ABSTRACT
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), a crop originally from New Guinea, was one of the first tropical crops to be adapted to large-scale farming (Brandes, 1956). It is a C4 plant-highly efficient in turning solar radiation into biomass. Sugarcane is a perennial crop harvested approximately annually, with up to six cycles before replanting. Sugarcane is produced commercially in more than 70 countries with nearly 22 million ha harvested annually, mostly between latitudes of 35oN to 35oS. The main producers are Brazil, India, and China, accounting for 33%, 23%, and 7% of 2007 total production, respectively (FAOSTAT, 2009).
