Bagasse: A Potential Organic Soil Amendment Used in Sugarcane Production

Pile of bagasse collected at the US Sugar processing plant in Clewiston, FL.

Bagasse is an agricultural by-product derived from the sugarcane milling process. It is a dry and fibrous residue left after the extraction of sugar juice from sugarcane. This 5-page document is a preliminary investigation into the possible effects of using bagasse as a soil amendment. Written by Jehangir H. Bhadha, Nan Xu, Raju Khatiwada, Stewart Swanson, and Chris LaBorde, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences, August 2020.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss690

Soil Organic Matter Impacts on Sugarcane Production on Florida Mineral Soils

Sugar Cane stalks. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.

Sugarcane growth on mineral soils in Florida can often be highly variable as related to the nature of the soils. The soil factor that best relates to sugarcane growth is soil organic matter content. Very stunted sugarcane is also associated with high nematode populations, which indicate high risk of crop damage. This new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department discusses grower options for evaluating and increasing soil organic matter. Written by J. Mabry McCray and Stewart Swanson.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag441