New IAC sugarcane varieties are released to the sector this Tuesday, 23

The Agronomic Institute (IAC) releases three new varieties of sugar cane for the sugar-energy sector, together with the Technical Bulletin that addresses these new materials for the Center-South of Brazil. The official release will be this Tuesday, November 23, 2021, in Ribeirão Preto, at the IAC Sugarcane Center, of the São Paulo Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply. With characteristics of high productivity, modernity and adaptation to mechanized planting and harvesting, the new varieties arrive to expand the range of plant material options for sugarcane growers and mills and have already been approved by users. The release will be made during the IAC Phytotechnical Group Meeting, when the Technical bulletin will also be made available with information from the IAC Varietal Census of Sugarcane in Brazil, 2019/2020 harvest, and in the Center-South Region, 2020/2021 harvest .

The technological package that characterizes the three new varieties involves high productivity throughout the cuts, high sucrose content, resistance to the main crop diseases and upright growth, suitable for different environments and excellent performance in different Brazilian regions.

IACSP04-6007, IACCTC05-2562 and IACCTC05-9561 make up the 21st release of varieties from the IAC Sugarcane Program. The three new varieties can be cultivated in the sugarcane regions of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná. Each one has characteristics that adapt them to different environmental conditions, presenting results that depend on their installation in accordance with the niches foreseen in the development carried out by the Cana IAC Program.

"The three new varieties form part of the biological arsenal that will contribute to the verticalization of productivity in sugarcane fields in São Paulo and Brazil", says the leader of the IAC Sugarcane Program and general director of the Agronomic Institute, Marcos Guimarães de Andrade Landell.

With productivity 13% higher than the most planted variety in Brazil today, IACSP04-6007 is a great alternative for the sugar-energy sector. This increase represents 10 more tons of sugarcane per hectare. "These gains are even greater in the regional niches where it is recommended", says Landell. It is also very versatile as it adapts excellently to the South and Center regions of São Paulo up to the North of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The three varieties combine excellent agro-industrial characteristics. The upright posture contributes to the better performance of the machines in mechanized planting and harvesting.

IACSP04-6007 and IACCTC05-9561 have high initial growth speed, a characteristic that makes their leaves close more quickly, causing shadows that prevent the emergence of weeds. "This characteristic of closing tightly results in a kind of leaf umbrella, which protects the plant by fighting weeds", he explains. The benefit achieved is the reduction in the use of herbicides. Fast growth also allows for later planting.

"We are very impressed with the performance of the IACSP04-6007 variety, as it has adapted very well to our production environments, which are very restrictive. The variety is rustic, stable throughout the cuts, maintains high weight and ATR, especially in the years that we are facing severe drought", says Darci Emerson Moro Conche, agricultural manager at the Zilor plant, in Quatá, in the interior of São Paulo.

IACSP04-6007 was originally selected in the Southwest region of the State of São Paulo, where there is less water deficit. It already has significant areas of cultivation in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná, in addition to being in its own region of origin, in the municipality of Assis, in the interior of São Paulo. Currently, it has aroused a lot of interest and is gaining ground in the North and West regions of the State, in addition to the Triângulo Mineiro.

"Despite coming from a region with a milder climate, when in a warmer region, it has also stood out in Goiás and West São Paulo, as long as it is in soils with better water storage capacity", explains Landell. IACSP04-6007 has excellent maturation from the beginning of the harvest, in April, until the end, in September.

IACCTC05-9561

Developed in Western Bahia, a very peculiar region with limiting production aspects, IACCTC05-9561 has stood out in very challenging conditions: the Brazilian Cerrado. It is very adapted to the North of Goiás, where it is being planted at the Jalles Machado plant. Recommended for medium to favorable environments, its adoption has also been growing in São Paulo and Paraná.

The research coordinator of the Jalles Machado Group, Waldemir Queiroz, also praises IACCTC05-9561: "Its initial productivity is around 120 tons, per hectare, in the Jalles environments together with the improvement of the plant's environment", he states.

Among the numerous positive characteristics of IACCTC05-9561, the excellent adaptation to mechanization and an excellent option for advanced sugarcane farming management stand out. "In addition, biometric uniformity and rapid growth provide it with excellent productivity throughout the cuts", comments Landell.

IACCTC05-2562

IACCTC05-2562 has slower initial growth, therefore, it has a smaller volume of leaves. This is positive because, during the dry season, the more leaves the plant has, the greater the water loss through the leaf mass. "Cane with a low phytomass is better protected from water deficit, as it does not lose as much water through evapotranspiration", explains the IAC scientist, from the São Paulo Agribusiness Technology Agency (APTA).

For Marcio Pereira, in charge of varieties at the Santo Antônio Unit, Grupo Balbo, IACCTC05-2562 stands out for its adaptation to mechanization, ease of sprouting and good longevity. "Even in advanced cuts in our mechanized harvested nurseries, it has no flaws", comments Pereira.

Developed in the Ribeirão Preto region, IACCTC05-2562 originates from the CTC4 variety, one of the most planted, with the difference of having good resistance to rust, in addition to good performance from Paraná to Tocantins. In good environments and it has high performance. "It's a variety that grows very well, closes the lines very well and harvests very well", summarizes Landell.

High potential strategy for regional niches

The researcher emphasizes that these new commercial varieties were developed within the high potential strategy for regional niches. The composition of the sugarcane field must be diverse, that is, around ten different varieties must be used to follow the recommendation that each material represents a maximum of 15% of the total area. "Complexity is what leads to productivity of 120 tons per hectare, on average of the five cuts, optimizing regional niches and using the varieties most adapted to each location", he adds.

The IAC Sugarcane Program adopts the strategy of identifying all varieties developed with their regional profiles so that producers do not make mistakes when choosing a particular variety for their region. The objective is to make the guidelines available as if it were a "pamphlet", which contains all the characteristics of biological materials and their respective performance according to the environment where they are planted.

Why is the upright bearing of the cane important?

Sugarcane planting and harvesting machines work best with upright canes. In mechanized harvesting, the leaves are discarded and left on the soil, preserving it from erosive processes and freeing it from water loss. Furthermore, upright sugarcane helps to reduce mineral impurities, which result from sugarcane contact with the soil at the time of harvest. "When sugarcane falls and touches the ground, impurities enter the industry, reducing the quality of the sugarcane", explains Landell.

Another factor that contributes to the functioning of the machines is the biometric uniformity of the sugarcane, that is, the plant having the same height and stalk diameter. "Planting and harvesting equipment works better the greater the uniformity of the biological material", he attests.

Bulletins can be accessed on the IAC website

The Technical Bulletin that addresses new sugarcane varieties - IACSP04-6007, IACCTC05-2562, IACCTC05-9561 - and the Technical Bulletin with information from the IAC Varietal Census of Sugarcane in Brazil, 2019/2020 harvest, and in Central-South Region, 2020/2021 harvest, can be accessed on the Agronomic Institute website. "The bulletins are available in print and online, with technical writing, making communication practical and accessible between the IAC and the user public", comments the researcher and director of the IAC Sugarcane Center, Mauro Alexandre Xavier.

The transfer of these IAC technologies takes place this November, when the Department of Agriculture turns 130 years old.