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Spatial–Temporal Analysis to Investigate the Influence of in-Row Plant Spacing on the Sugarcane Yield

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Abstract

Monitoring the spatial and temporal variability of plant populations is essential for the longevity of sugarcane fields and allows localized management and optimization of the use of agricultural resources on the farm. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial and temporal relationship between sugarcane yield and plant spacing in regions with different yield potentials in commercial fields. For this, three-year harvest data were obtained in a commercial sugarcane field and the spacing between plants in the sugarcane row was measured using an RGB camera onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Spatial and temporal stability analysis in the sugarcane field was carried out. Regression analysis was used to describe the causal effect of plant spacing on yield for each year of study. As a result, the regions of the field were classified according their yield patterns, as high, low, stable and unstable. The spacing between plants among these regions varied and differently influenced the final yield. It was observed that plant density affects the sugarcane yield, considering regions of high and low production potential, and that the population density decreased over time as the stand deteriorated. Nonlinear modeling with logarithmic function (R2 = 0.83) was achieved, indicating that the yield grows gradually and more slowly as the spacing between plants increases when compared to linear models, as verified in other studies in the literature.

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) grant number 168643/2017-0, and also financial support promoted, at the beginning of the doctorate, by the Brazilian Federal Agency: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) – Finance Code 001, both for the first author; to the operational support of São Manoel sugarcane mill.

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  1. “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Laboratory of Precision Agriculture (LAP), University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil

    Leonardo Felipe Maldaner, José Paulo Molin & Eudocio Rafael Otavio da Silva

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  1. Leonardo Felipe Maldaner
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  2. José Paulo Molin
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LFM and JPM were involved in the conceptualization; LFM and JPM contributed to the methodology; LFM and EROS assisted in the formal analysis; LFM contributed to writing—original draft; LFM, JPM and EROS were involved in writing—review and editing; LFM, JPM and EROS contributed to the validation; JPM contributed to the supervision. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eudocio Rafael Otavio da Silva.

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Maldaner, L.F., Molin, J.P. & Otavio da Silva, E.R. Spatial–Temporal Analysis to Investigate the Influence of in-Row Plant Spacing on the Sugarcane Yield. Sugar Tech 26, 194–206 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-023-01334-4

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