.). Indian J.Sugar Tech. 18(1/2): 110-111.Mann, R.S., K.S. Suri and S. Sharma. 2006. Population dynamics of insect pests ofsugarcane in Punjab. Indian J. P. Pro. 34:198-201.Parsana, G. J., P. G. Butani and M. N. Kapadia, 1995. Preference of thesugarcane whitefly and its pathogenic fungus to different promising varieties.Indian Sugar, 45 (4): 239-241.

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INVESTIGATING SUGARCANE GENETIC MATERIALINHERITED CAPABILITY FOR AGRONOMIC ATTRIBUTESUNDER AGRO-ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF JHANG

Shahid Afghan1, Muhammad Asad1*, Uzair Farooq2, Muhammad Bilal Anwar3,Aamir Shahzad1 and Fahmeed Ahmad Choudhary4

1 Shakarganj Sugar Research Institute, Jhang 2 Institutes of Pure and Applied Biology, BahaudinZakariya University, Multan 3 Pakistan Tobacco Board 4 University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

*Corresponding author e-mail: asadagronomist@gmail.com

Abstract: Inherited production potential of sugarcane genome can only be explored on theavailability of favorable environmental conditions. As well as quality genomic material haspivotal role in determining the cane and sugar yield of sugarcane. The study was conductedat Shakarganj Sugar Research Institute, Jhang with five cultivars viz. CSSG-676; CSSG-668; HoSG-795; HoSG-529; NSG-59 and HSF-240 (standard) using Randomized Complete Block Designreplicated thrice. NSG-59 superseded all the clones with good germination ability (79.10%),excellent production of millable cane count (129.95 × 103 ha-1) with higher cane weight(1.52kg) and ultimately produced maximum striped cane yield (124.33 tha-1) with higherharvest index (83.09%) as compared to other test clones. The sugar recovery was higher(12.03%) in HSF-240 (standard) but NSG-59 produced sugar yield (13.20 tha-1) substantially samewith standard cultivar, under the agro-ecological conditions of Jhang.

Keywords: Sugarcane, inherited capability, cultivars, agronomic attributes, Jhang.

INTRODUCTIONSugarcane (Saccharumofficinarum L.) issubtropical crop (Babar etal., 2011), globally grownfrom 37 N to 31 S andthrives best at 34 C with 8-24 months to reachmaturity (Nazir 2000).Sugarcane is the majorcase crop, providing rawmaterial to 2nd largestagro-industry of Pakistan(Rehman 2009) andcontributing 0.7 in the GDPof Pakistan (Govt. ofPakistan 2013). Theevaluation of new bettergenome for higher caneand sugar yield for thebetterment of growers aswell as industrialist and

improved productiontechnology with BetterManagement Practices(BMPs) are the dire need oftime (Nasir 2006; Iftikhar etal., 2010; Babar et al.,2011).

The cane and sugar yieldof sugarcane is criticallyclones inherited productionpotential oriented.However, the goodagricultural practices(GAP) along withconvenient environmentalconditions help in exploringits production potential(Aslam et al., 2014).Similarly the inadequateinformation about theperformance of newcultivars under various

climatic conditions causeshindrance to get maximumyield potential of cultivars(Qureshi and Afghan, 2005).On the other hand therapid deterioration ofcultivars over the time isalso a big threat to caneproductivity (Afghan et al.,2010).

Maximum geneticpotential can be exploredby better managementculture practices and bystudying their productionpotential under differentagricultural zone. So thisstudy was conducted withthe objective that toexplore genetic responseof various cultivars underthe agro ecological

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conditions of Jhang andalso suggested the moreappropriate cultivars forbetter cane yield as well assugar yield.

Materials and Methods:

The proposedresearch was performed toinvestigate the response ofdifferent sugarcane clonesregarding differentagronomic attributes i.e.yield contributingparameters as well assugar recover and sugaryield. The suggested studywas plotted at agronomicresearch area, ShakarganjSugar Research Institute,Jhang, using RandomizedComplete Block Designreplicated thrice in 2008-2009. The agronomicperformance of six cultivars(V1 = CSSG-676; V2 = CSSG-668; V3 = HoSG-795; V4 =HoSG-529; V5 = NSG-59 andV6 = HSF-240) were studiedin the experiment.

