A Small-Scale Technique for Evaluation of the Effect of Spray Oils and Other Materials on Sugarcane Yields

Abstract

A technique was developed for the precise low-volume application of liquids to individual stools of cane as a part of a study of the possible effect of agricultural spray oils or other materials in preventing a seasonal decrease in the sugar yields from sugarcane. With this technique differences in yield of 10 percent can be determined using approximately 20 stools per treatment. In a preliminary test of the effect of an agricultural spray oil on sugar yield in PR. 980 cane in western Puerto Rico, a deposit level of 2 gallons of oil per acre gave a slight increase in yield which was of borderline statistical significance.