Sugarcane
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Sugarcane is the common name for a number of species belonging to the taxonomic genus Saccharum. They are tall tropical southeast Asian grasses (i.e. Saccharum officinarum) and it has thick, solid, tough stems that are chief commercial source of sugar. Sugar comes out from this plant after several works. It's known as Sugarcane or Sugar cane. Sugarcane is one of the most wide-spreaded plant in the world. Especially, in warm temperated area. Also, for some countries, sugarcane is one of the most important and famous export product. This product used to require hard work, but after it all became mechanical, it became an easy product.
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Anatomy
The main parts of sugarcane is stalk, root system, and leaf. The stalk consists of segments called joints. It has node and internode, and node is where the leaf is attached and where the bud can be found. when the leaf drops off the plant, the leaf scar can be found. The length of joints vary with different growing conditions.However the length of joints at the base is short and internode length increases. The outer small leaves's form is a scale. The outermost bud scale has the form of a hood. Normally, each node has one bud, and they alternate between one side of the stalk to the other. [1] Sugarcane is 2 to 6 meters tall. When seed-cane is planted, each bud will form a main shoot. The secondary shoot is called "illers" and will form from the underground buds on the main shoot. The colors of stalk can be changed by the environment. For example, exposure of the internodes to the sun might change the color of stalk completely.[2] The same variety grown in different climates may cause different colors. All colors of stalk gains from two basic pigments. And those two colors are red color of anthocyanin and green color of chlorophyll. The surface of the internode is more or less covered by wax. The leaf of sugarcane is divided into two parts :sheath and blade. The leaves are usually attached to the nodes. The function of root system is twofold. First, it enables the intake of nutrients from the soil, and second it serves to anchor the plant.
Reproduction
Sugarcane is propagated by planting of cuttings rather than using seeds. But there are some of them that still produce with seeds. Cutting the stem became the most common method of reproducing. And the cut stem must have at least one bud, and the cuttings are being planted usually by hands. Once sugarcane is planted, it can be harvested by several times. After each harvest, new stalk grows up, and it's called ratoons. Usually, after every harvest the sugar comes out short. And finally, people will have to replant it. Every sugarcane plants have different period for replanting. One plant can be harvested more than 10 times and others may not last more than 2 times. This plants are used to be harvested by hands, but these days it's being done by mechanically. When people harvest sugarcane, they burn them which kills a venomous snakes hiding in a crop, but the stalks and roots don't get harmed. This plant requires strong sunlight and abundant water for satisfactory growth. Once it's cut, the plant starts to lose and decay their sugar content. Sugarcane plant produces stalks that can reach to 10 to 24 feet high and sword-shaped, long sleeves.[3]
Ecology
Suagarcane is mostly from South Asia and Southeast Asia. The sugarcane was and is, extensively grown in the Caribbean. Sugarcane was first brought by Christopher Columbus. They are located in warm tropical regions. Several species of Saccharum are found in Southeast Asia and neighboring islands. [4]The sweet juice and crystallized sugar are known as from China and India about 2500 years ago. Sugarcane reached Americas in early colonial times. They are planted in late summer or early fall and harvested after one year. Over 592,000 acres of Sugarcane farm is located in Hawaii, Florida and Louisiana. But so far the largest producer of sugarcane country is Brazil followed by India. In eighth century A.D, Arabs introduce their sugar to Egypt, Spain, North Africa, and many other countries. By tenth century, there were no towns that don't grow Sugarcane in Mesopotamia. "Boiling house" was used in 17th through 19th to make sugar from sugarcane juice.
Other
Photosynthesis of plant makes sugar.
12 CO2 + 11 H2 O = C12 H22 O11 + 12 O2
carbon dioxide + water = sucrose + oxygen
In sugar mill, sugarcane is washed and shredded by revolving knives. After that the it gets mixed with water and crushed between rollers and the collected juice contains 10–15 percent of sucrose, and the fibrous solids, which remains in it and it's called, bagasse. It can be used in many ways. It can be animal feed, paper manufacture, and many other ways. The essential elements for sugarcane are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur and zinc. Silicon. Some of them might not be strictly needed for sugarcane.
Gallery
 Wild sugarcane |
 Sugarcane |
 Sugarcane |
 Sugarcane plumegrass |
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References
- University of Florida J. D. Miller and R. A. Gilbert2. EDIS. Unknown
- CANE SUGAR - WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT IS MADE Author Unknown. Publisher Unknown. Last Updated 16th Jan 1998
- britannica Takeo Yamane. Publisher unknown. Date unknown
- How Sugar is Made by SKIL
See Also
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