Ecological problems in sugarcane production

KARTHIKEYAN NANJAPPAN ERASMUS MUNDUS STUDENT

Some interesting facts about sugarcane

62% of world sugar is met with sugarcane one of the most efficient photosynthesizers in plant kingdom One of the best crop for biofuel ethanol production Contribute a major share of economy in many developing countries like Brazil, India, Cuba etc., Source of raw material for many industries like sugar, paper, solvent etc.,

Production and productivity of sugarcane in major countries

Country Brazil India China Pak Asia S. America N. C. America Africa World Area 4.92 3.96 1.21 1.14 8.67 6.05 3.21 1.43 19.90 Production 338.7 265.0 85.7 53.0 536.7 419.6 166.7 85.7 1254.9 Productivity 68.7 66.9 71.3 46.7 61.9 69.4 52.0 57.9 63.1

Uses of products and by products from sugarcane

Sugar

Basis of all life Used in preparation of many delicious food

Molasses

It contains 35% of non crystallizable sugar Main raw material for ethanol production Production of some of the alcoholic beverages like RUM Also used as animal feed supplement

Baggasse

Paper production Partical board Electricity generation Biogas methane production

Ecological aspects of sugarcane cultivation

Climatic requirements
Grows well in tropical and subtropical climate Bright sunny weather aids in maximum photosynthesis
Cultivated in wide range of soils Moderately heavy medium deep (1-2m) loams are better than o Heavier and shallow soils The soil must be of good depth and drainage No salt and compaction

Soil requirements

Water requirement
1800-2000mm

Fertilizer recommendation
270 : 112.5: 60 N: P2O5: K2O kg /ha

Ecological problems of sugarcane production

Can be broadly classified into

Soil related problems Water related problems Habitat related problems Atmospheric problems Ethical problems

Soil related problems

Soil physical problems like Soil erosion Soil compaction Soil surface sealing Soil chemical problems like Soil salanisation Soil acidification Soil biological problems like Loss of microbial diversity
Gully Erosion

Soil physical problems

Soil erosion
Due to the cultivation in slopy areas As the cultivable land is shrinking, all marginal lands are used for cultivation Leads to the loss of nutrients and soil colloidal particles

Soil compaction

Increase in bulk density of soil is the cause for soil compaction Due to the usage of heavy machinery for the cultural practices like ploughing, intercultural operations and harvesting Formation of subsurface hard pans restrict infiltration of water and air leads to the restriction in the plant growth As sugarcane is long duration crop, the soil is not loosened frequently

Soil surface sealing

Due to the lack of loosening practices in the soil at the mid crop growth stage Restricts the air circulation in the soil results in restricted root growth

Soil chemical problems

Soil salinity
Increase in the electrical conductivity is called as soil salinisation It happens due to the non leaching of salt by drainage Water logging condition favors the salinisation process Affects the availability of nutrients and the soil structure thereby restricting the growth of plants Nitrate fertilizers and other basic fertilizers leads to salanisation

Soil acidity
Use of urea and ammonium sulphate increases the soil acidity Soil acidity will make nutrients unavailable Heavy metal toxicity is one of the problem in acidic soils

Soil biological problems

Healthy soil will have
1000 kg of earthworms per hectare 2700 kg of fungi/ ha 1700 kg of bacteria/ha 150 kg of protozoa/ha 1000 kg of arthropods/ha Any change in the above things may be considered as soil health problem As all the mineralization processes are carried out by these organisms Excessive application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other agrochemical used in sugarcane cultivation leads to the reduction in the biological diversity Burning of sugarcane either pre-harvest or post-harvest conditions leads to the killing of these organisms

Water related problems

Over exploitation of water resources
Leads to the water problems between countries, states and even between regions

Diversion from rivers, in extreme cases exposing dry riverbeds Excessive use of groundwater, particularly where pumping is cheap, exceeds groundwater recharge Cumulative impacts of water use with expanded production Water logging of soils resulting from poor drainage or inefficient use of water Salinization of soils Water storage and infrastructure development (e.g. dams, canals, etc.) Nitrate pollution ground water Also pollution Of water due to the pesticides and other agrochemicals

Habitat related problems

Historical clearing of a wide range of unique habitats for sugarcane cultivation is probably one of the most significant causes of biodiversity loss from agriculture on the planet (Brazil, Nigeria etc.,) Production is possible where other crops dont do well Production expanded and contracted historically depending on price and competitiveness. This is important because the marginal areas affected are high in biodiversity and provide valuable ecosystem services. These fragments are key to rehabilitation. Habitat conversion continues (e.g. wetlands, riparian areas, areas of slope).

Atmospheric pollution
Burning of trashes of sugarcane adds carbon monoxide, Carbon di oxide and other green house gases to the atmosphere

Decreases soil quality, by causing a decline in soil microbial activity and the physical and chemical properties of the soil

Burning sugar fields reduces organic matter, increases input use and reduces production Cane burning can reduce the quality of sugar recovered from the cane as well as reduce the quantity of cane retrieved by as much as five percent.

Ethical problems
Diversion of more land to sugarcane instead of food grains leads to food insecurity in developing nations Whether short term benefits like economy is important or long term safe ecology? Which one is more important feeding the engines? Or feeding the humans?

Think for a while

What to do?
Better management practices (BMP)
Erosion control methods should be adapted to check erosion Efficient irrigation practices like drip/sprinkler methods or local methods like skip furrow irrigation method Integrated nutrient management (INM) involving organic manures, biofertilizers and chemical fertilizers Integrated pest management (IPM) for diseases and pests using resistant varieties, bio control agents Efficient land use planning (LUP) which will overlook the food grain production and the cash crops cultivation

Conclusions
Sugarcane is one of the most important crop for industrial and human use There is lot of environmental problems regarding the cultivation of sugarcane These problems are manifold affecting all section of the environment like soil, water, air and living things These problems can be minimized by careful land use planning Finally human life is important, for human vehicles are important Prudent thinking and adeptness in execution of scientific methods can only save this environment