Crop was plantedduring autumn season withthe help of double buddedsetts at 2.5 ft apart row torow distance. After the wellpreparation of field bed allrecommended fertilizer (N-P-K 68-46-46 kg/acre) wasincorporated in soil in theform of DAP and SOP,however; remainingnitrogen was applied intwo splits 1/3rd at 45 DASand remaining 1/3rd wasapplied at earthing up stagin the form of Urea.Herbicides were sprayed at45 DAS by using

“Amitrine+Atrazine” @1kg/acre for broad leavesas well as narrow leavesweeds and “Sunstar”20g/acre for Deela. For thecontrol of borers, granular“Carbufuran” was appliedthrice respectively atsowing, 45 DAS and atearthing up stage @3bag/acre. However; allother recommendedagronomic practices werefollowed for irrigations andother cultural practices.The data was recorded byusing the standardprotocol as describedunder;

The germinationpercentage wascalculated by counting theno. of germinated budsfrom known numbersdouble budded setts at 45DAS using followingformula;

Germination (%age) = (No.of germinated bud / Totalno. of buds) × 100

Ten randomlyselected canes wereharvested from all cultivarsto take the readings ofplant height, cane length,no. of internodes, canegirth and cane weight thanconverted to the averagevalue. The un-stripped andstripped cane yield wasrecorded from 1m2

harvested area andconverted to tha-1, whilethe harvest index wasdetermined by this formulaHI = (Stripped cane yield /Un-stripped cane yield)×100

The sugar recovery wasestimated after the qualityanalysis of supplied sampleto Cane Lab of ShakarganjSugar Mill, Jhang by usingthe SJM formulaSugar Recovery (%) =[S (J-M)×Pol%×Juiceextraction×Boiling houseefficiency]/[J(S-M)]

Where; S = Sugar 100%, J= Juice purity, M =Molasses purity = 35%,Pol% = Pol% juice (sucrose%) Juice extraction = 0 65,Boiling house efficiency = 098The sugar yield wasestimated by the followingformula

Sugar yield = (Sugarrecovery × Stripped cane

yield) / 100

The treatment comparisonwas performed by Fisheranalysis of VarianceTechnique (Steel et al.,1997) and LSD test wasapplied for comparing alltreatment’s means at 5%probability level.

RESULTVarious agronomic

parameters were studiedfor the evaluation ofdifferent cultivars in theagro-ecological conditionsof Jhang. Data regardingthe cultivars depicted thata statistical significantresponse was reported formostly agronomicparameters. Dataregarding all studiedagronomic and qualitativeattributes determining thecane and sugar yield are

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presented in table 1. Cropgermination was totallyinfluenced by the inherentability of cultivar as well asits interaction withenvironment. So theinherent ability along withenvironment interactionproved HSF-240substantially better (85.50%) regarding germinationfollowed by NSG-59(79.10%) that wasstatistically at par withHoSG-529. However,substantially lowestgermination (65.54%) wasrecorded in CSSG-676.Similarly, HSF-240 remainedstatistically betterregarding plant height andcane length (5.39m &4.62m respectively)followed by NSG-59(5.20m& 4.14mrespectively). However,CSSG-676 was reportedsubstantially lowest in-termof plant height (4.18m) andcane length (3.12m). Datarevealed that no. ofinternodes in all cultivarsshowed non-significantresponse. NSG-59 hadstatistically higher canegirth (10.40cm) followed byHoSG-795 (9.42cm) andHSF-240 (8.81cm).

Millable cane perhectare and cane weightplay indispensable role instripped cane yield. Thesubstantially higher millablecane (129.95 × 103 ha-1)was reported where NSG-59 was planted followedby HSF-240 (118.65 × 103 ha-

1) that was significant lowerthan NSG-59. While CSSG-676 was statistically low

(103.58 × 103 ha-1) than allother cultivars in theproduction of millablecane. NSG-59 hadsubstantially higher caneweight (1.52kg) ascompared to other studiedcultivars. The unstrappedcane yield of HSF-240 wasgreater (149.67tha-1) butstatistically at par with theNSG-59 (144.33tha-1) andHoSG-529 (144.33tha-1).While NSG-59 gavesubstantially higher(124.33tha-1) stripped caneyield followed by HSF-240(117 tha-1). However, theharvest index of NSG-59was higher (83.09%) butsubstantially same with HSF-240 (81.10%).

Sugar recovery andsugar yield are theprincipal attributes thatmake sugarcane avaluable crop. HSF-240showed substantially highersugar recovery (12.03%)followed by statistically low(10.61%) NSG-59. However,the sugar yield wasproduced substantiallysame by HSF-240 and NSG-59 (14.08 & 13.20tha-1

respectively).

DISCUSSIONGermination, plant

height and cane lengthare totally based upon thegenetic inherent ability ofcultivar as well as itshealthy environmentalinteraction. In the agro-ecological conditions ofJhang, HSF-240 proveditself more appropriateregarding the germinationpercentage, plant height

and cane length ascompared to othercultivars. Bettergermination in HSF-240 wasdue to presence ofmorphologically healthybud similarly the goodresponse of HSF-240 inplant height and canelength may be due to itsbetter inherent ability andits healthy environmentalinteraction. Significantresponse of germination isdependent upon cultivarsinherited ability and thesefindings were coincidedwith results alreadypublished (Nadeem et al.,2011; Aslam et al., 2014).

