QUALITY OF SUGAR CANE (Saccharum spp.) JUICES BASED ON THE CULTIVATION CYCLE IN CHIAPAS, MÉXICO

Abstract

The sugar plants in Huixtla and Pujiltic, in the state of Chiapas, México, require producers to renovate the sugar cane plantations once five harvests have been carried out, arguing that the older plantations produce less sucrose. Since the frequent renovation of the plantations can affect the producer’s economy, the quality of juices and yields of milling stalks was evaluated in three varieties, five plantation cycles, and two harvest dates. Results showed that the moisture, reducing sugars, and purity of the juices did not present statistical differences in function of the cultivation cycle. The relationship between sucrose, fiber and cultivation cycles was associated to the varieties; in both cases, the variations observed were attributed to the soil and climate variation in the cultivation areas, which lead to different degrees of maturity and accumulation of sucrose. The yield of the milling stalks did not present differences per cultivation cycle, but it is observed that it tends to decrease in older plantations, which responds mostly to the loss of stumps.