The objective of this work was to evaluate growth and yield parameters of sugar cane cv. RB92579 under irrigation in the Brazilian semi-arid to evaluate performance of that crop in the local conditions of climate and soil. It was evaluated the accumulation of dry biomass and its respective partitions during two consecutive sugarcane ratoon cycles, as well as the indicators of industrial yield and crop quality at the end of the experimental period. Ten samples collections were carried out in both sugarcane cycles to determine the dry biomass of six structural components of tillers (green leaves, sheaths, immature leaves and sheaths, pseudo-stem, dead leaves and sheaths and stems). The sugarcane presented high accumulation of dry biomass with a mean value of 6,493 g m-2 for the two cultivation cycles. At the beginning of the growing period, the photoassimilates are mainly destined to the green leaves, sheaths, immature leaves and pseudostem. Afterwards, the photoassimilates are used in the formation of stems and leaf enlargement. The results achieved in this work were very similar for both ratoon cycles. The fitted models used to describe the evolution of dry biomass and their respective partitions presented good correlation as a function of the days after cutting. The high industrial yield (133.88±40.84 t ha-1) and the high content of sucrose on the stem per dry biomass (0.34±0.10 g g-1) provided elevated values of sugar (17.75±4.44 t ha-1) and alcohol (12.73±3.23 t ha-1) production, indicating high productive performance of the RB92579 for the region.
bioenergy; growth analysis; lower middle of São Francisco Valley