The biological yield(unstrapped cane yield)played vital role in finaleconomic yield (Strippedcane yield). Results showedthat NSG-59 producedbetter stripped andunstrapped cane yield ascompared to othercultivars. These results werematched with the followingpublished findings (Afghanet al., 2010; Unar et al.,2010; Nadeem et al., 2011;Islam et al., 2013). Thebetter performance ofNSG-59 was due to itshigher millable cane perhectare (Babar et al., 2011;Nadeem et al., 2011; Aslamet al., 2014) and caneweight (Aslam et al., 2014).However the sugarrecovery was more in HSF-240 followed by NSG-59 butthe sugar yield wassubstantially samebecause the higher cane

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yield compensates thisgap. Following findings alsosupported these results(Afghan et al., 2010;Nadeem et al., 2011).

CONCLUSIONSugarcane is a

valuable commercial casecrop because of its sugar,

ethanol and powerproduction. The better sitespecific genetic materialselection in term of highercane production as well assugar production might beplayed key role in theprosperity of growers aswell as industrialist. Thisstudy provides adequateinformation about the

response of differentgenetic material in agroecological conditions ofJhang. The results showedthat NSG-59 is moreappropriate for highercane and sugar yield andit is the best alternative ofstandard HSF-240.

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REFERENCESAfghan, S., Z.U. Hussnain, K. Hussain, A. Shahazad, K. Ali, A. Naheed, S. Rizwana, P. Khanum and

A. Batool. 2010. Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Sugarcane(Saccharum officinarum L) Diverse Genotypes. Pak. Sugar J., 25 (01): 11-13.

Aslam, M., N. Ahmad, M.K. Hanif and R.J.U. Rehman. 2014.Genotypic performance of presownsugarcane under southern Punjab conditions. Pak. Sugar J., 29 (01): 7-10.

Babar, L.K., T. Iftikhar, H.N. Khan and A.H. Makhdum. 2011. Agronomic trials on sugarcane cropunder Faisalabad conditions, Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot., 43 (02): 929-935.

Bashir, M.K., M.S. Rahman, M.M. Hossain and T. Ahmad. 2011. Varietal suitability assessment underrainfed conditions in high barind tract of Bangladesh. Pak. Sugar J., 26 (02): 6-9.

Govt. of Pakistan, 2013.Economic survey of Pakistan. 2012-2013. Finance Division, Advisory Wing,Islamabad, Pakistan, pp: 22.

Iftikhar, T., L.K. Babar, S. Zahoor and N.G. Khan. 2010. “Best Irrigation Management Practices InCotton”. Pak. J. Bot., 42 (05): 3023-3028.

Islam, M.S., M.K. Bejun, M.R. Alam and M.S. Arefin. 2013. Evaluation of some qualitative andquantitative characters of ten sugarcane genotypes under water logging stressconditions. Pak. Sugar J., 28 (01): 10-15.

Munir, A.Z., M. Zafar, M. Yasin, J. Iqbal and M.S. Cheema. 2009. Qualitative and quantitativecharacteristics of some autumn sown promising sugarcane varieties. Pak. Sugar J., 24 (04):8-11.

Nadeem, M.A., M.A. Sarwar, A. Ghaffar, F. Ahmad and F. Hussain. 2011. Studies on theperformance of some sugarcane genotypes at Faisaabad. Pak. Sugar J., 26 (01): 16-21.

Nasir, N.M. 2006. Better management practices for cotton and sugar cane. WWF-Pakistan,Ferozepur Road, Lahore - 54600, Pakistan, pp. 117.

Nazir, M. S. 2000. Crop Production, National Book Foundation, Islamabad. PP: 421-22.

Qureshi M.A. and S. Afghan. 2005. Sugarcane cultivation in Pakistan. Sugar Book Pub. PakistanSociety of Sugar Technologist.

Rehman, M. S. 2009. Pakistan Sugar Annual 2009.USDA Foreign Agrcultural Service, pp. 3.

Steel, R.G.D., J.H. Torrie and D.A. Dicky. 1997. Principles and Procedures of Statistics, Abiometrical approach. 3rd Ed. McGraw Hill, Inc. Book Co. N.Y. (U.S.A.). PP: 352-358.

Unar, G.S., R.N. Panhwar, D.B. Panhwar, M. Chohan, N. Gujjar,I.B. Bhatti, Q.A. Keerio. 2010.Comparative performance of autumn planted promising sugarcane genotypes underThattha conditions. Pak. Sugar J., 25 (03): 15-21.

