ABSTRACT
Sugarcane, a complex hybrid of S. officinarum L., S. spontaneum L., S. barberi Jeswiet and S. sinese Roxb. Amend. Jeswiet, is a globally important commodity crop worth $61 billion in 2013 according to FAOSTAT. Only four other commodity crops are on a comparable scale of production and value as sugarcane, and they include rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), soybean (Glycine max) and corn (Zea mays). On a production basis, sugarcane was the largest crop in the world at 1.905 billion Mg in 2013. The multitasking nature of these important crops results in the large production volume, value and cultivated land area. For example, sugarcane generates sucrose, molasses and bagasse at various stages of milling. These commodity products can be further transformed into syrup, ethanol, pelletized bagasse fuel, vegetable seedling growth media, biochar, activated charcoal, low-protein forage, recreational fishing lures (e.g. Rat-L-Trap), 3-D printer ink, and base chemicals (e.g. isoprene). Sugarcane was first domesticated as a tropical crop, but modern cultivations are possible in subtropical and temperate regions due to successful breeding programmes and advances in crop management. As a perennial plant, sugarcane can be harvested multiple times before replanting. However, sugarcane production practices have a cumulative effect and impact future cuttings, or ratoons. Thus, production practices focused on an entire sugarcane growing cycle are essential to the success of the crop.
