Sugarcane Residue Management: Influence of a Modified Sweeper on Yields and Water Quality.

The focus of the study was to provide information on implementation of a modified sweeper on sugarcane yield and water quality. Field experiments were established at three different locations in south Louisiana; Paincourtville, Duson and Baton Rouge. In each location, three large plots (>0.5 acre) were selected for the following treatments, burn, mulch, and sweep. Each plot consisted of 6 rows at 6 ft spacing and 300 feet in length. For the burn treatment, the residue was burned following sugarcane harvest, whereas for the mulch treatment the residue was not removed from the surface. For the sweep treatment, a modified sweeper was used following harvest. The sweeper removed the residue from the top of the mulch to the furrows. Sugarcane yield was collected at harvest and subsamples were processed for sucrose analysis. To monitor water quality, selected sites were instrumented with water samplers, flow modules, area velocity meters, rain gauges, and 18-inch H-type flumes. Our results indicated that there was no significant difference observed for the total soil loss (dissolved and total solids), turbidity, phosphorus and nitrogen. In fact, the influence of the sweeper on soil and nutrient losses were comparable to runoff from burn and mulch management strategies. Moreover, sugarcane yield was not significantly different from mulch or burn treatments. This finding was based on results from four growing season (2013-2016) and four different sitess