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Table 1: Inherited Capability of Sugarcane genotypes for Agronomic Attributes under Agro-ecological Conditions of Jhang

TreatmentGermination Plant

HeightCane

LengthNo. of

InternodesCaneGirth

MillableCane

CaneWeight USCY SCY HI SR SY

(m-2) (m) (m) (cm) (103/ha) (kg) (tha-1) (tha-1) (%) (%) (tha-

1)

V1 65.54 D 4.18 E 3.12 D 19.96 8.48 C 103.58 E 1.41 B 137.67C

106.67C

77.48BC

8.81C 9.39 B

V2 67.80 CD 4.37 D 3.37CD 19.96 8.59 C 106.97

DE 1.37 B 137.67C

108.33C

78.70BC

9.63BC

10.44B

V3 69.68 C 4.67 C 3.72BC 20.23 9.42 B 109.61

CD 1.36 B 142.37BC

108.00C

75.86CD

9.37BC

10.09B

V4 75.71 B 5.09 B 3.84 B 19.14 8.44 C 113.00 C 1.32BC

144.33AB

104.00C

72.00D

8.91C 9.27 B

V5 79.10 B 5.20 B 4.14 B 20.33 10.40A 129.95 A 1.52 A 144.33

AB124.33

A83.09

A10.61

B13.20

A

V6(Standard) 85.50 A 5.39 A 4.62 A 20.15 8.81 C 118.65 B 1.24 C 149.67A

117.00B

81.10AB

12.03A

14.08A

_SX 1.52 0.07 0.19 0.49 0.18 2.10 0.05 2.82 2.80 1.90 0.59 0.67LSD 5% 3.39 0.15 0.43 ---- 0.39 4.68 0.10 6.29 6.25 4.23 1.32 1.50Significance ** ** ** NS ** ** ** * ** ** ** **Mean 73.89 4.81 3.80 19.96 9.02 113.63 1.37 142.67 111.39 78.04 9.89 11.08

Means sharing same letter does not differ significantly at p ≤ 0.05,

** & * = Significant at 1% & 5% respectively, NS = Non-significant, V1 = CSSG-676; V2 = CSSG-668; V3=HoSG-795; V4= HoSG-529; V5=NSG-59 and V6= HSF-240, USCY= Un-Stripped Cane Yield; SCY= Stripped Cane Yield; HI= Harvest index; SR= Sugar Yield; SY= Sugaryield;

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SUGAR INDUSTRY ABSTRACTS

DYNAMICS OF SUGARCANE HARVEST RESIDUE DECOMPOSITION IN ARGENTINA

P.A. DIGONZELLI, J. FERNÁNDEZ DE ULLIVARRI, M. MEDINA, L. TORTORA, E.R. ROMERO and H. ROJAS QUINTEROS

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the dynamics of sugarcane residue decomposition and to studynutrient release from residue. The trial was conducted in Tucumán-Argentina from 2008 to 2012. Thesugarcane cultivars used were LCP 85-384 and RA 87-3. Every 25–35 days we evaluated: 1) residue freshand dry weight and 2) residue C/N ratios. At the beginning and end of each cycle, we evaluated residueP and K content. LCP 85-384 initial residue amounts ranged from 11.6 t/ha to 15.2 t/ha, whereasdecomposition rates were between 43% and 59%. RA-87-3 initial residue amounts ranged from 12.5 t/ha to18.1 t/ha, with decomposition rates between 36% and 60%. Fresh residue C/N ratios were over 60. Thehighest initial C/N ratios were 79.2 (in 2008/09) and 102.9 (in 2009/10) for LCP 85-384 and RA 87-3,respectively. At the end of each crop cycle, trash C/N ratios dropped significantly. Residue initial Cconcentration was between 42%–45.5% and 38.8%–47.5% for LCP 85-384 and RA 87- 3, respectively.Residue initial N concentration ranged from 0.53%–0.71% and 0.43%-0.66% for LCP 85-384 and RA 87-3,respectively. Residue final C concentration decreased and residue final N concentration increased,resulting in lower C/N ratios. Residue initial K concentrations ranged from 0.64%–0.75% for LCP 85-384 and0.56%–0.67% for RA 87-3. At the end of each crop cycle, K release values were high. In conclusion,although the amount of residue left in the field was high after sugarcane harvest, we observed that thedecomposition rate increased through the crop cycle. This residue decomposition supplies theagroecosystem with varying amounts of C, N and K, which may help meet fertilisation needs in themedium term.

