Predicting the effect of climate change on sugarcane cultivation

Publication date: 11/12/2017
Extent: 14 pages

Contributions by: Fábio R. Marin, University of São Paulo (USP) - Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), Brazil; Daniel S. P. Nassif, Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil; and Leandro G. Costa, Murilo S. Vianna, Kassio Carvalho and Pedro R. Pereira, University of São Paulo (USP) - Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), Brazil

Chapter synopsis: Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) can be used to produce ethanol and biomass for energy generation, as part of a climate change mitigation policy. It is also an important crop from a food security perspective, with almost 75% of the world's sugar coming from sugarcane plantations. In this chapter we review the potential impacts of climate change on sugarcane crops, focusing on the likely effects of changes in air temperature and CO₂ concentration. The effects of changes in rainfall patterns and water stress are also discussed. Experimental and process-based dynamic crop growth models (PBCM) simulation results are used to show the potential climate change impacts on the crop for the main sugarcane-producing countries.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2017.0035.30