Resumo

BASTIDAS, Luis et al. Sugar and panela potential of five sugarcane cultivars in the Santa Cruz of Bucaral valley, Falcon state, Venezuela. Agronomía Trop. [online]. 2009, vol.59, n.2, pp.137-148. ISSN 0002-192X.

The agro-ecological conditions of the Santa Cruz de Bucaral Valley, Union County, Falcon State, represent a potential area for growing sugarcane, Saccharum spp. Hybrid, for the production of sugar and panela. In order to evaluate this potential, a study was carried out to assess the agronomic and industrial performance of five sugarcane cultivars: B 80-549, CR 74-250, V 71-39, B 80-408 and PR 61-632. The following parameters were evaluated: Pol % cane (PPC), content of panela in cane (PA), tons of cane per hectare (TCH), tons of sugar per hectare (TPH) and tons of panela (TPAH). The evaluations were carried out for two cycles: plant cane and first ratoon, at two harvest time (12 and 16 months). The results shown that there was a wide variation among the performance of cultivars in different cycles and harvest times. The cultivars B 80-549, PR 61-632 and CR 74-250 showed the higher yields in TCH, TPH, and TPAH at 16 months in plant cane and 12 months on first ratoon. The cultivar V 71-39 showed to be an early mature material with a high Pol % cane value. The Santa Cruz de Bucaral Valley meets the necessary conditions for growing sugarcane and to demonstrate the genetic potential of sugarcane cultivars to produce sugar and panela in a profitable way. The sugarcane crop is a viable alternative for the area under study

Palavras-chave : Saccharum sp hybrid; sugar; panela cane.