FROST SEVERITY EFFECT ON SPROUTING AND SEEDLING EMERGENCE OF HIGH QUALITY SEED CANE INTUCUMAN, ARGENTINA

J.A. GIARDINA, P.A. DIGONZELLI, E.R. ROMERO and D. DUARTE

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

In Tucumán, Argentina, low temperatures affect most of the sugarcane production area, and plantationssuffer the effects of both light and very severe frosts. The impact of frost severity on seed cane sproutingcapacity was studied under lab and field conditions. In both studies, a completely randomised designwith three replicates was adopted. Samples from three sugarcane varieties were used (LCP 85-384, RA 87-3 and TUCCP 77-2) from different sites where freezes of varying intensity (mild, moderate and very severe)had occurred. Germination under optimal conditions was evaluated in the lab, using uninodal stalksegments placed on trays (45 segments per tray) under controlled humidity at a temperature of 25 oC.Concurrently, emergence dynamics were evaluated in the field. Planting materials were sown in wide-bottom furrows, with a 15 to 20 buds/metre density, and kept under an average temperature of 22 oCwithout irrigation. Results showed that, under mild frost conditions, the low temperatures did notsignificantly affect the buds of the three varieties and sprouting percentages of 84% for RA 87-3 and 73%for the two other varieties were recorded. In the field, emergence percentages were 70%, 66% and 57%,for RA 87-3, TUCCP 77-42 and LCP 85-384, respectively. After moderate frosts, buds of RA 87-3 showedhigher susceptibility, with only 14% and 19% emergence in the lab and field, respectively. In contrast, theother two varieties had similar emergence levels, with values ranging between 40% and 50%. With verysevere frosts, the three varieties suffered significant damage, ranging from 0% to 7% emergence in the laband field. While frost severity produced significant varietal differences in the sprouting percentages, theemergence dynamics of the three varieties tested were not significantly modified by mild and moderatefreezes and responded to a simple exponential model.

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OCCURRENCE AND SIMULATION OF NITRIFICATION IN SUGARCANE VINASSE APPLIED TO SOIL

ALINNE DA SILVA, RAFFAELLA ROSSETTO, PETER THORBURN, JODY BIGGS and TAKASHI MURAOKA

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

Vinasse is a liquid residue produced during ethanol manufacture. It has high potassium (K) and organicmatter concentration and so is widely applied to sugarcane as a fertiliser. It is usually applied at thestandard concentration produced during ethanol manufacture. However, there is interest inconcentrating vinasse to reduce its volume and hence the cost of transport to farms. Vinasse will affectsoil nitrogen (N) reactions because it contains water and easily decomposable organic substances, bothof which can stimulate soil microorganisms. Both water content and the nature of the organiccompounds are changed during the evaporation process, thus standard concentration (SCV) and highconcentration (HCV) vinasse may have different effects on soil N cycling. We investigated N dynamics ofsoils receiving vinasse in a laboratory incubation experiment under aerobic conditions. The soils wereincubated in darkness at 26 °C with three amounts of vinasse at two concentrations (SCV and HCV,produced by evaporation in the sugarcane mill). The samples were analysed after 7, 14, 28, 42, 70 and 98days of incubation. In five of the six treatments, the concentration of NO 3– -N increased in the incubatedsoils over time indicating that nitrification occurred in the treatments that received vinasse. The exceptionwas with the highest amount of SCV, where there was accumulation of NH 4+ –N and the content of NO3– -N remained low. The large amount of water applied to the soil with the high amount of SCV may havecaused anoxic conditions which inhibited nitrification. The temporal trends in NO 3– -N and NH 4+ -Nconcentrations in the incubated soils in all six vinasse treatments were accurately captured by the APSIM-SoilN model. Thus, the model will be able to help study the optimum management of N fertiliser insugarcane crops receiving different amounts and concentrations of vinasse.

EFFECT OF SUGAR CANE TRASH BLANKETING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MICROORGANISMS OFAGRONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST

M.L. TORTORA, N. GRELLET NAVAL, L. VERA, J. FERNÁNDEZ DE ULLIVARRI, P. DIGONZELLI and E. ROMERO

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

The global sugar industry is progressively moving away from pre-harvest burning to a green-caneharvesting system. It is well known that when harvest residue is returned to the soil, nutrients and organicmatter increase and soil structure is improved. However, the effect of trash blanketing on thedevelopment of different soil microorganisms has not been evaluated in Tucumán. Hence, the aim of thisstudy was to evaluate changes in microbial populations, especially those of agronomic andenvironmental interest, which occur with and without trash blanketing. Tests were performed at Finca SanGenaro, located in eastern Tucumán (Dpto. Leales, Argentina), using LCP 85-384 sugarcane variety in thefourth ratoon crop. Thus, treatments were imposed four years before sampling. During the 2011/2012 cropcycle, in June, July, and November, 2011 and May, 2012, soil and tissue samples, from sugarcane rootsand stems, were microbiologically analysed. Microorganisms were counted using different culture media:LB for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, PGA for fungi and yeasts, CA for Pseudomonas sp., and different N-free semisolid medium for micro aerobic nitrogen fixing bacteria. Trash blanketing increased the numberof yeast, fungus and Pseudomonas sp. populations in soil samples during high temperature seasons. Someof these isolated fungi showed ligninolytic activity and some Pseudomonas genus bacteria were able tosolubilise phosphorus, thus indicating that these microorganisms may be involved in residuedecomposition. Interestingly, trash blanketing also increased the number of nitrogen fixing bacteriaassociated with the plant root and stem tissues from June to February. The further development of trash-degrading microorganisms and a better colonisation of sugarcane tissues by nitrogen fixing bacteriacould improve sugarcane crop growth and development.

