Amjad Shaker Hamoud Al-Bawi (1), Raghda Safaa Alddin (2), Shuaa Majid Al-Zubaidi (3), Omar Mohammed Shadhan (4)
General Background: Sugarcane is a major tropical crop whose productivity depends on efficient nutrient management and irrigation systems. Specific Background: Recent advances in nanotechnology have introduced nano-fertilizers capable of enhancing nutrient uptake and improving physiological performance, yet their crop-specific efficacy under drip irrigation remains insufficiently characterized. Knowledge Gap: Empirical evidence on how distinct sugarcane varieties respond to varying nano-fertilizer concentrations in field conditions—particularly regarding vegetative growth, yield components, and sucrose accumulation—is still limited. Aims: This study evaluated the growth, physiological traits, and yield of four American sugarcane cultivars (CP72-2086, CP89-2143, CP81-325, LO3-371) subjected to three nano-fertilizer concentrations (1, 2, 3 L ha⁻¹) under drip irrigation. Results: The 3 L ha⁻¹ treatment consistently improved stem height, diameter, leaf area, and stem yield (229.67 t ha⁻¹), while cultivars CP89-2143 and CP81-325 showed the highest sucrose content (up to 16.20%). LO3-371 exhibited the greatest increase in extractable stems and dry biomass. Novelty: This study provides the first integrated comparison of nano-fertilizer dose–response patterns across multiple sugarcane varieties under drip irrigation in arid-field conditions. Implications: Findings highlight the potential of nano-fertilizers—particularly at 3 L ha⁻¹—to enhance growth efficiency and sugar yield, supporting more sustainable and productive sugarcane management strategies.Highlight :
Nano-fertiliser 3 L ha⁻¹ consistently improves stem growth and leaf performance.
Varieties CP81-325, CP89-2143, and LO3-371 show stronger vegetative responses.
Sucrose and sugar yield increase under optimized nano-fertiliser levels with drip irrigation.
Keywords : Stem Height, Sugar Yield, Nano-fertiliser, Sugarcane Varieties, Drip Irrigation
Kfir, R., Overholt, W. A., Khan, Z. R., and Polaszek, A., “Biology and Management of Economically Important Lepidopteran Cereal Stem Borers in Africa,” Annual Review of Entomology, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 701–731, 2002, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145218.
Government of Pakistan, Economic Survey of Pakistan 2016–2017. Islamabad, Pakistan: Finance Division, Economic Advisory Wing, 2017. Available: [https://www.finance.gov.pk](https://www.finance.gov.pk)
Thabit, A. J., and Hamoudi, A. H., “Selection of Several Early-Maturing Sugarcane Varieties Suitable for Environmental Conditions and Their Introduction into a Sugarcane Farm in Maysan,” Maysan Journal of Academic Studies, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 94–101, 2008.
Saleh, M. M. S., Nanotechnology and a New Scientific Era. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Fahd National Library & King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, 2015.
Duhan, J. S., Kumar, R., Kumar, N., Kaur, P., Nehra, K., and Duhan, S., “Nanotechnology: The New Perspective in Precision Agriculture,” Biotechnology Reports, vol. 15, pp. 11–23, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.btre.2017.03.002.
Singh, A., Singh, S., and Prasad, S. M., “Scope of Nanotechnology in Crop Science: Profit or Loss,” Research and Reviews: Journal of Botanical Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–4, 2016.
Gava, G. J. C., Silva, M. A., Silva, R. C., Jeronimo, E. M., Cruz, J. C. S., and Kölln, O. T., “Produtividade de Três Cultivares de Cana-de-Açúcar sob Manejos de Sequeiro e Irrigado por Gotejamento,” Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 250–255, 2011, doi: 10.1590/S1415-43662011000300006.
Mary, P. C. N., and Anitha, R., “Effect of Sugarcane Trash Biochar on Enhancement of Soil Health and Sugarcane Productivity,” International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 2650–2660, 2019, doi: 10.20546/ijcmas.2019.811.308.
Parajuli, S., “Leaf Area Index Estimation Methods,” Agriculture and Forestry Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 45–52, 2016.
AOAC International, Official Methods of Analysis, 16th ed. Washington, DC: Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 1995.
Saidur, R., Growth, Yield and Quality of Plant and Ratoon Crops of Sugarcane as Affected by Plant Material and Management Practices. PhD dissertation, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 2012.
Al-Sahouki, M. M., and Wahib, K. M., Applications in the Design and Analysis of Experiments. Baghdad, Iraq: Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, University of Baghdad, 1990.
Fiaz, S., Khan, M. A., Aslam, M. A., and Arshad, M. R. M., “Performance of Different Sugarcane Varieties Under Agro-Climatic Conditions of Faisalabad,” Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 123–131, 2013.
Al-Bawi, A. S. H., Response of Sugarcane Varieties to Growth Stimulants Under Drip Irrigation Technology. PhD dissertation, University of Diyala, Iraq, 2021.
Singh, M. D., Gautam, C., Patidar, O. P., and Meena, H. M., “Nanofertilizers: A New Way to Increase Nutrient Use Efficiency in Crop Production,” International Journal of Agriculture Sciences, vol. 9, no. 7, pp. 3831–3833, 2017.
Ali, M. R., and Khatun, S. K., “Influence of Micronutrients on Growth and Yield Attributes of Sugarcane,” Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 735–748, 2016, doi: 10.3329/bjar.v41i4.31030.
Sabir, S., Arshad, M., and Chaudhari, S. K., “Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Revolutionizing Agriculture: Synthesis and Applications,” The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2014, pp. 1–8, 2014, doi: 10.1155/2014/925494.
Al-Jawdhari, S. M. K., Effect of Nano-Iron and Zinc, Their Method of Addition, and Organic Fertilizer on Growth, Production of Active Ingredients and Anatomical Properties of Calotropis procera. PhD dissertation, College of Education, Al-Qadisiyah University, Iraq, 2017.
Al-Hindawi, S. A., and Al-Suhaibani, N. A. R., Environment and Physiology of Field Crops. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Saud University Press, 2019.
Khot, L. R., Sankaran, S., Maja, J. M., Ehsani, R., and Schuster, E. W., “Applications of Nanomaterials in Agricultural Production and Crop Protection: A Review,” Crop Protection, vol. 35, pp. 64–70, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.cropro.2012.01.007.