Soil Salinity and Impact on Yield of Sugar Cane

Introduction

Sugar cane is a major source of sugar used in the food industry today. The growth of sugar cane crops is impacted adversely by soil salinity. Thus, it is necessary to determine the sodium content of the soil in areas where sugar cane crops are being grown.

Sodium is a mineral constantly present in soil, but an excess of it can cause the yield of sugar cane to dwindle. Thus, it is beneficial to measure the salinity of soil on which sugar cane crops are grown.

To determine the sodium content of soil, the Horiba LAQUAtwin sodium ion (Na⁺) meter can be used. This is an easy and quick method used to  consider the sodium content of canned products.

Method

1. Sodium is water soluble, thus 1g soil samples can be mixed with 4g of warm water and shaken thoroughly.
2. After 5 minutes, the resultant mixture can be strained to produce a saltwater sample from the soil.
3. A small sample can be extracted via pipette
4. This is placed on the sensor of the LAQUAtwin sodium ion (Na⁺) meter and the sodium content is measured after one minute.
5. To repeat sampling, wash the sensor with tap  water and pat dry with a paper tissue.

Results and Benefits

The use of the Horiba LAQUAtwin sodium ion (Na⁺) meter to measure the sodium content of soil will improve farmers’ knowledge of the best land to grow sugarcane crops and hence enable optimized yield. The LAQUAtwin sodium ion (Na⁺) meter is small and compact; convenient to carry around in your pocket for easy on-site testing. Its easy-to-use interface is simple for anyone to use.

Avinash Karpe, Ashok A. Nikam, Krunal P. Chimote, Sachin B. Kalwade, Prashant G. Kawar, Harinath Babu, Rachayya M. Devarumath, and Penna Suprasanna "Differential responses to salinity stress of two varieties (CoC 671 and Co 86032) of sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.)" African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(37), pp. 9028-9035, 8 May, 2012