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NON-DESTRUCTIVE QUALITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR CANE STALKS USING A PORTABLE NIR INSTRUMENT

EIZO TAIRA, MASAMI UENO, SHIORI TAKASHI, KHO KIKUCHI and YOSHINOBU KAWAMITSU

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

Sugar content of cane at the farm is important information for farmers and millers in Japan because caneprices are determined by pol in cane. While NIR systems have been used to measure cane quality at themill, portable measurement systems for cane to detect chemical properties in the field have not beendeveloped, although there are some commercially available instruments for fruits. We investigated directnon-destructive measurements for sugar content using a portable near infrared spectrophotometer. Aportable fruit tester comprising a NIR spectrophotometer was modified for use in the transmittance modeand employed to quantify brix and pol levels in cane stalks. Reflectance and transmittance spectra in the600 to 1100 nm range were obtained from 100 cane stalk samples. Brix and pol values were measured witha refractometer and polarimeter. Potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and other chemical components were alsomeasured by an ICP (Inductivity Coupled Plasma) method. Calibration models using a partial least-squares regression analysis were developed for predicting these parameters in cane stalks from thespectra. Calibration models for brix values using transmittance spectra were more suitable than those fromreflectance spectra. The model for pol yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.87 with a root mean squareerror of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 1.0%. Some calibration models for minerals were also developed,although accuracy of the models was not as accurate as pol models. Based on this study, the portableNIR spectrophotometer will be useful for measuring pol and brix values of sugarcane.

EXPLORING THE WIDE RANGE OF NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS FROM SUGARCANE CROPS

P.J. THORBURN, J.S. BIGGS, B.C.T. MACDONALD, D.E. ALLEN, O.T. DENMEAD and F.R. MARIN

Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar Cane Technol., Vol. 28, 2013

Nitrous oxide is a potent greenhouse gas, and emission from soils in some sugarcane crops areamong the highest measured from cropping systems. Yet, not all emissions are this large and thereason for the wide range is unclear. The highest emissions come from a site with acid sulfate soilsin Australia, and chemo-denitrification in the acid subsoils has been suggested as an importantcause of the high emissions. However, emissions from acid sulfate soils are not always at the upperend of the range suggesting this explanation is not general. We used the APSIM model toinvestigate the degree to which the biological nitrous oxide-generating pathways represented inthe model might (1) account for the high emissions measured in some sugarcane crops grown onacid sulfate soils, and hence (2) provide a broader understanding of the basis for the wide rangeof emissions associated with sugarcane. We found conditions at the site where the highestemissions were measured, particularly a combination of high soil organic carbon (~10%) andlarge applications of nitrogen fertiliser, gave simulated emissions similar to the high valuesmeasured. Sensitivity analyses showed that when soil carbon contents and/or nitrogenapplications were lower, predicted emissions reduced to levels closer to those at other sites. Ourresults suggest that biological pathways are capable of producing the range of nitrous oxideemissions measured in sugarcane crops, and that the contribution of chemical pathways may notbe great. The results have important implications for understanding both how nitrous oxideemissions from sugarcane may vary between different environments and how emissions can bemitigated; issues that are particularly relevant to greenhouse gas emissions during the productionof biofuels from sugarcane.

