Sugarcane’s ‘water-guzzling myth’ busted by new study, sponsored by sugar industry
Sugarcane demonstrates exceptional water utilisation efficiency, producing approximately 7.14 kg of cane per cubic meter of water. It is significantly higher than the productivity of maize, rice, and wheat, according to a study commissioned by an industry body. The study said about 2 kiloliters (KL) of water is needed to produce 1 litre of ethanol from sugarcane whereas the water requirement is 3 KL for other crops.
According to Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), which “initiated” the study last year conducted by Lucknow-based Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), sugarcane has “phenomenal superiority in using water efficiently, making it the most water-efficient crop amongst all major staples grown across India.”
Evaluating techniques
ISMA said in a statement that IISR has released the first-year report of the study – Improving Water Use Efficiency and Economising Water Use in Sugarcane Cultivation in India – which has challenged the myth that sugarcane is a water-intensive crop.
Stressing that the major objectives of the two-year project are to estimate irrigation water requirements of different crops vi-a-vis sugarcane as well as assessment of yearly irrigation water use in sugarcane crops by different methods, ISMA said it also wanted to make an evaluation of water-saving agro-techniques.
“The findings of the first-year report have further confirmed that sugarcane consumes water much more efficiently than crops like maize, rice, and wheat,” ISMA said.
The study is being conducted at six research centres/stations of IISR and Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).
Time limit
“The preliminary results of this study clearly highlight the efficiency of sugarcane in water utilisation and ethanol production. These findings are instrumental in demonstrating the benefits of sugarcane cultivation in terms of water conservation and productivity,” said Deepak Ballani, ISMA’s Director-General.
He said the two-year project involves analysing two plant crops and one ratoon crop of sugarcane at each centre.
Quoting the study, ISMA said sugarcane requires less water at 1313 cubic meters per hectare per month, than competing crops like maize and rice, which exceeded 1600 cubic meters.
“The study serves to reiterate what the sugar sector has been advancing over the years and sugarcane is a resource-efficient and sustainable crop for farmers and the environment. The crop helps bring down the overall water footprint of agriculture through enhanced water use efficiency and contributes to the national and global goals of sustainability,” it said.