Feasibility of Drainage Water Compound Usage for Irrigating Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) in Khuzestan Province; Iran

The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the feasibility of using drainage water mixed with water to irrigate sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) in Khuzestan province. The investigation was conducted in Research Center of Sugarcane in farming seasons of years 2008-2009. Four salinity levels of irrigation water were selected (S1, S2, S3 and S4 respectively with salinites of: (river water, 3, 4.5, and 6 dS/m), as major treatments and three varieties (CP48-103, CP57-614 and IRC99-01), as minor treatments in four replications and in the form of a randomized complete plan. Following the initial and developmental stages from March to October 2008, sugarcane was irrigated with the four levels of water salinity. In other words, elementary growth and developmental processes were completed without imposing any water stresses. Salinity treatments of irrigation water were applied starting with March-April 2008. Finally, in January 2009 the crop was harvested with yield), height and juice quality parameters evaluated. Results revealed that with increase in salinity of irrigation water, yield, cane, height, Pol, Brix, purity, yellow sugar and sucrose got decreased. Variety IRC99-01 was found to have maximum crop yield at different salinity levels while varieties CP57-614 and CP48-103 were rated, respectively. For all the varieties, juice quality ratio and electrical conductivity of juice increased with increase in salinity of irrigation water. Levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chlorine were different in sugarcane juice of the three study varieties, a phenomenon related to the physiology of the plant.