53% Stronger Sugarcane Roots Before Transplant

The Problem

Pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings (MPB) are only as good as the nursery they leave. Weak sprouting, slow root development, and poor uniformity all show up later as transplant losses, longer cycles, and weaker first-season productivity in the field. Once the seedling is in the ground, those compromises are hard to fix.

Operators producing or sourcing MPB seedlings need a way to lift the foundational quality of the plant before it ever reaches the field.

The Trial

A controlled-environment trial at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo evaluated four substrate doses of Agrarius (0, 0.65, 1.3, 2.0 g/L) and a foliar pass at 30 days after planting on cultivar IACSP01-5503.

• Location: IAC nursery facility, Ribeirão Preto, SP
• Cultivar: IACSP01-5503
• Scale: 400 seedlings per treatment, replicated across 8 trays
• Substrate dose tested: 0 g/L, 0.65 g/L, 1.3 g/L, 2.0 g/L
• Foliar pass: 1.3 g/L at 30 DAP
• Measurements: sprouting %, dry root biomass at 45 DAP, dry shoot biomass at 60 DAP

What Happened

The optimal substrate dose was 0.65 g/L, paired with a 1.3 g/L foliar at 30 DAP. Higher substrate rates suppressed early sprouting and did not deliver proportional later-stage gains.

• Dry root biomass at 45 DAP: 2.46 g treated vs. 1.61 g control — +53%.
• Sprouting at 15 days: 80.25% at the optimal dose; 67–68% at higher rates.
• Dry shoot biomass at 60 DAP: 3.63–3.75 g in the top treatments, with a balanced root-to-shoot ratio.
• Population uniformity: consistent growth across the tray — fewer lagging seedlings.

The takeaway: more isn't better. The right substrate rate plus a single foliar pass produces stronger, more uniform seedlings without suppressing germination.

Why This Matters

Transplant quality determines stand quality, and stand quality drives the entire 5–7 year crop cycle. Stronger roots at transplant mean fewer acclimatization losses, faster field establishment, and better water uptake from day one.

• Higher seedling survival through acclimatization — fewer culls per tray.
• Faster nursery cycles — more turnover per square meter of nursery floor.
• Better field stand — the cycle starts on stronger plants.

The economics work out: a small per-seedling input delivers compounding gains across the multi-year ratoon.

How To Use It

The protocol fits into a standard MPB workflow without changing operations.

• Substrate: mix 0.65 g/L Agrarius into the planting substrate before planting buds.
• Germination chamber: standard automated operation — no changes.
• Acclimatization: standard greenhouse schedule.
• Foliar pass: 1.3 g/L sprayed foliarly at 30 days after planting.
• Care after that: water, temperature, and light as normal.
• Transplant: at the standard nursery exit window.

Use the recommended dose precisely. The data showed higher rates reduce sprouting without buying additional growth later.