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SUGARCANE RESPONSE TO PHOSPHORUS SOURCES AND PLACEMENT IN A VERY CLAYEY OXISOL OFTHE BRAZILIAN CERRADOT.A. REIN and D.M.G. de SOUSA, Embrapa Cerrados, Brasilia, BrazilThe sugar ethanol industry in Brazil has expanded towards the “Cerrado”(savanna) region where sugarcanehas replaced pastures on soils with low phosphorus (P) availability. Phosphorus fertilisation on sugarcane inBrazil is largely based on water-soluble fertilisers applied in the planting furrow, leading to highconcentration of P in this zone due to high P rates employed and wide row spacings. In this study,alternative placement methods and P sources were evaluated in an experiment established in Brasilia, in arandomised block design with four replications. The soil was a very-fine, mixed, isothermic Rhodic Haplustoxwith low (1.2 mg/dm3) Mehlich-1 P content in the top 0.0–0.2 m, and treatments were applied only to theplant cane (cultivar RB 867515). Treatments consisted of a P response curve ranging from 0 to 400 kg/haP2O5 as broadcast triple superphosphate (TSP) incorporated with a disk harrow before planting and thefollowing treatments at 200 kg/ha of P2O5: TSP applied at the bottom of the planting furrow (banded); TSPhalf broadcast and half banded; a Moroccan reactive phosphate rock (RPR) broadcast and banded; anda combination of broadcast RPR and banded TSP. Cane and sugar yields were evaluated for the plantcane and two ratoon crops. Maximum cane yields (129.9, 92.7 and 96.7 t/ha, respectively, for the threeharvests) with broadcast TSP at 400 kg/ha P2O5 were on average 89% higher compared to the control (noP) treatment. Comparing the two P sources at 200 kg/ha P2O5, yields for the broadcast TSP and RPRtreatments were similar for the three harvests, but when the fertilisers were band-applied, yields were onaverage 16% lower for the RPR. Comparing the fertiliser placement methods, average yields for broadcastTSP and RPR were 19% and 42% higher than band application, respectively. Combined broadcast andband application treatments were notsignificantly different compared to exclusively broadcastapplications. Results show that increases in sugarcane yield and P fertiliser use efficiency in low-P Cerradosoils couldbe attained by increasing the volume of soil fertilised with P.

IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS AND TRANSPIRATION COUPLING TO THE ATMOSPHERE OF SUGARCANE INSOUTHERN BRAZIL: SCALING UP FROM LEAF TO FIELD

D.S.P. NASSIF and F.R. MARIN: University of São Paulo – ESALQ, Pádua Dias Av., 11, Piracicaba, SP – BrazilEMBRAPA Agricultural Informatics

Iin some of the traditional areas growing sugarcane and in most of the expanding regions in Brazil, waterdeficit stress is a limiting factor and irrigation is usually needed to assure economically viable sugarcaneyields. Despite the great social and economic importance of sugarcane irrigation, few studies have beenpublished from Brazil. This research evaluated the water requirements of a drip-irrigated 2nd ratoonsugarcane crop based on three different spatial scales: field, plant and leaf. The Bowen ratio method wasused to evaluate the mass and energy exchanges over the field, further computing the fieldevapotranspiration (ETc). Sap flow by heat balance methods installed in four representative stalks wasused to evaluate the water use at the plant scale, and an infra-red gas analyser (IRGA) was used toevaluate leaf transpiration and stomatalconductance at the leaf scale. Comparing ETc and referenceevapotranspiration we found that the crop coefficients for dry and wet seasons were 0.81 and 0.98,respectively. Evapotranspiration peaks of 7 mm/day were observed under conditions of strong crop-atmosphere coupling and high net radiation values. The stomatalconductance ranged from 0.09 and 0.19mmol/m2 s in dry and wet seasons respectively, showing sensitivity to the atmospheric conditions, notablythe vapour deficit pressure and wind speed. BRM was from 3.7 to 4.4 mm/day and Tleaf from 3.4 to 4.2mm/day. This study provides a new theoretical basis to improve crop water management of sugarcane inBrazil.

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INTERNATIONAL EVENTS CALENDAR

February 1 ­3ASBF Annual Meetng Long Beach, CA USA ASBF

February 2-4Louisiana Division of ASSCT, Lafayette, LA USA ASSCT

May 17-20Sugar Industry Technologists Annual Meeting Osaka, Japan SIT

February 23 ­26ASSBT Clearwater, FL USA ASSBT

June 22 ­24Florida and Louisiana Joint Division of ASSCT New Orleans, LA USA ASSCT

October 19-24Latin American Sugar Technologist Meeting (ATALAC), Olinda, Pernambucco, Brazil

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SHAKARGANJ FOUNDATION

Art GalleriesArt galleries, without a doubt,have a special place in today’ssociety. In general, a fine artgallery can offer an open, eyeappealing space where visitorscan view and appreciate art.

Overall then, art galleriescontribute immensely to society– whether it is economically – orthrough art appreciation,education, and inspiring others.

Shakarganj Foundation’s JhangArt Gallery is a combination ofFine Arts and Fashion Designingsegments, since its inceptiongallery is producing such skilledpeople who are very talented butare less privileged and belong topoor families. Gallery is focusingfemale students. It polished theirtalent and makes them proficientin their respective field work.

Another purpose of Jhang artgallery is to promote art andemerging artists. Jhang artgallery recognizes art talent andpromotes this talent to the publicat large. In turn, art galleryattendees will be introduced todifferent perspectives and waysof thinking through the viewingof this artwork. In addition, theviewers of this art may beinspired to endorse a particularcause, change their way ofthinking, and or even create theirown works of art.

