Open AccessSugarcane - an old plantation crop that offers new environmentally friendly possibilities
Author(s) -
R. C. Magarey
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/418/1/012004
Subject(s) - saccharum officinarum , vinasse , agriculture , cropping , crop , biofuel , agroforestry , renewable energy , fossil fuel , sustainability , energy crop , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , agronomy , business , bioenergy , microbiology and biotechnology , engineering , biology , raw material , waste management , ecology
Sugarcane is a tall, robust tropical C4 grass that has been grown in plantation systems for many centuries. Original commercial crops were largely produced from Saccharum officinarum lines collected from its centre of diversity. With the ability to breed hybrid varieties, incorporating other Saccharum species, came higher crop vigour and improved resistance to pests and diseases. This led to higher productivity; this was enhanced by better farming systems that utilised improved knowledge of plant nutrition, soil health and mechanisation. Plant breeding remains one of the most important research and development activities in sugarcane industries. The use of fibre from the milling process as a factory energy source enables many sugar factories to operate largely without resort to fossil fuels. The crop offers a number of environmental advantages at a time when climate change and increased levels of CO 2 are of increasing importance to a sustainable world. Improved factory efficiencies and other cropping developments may place the sugarcane industry at the forefront in sustainable energy production into the future. ‘Green electricity’ generation, the production of ethanol for fuel and the recycling of CO 2 may see the crop change from a source of sucrose to a source of energy. One of the challenges to face then may be whether crops are grown for food or energy – a dilemma to be solved as the environmental stakes become more profound.