Energy traits in three sugarcane cultivars in Tucuman, Argentina

摘要

Bagasse (stalk fibre) and agricultural harvest residues (AHR) obtained from sugarcane are considered energy sources that can contribute to reducing the use of non-renewable fuels. The purpose of this work was to characterize the main sugarcane cultivars grown in Tucuman according to the yield of fibre and AHR and their energetic quality components for use as fuel in steam boilers. Three sugarcane cultivars (Tuc 95-10, TucCP 77-42 and LCP 85-384) were evaluated in four trials distributed throughout the sugarcane growing area of Tucuman. The trials were planted in a randomised complete-block design with three repetitions. Samples of 15 stalks with tops and leaves were taken from each plot to determine the fibre content of the stalks (%) and the AHR proportion (%) in order to estimate the yields of AHR per hectare (TAHR) and fibre (TFH). Energy parameters that determine the AHR quality were analysed separately for tops and leaves and included ash (As%), fixed carbon (FC%), volatile solids (VS%) and higher calorific value (HCV). For TAHR, there were no significant differences among cultivars. However, Tuc 95-10 and TucCP 77-42 showed significantly higher values of TFH than LCP 85-384. Of the energy parameters of AHR, there were statistically significant differences among varieties in As% (leaves and tops), HCV (top) and FC% (leaves). Tuc 95-10 showed the lowest values of As% and highest values of FC% and HCV, which implies a higher AHR quality than the other cultivars. The results of this study show the importance of characterizing sugarcane clones for different traits in an energy crop context.