Additional irrigation on a sugar-cane (Saccharum spp) crop harvested in January: A decision analysis model for the southern coast of Alagoas State

Abstract

Sugar mills and alcohol distilleries in Alagoas State, Brazil, have great economical importance. The use of techniques that increase their productivity and reduce sugar-cane production costs is needed to use their installation capacity to the fullest. Irrigation technology has become a profitable alternative for the sugar-cane (ratoon cycle) conditions in Alagoas State. A decision tree was used to evaluate expected values form different available alternatives to choose the best decision maker, taking into consideration the viability of additional irrigation technology in cane beat in January, just during the first development stage of the sugar-cane (ratoon cycle) in the southern coast of Alagoas State. From the obtained results of the analyzed conditions, it was concluded that: there is a great technical and economical viability for irrigation in the beginning of the year (January), considering direct and indirect benefits of agricultural productivity increase, greater ratoon longevity, reduction of soil preparation and planting, culture treatments and sugar cane transport; the expected net income presents small influence of cost variables with ratoon culture treatments and soil preparation and planting.