In this connection at the end ofApril – June session a smallexhibition was arrangedparticularly on students work i.e.fine arts and dress designing.Honorable Civil Judges from theDistrict Judicial Courts wereinvited to encourage the youthtalent. Senior Executive Vice

President, General Manager H.RShakarganj Mills Limited wasalso the part of the ceremony.

Manager Social Action Programgave a brief introduction of thephilanthropic activities ofShakarganj Mills Limited throughShakarganj Foundation to thehonorable guests. Later onguests visits the gallery andappraised the fabulous workdone by the students. Speakingover the occasion Mr. WaqarCivil Judge said “for me galleryvisit is a wonderful experienceand a pleasant surprise. I amastonished to see such creativeand ideological art work of theyoung students. I do appreciateShakarganj efforts to promoteart and artist in a backwarddistrict of Punjab.”

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STORY OF SWEETS1. Lemon-Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

1. Cupcakes:2. 1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4

ounces) plus 2 table spoonsall-purpose flour, divided

3. 10 ablespoons granulated sugar4. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder5. 1/4 teaspoon salt6. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda7. 1/4 cup butter, melted8. 1 large egg9. 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk10.1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk11.1 teaspoon grated lemon rind12.3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed13.Frosting:14.1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese,

softened15.2 tablespoons butter, softened16.1 teaspoon grated lemon rind17.1 teaspoon vanilla extract18.1/8 teaspoon salt19.1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted20.2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice21.Fresh blueberries (optional)

Preparation1. Preheat oven to 350°.2. Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup linersinto muffin cups.

3. To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with aknife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with aknife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, bakingpowder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in alarge bowl. Combine melted butter and egg inanother large bowl; stir with a whisk. Addbuttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to buttermixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixtureto flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Tossblueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour.Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter intoprepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centercomes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wirerack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wirerack.

4.To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer atmedium speed just until blended. Gradually addpowdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice.Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish withblueberries, if desired. Store, covered,inrefrigerator.

2. Bourbon-Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients1 cup packed light brown sugar3/4 cup dark corn syrup3 tablespoons all-purpose flour2 tablespoons bourbon2 tablespoons molasses1 tablespoon butter, melted1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon salt2 large eggs1 large egg white2/3 cup pecan halves1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough(such as Pillsbury)

Cooking spray1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, choppedPreparation

Preheat oven to 350°.Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well witha whisk. Stir in pecans. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch removable-bottomtart pan coated with cooking spray. Trim excesscrust using a sharp knife. Spoon sugar mixtureinto prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutesor until center is set. Cool completely on a wirerack.Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl;microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth.Drizzle chocolate over start.

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GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS

Dear Fellow Author(s),

Pakistan Sugar Journal (PSJ) offers research, analysis, and reviews to keep its local andinternational readership up to date with latest developments in the sugar industry. PSJtakes into account the application of research and focuses on areas in agriculturerelated to sugar, milling and processing.

In order to have your articles published in the PSJ, you are requested to adhere to thebelow instructions and prerequisites to enable timely review of your submissions by theeditorial board:

I. Write the title of your article in CAPITAL LETTERS in the center of the page.II. Write the complete name of all authors with their addresses – it is compulsory in the

text. References should be cited by author and years as, for one, two or moreauthors (Hammer, 1994, Hammer and Rouf, 1995; Hammer et al., 1993),respectively.

III. Write HEADINGS in bold letters and in the center of the page.IV. Type your article only in TIMES NEW ROMAN format.V. Send TABLES and FIGURES on separate page with bold title and mark its numbers

correctly.VI. Observe the following rule for REFERENCE, for one author: Hussain, K. 1991 for two

authors; Khan, M. and A. Habib 1995, for more than two; Ali, K., A.Hussain and S. Nasir, 1990.

VII. Always send two soft copies and one hard copy of CD. Please do not use FLOPPYDISK for this purpose.

VIII. Send copies on an A-4 size page, preferable LASER PRINT in word documentIX. Papers published in the PSJ are free of charges (for authors).X. Send your papers to following address by mail or email:

Dr. Shahid AfghanEditor-in-Chief, Pakistan Sugar JournalShakarganj Sugar Research Institute, Jhang (Pakistan)Phone: +92 47 763 1001-5 | Ext. 602, 603Mobile: +92 347 654 2858Email: shahid.afghan@shakarganj.com.pk

Asia NaheedAssociate Editor, Pakistan Sugar JournalShakarganj Sugar Research Institute, Jhang (Pakistan)Phone: +92 47 763 1001-5 | Ext. 603, 606E-mail: asia.naheed@shakarganj.com.pk