Effects of high temperature on the growth and composition of sugarcane internodes
G. D. Bonnett A C D , M. L. Hewitt B C and D. Glassop A CA CSIRO Plant Industry, Queensland Bioscience Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
B CSIRO Plant Industry, Davies Laboratory, PMB, PO Aitkenvale, QLd 4814, Australia.
C Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology, Level 5, John Hines Building, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: graham.bonnett@csiro.au
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57(10) 1087-1095 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR06042
Submitted: 13 February 2006 Accepted: 21 June 2006 Published: 27 September 2006
Abstract
Sugarcane grown in the Ord River district of Western Australia has lower sucrose content than expected from earlier trials and experience in other irrigated districts. High temperatures have been hypothesised as a possible cause. The effects of high temperature (above 32°C) on growth and carbon partitioning were investigated. A temperature regime of (25–38°C) was compared with (23–33°C). In one experiment, 7-month-old plants of cvv. Q117 and Q158 were subjected to the treatments for 2 months. In another experiment, the plants were allowed to regrow (ratoon) for 6 months. In both experiments, the higher temperature resulted in more, shorter internodes and higher moisture content. Most internodes from plants in the higher temperature treatment had lower sucrose content than internodes from the lower temperature. On a dry mass basis the internodes from the plants in the higher temperature had proportionately more fibre and hexoses but lower sucrose. Combined with an increased number of nodes in a stem of similar or shorter length this would result in higher stalk fibre and lower sucrose content. The data provided evidence that sugarcane partitions less carbon to stored sucrose when grown under high compared with low temperatures. The two cultivars partitioned carbon between soluble (sugars) and insoluble (fibre) fractions to different degrees. These experiments also indicate that the current models describing leaf appearance and perhaps sugarcane growth at temperatures above 32°C, in general, need revision.
Additional keywords: carbon partitioning, sucrose content, fibre, leaf initiation.
Acknowledgments
The Sugar Research and Development Corporation is thanked for its contribution to the construction of the controlled-temperature facility. Bill Messer and Gurmit Singh are thanked for growing the plants used in these experiments; Barry Salter, Franco Zaini, Ross Burry, and Glen Dibben for assisting the set up and running of the experiment; Michael Spillman for the weather data; and Geoff Inman-Bamber for discussions and comments on an earlier draft.
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