Use of Vegetation Activity Index for Evaluation of L-Alpha Amino Acid Treatment in Sugarcane

Américo Ferraz Dias Neto (), Ivan Bazo Bergamim, Flavio Roberto de Freitas Gonçalves, Raffaella Rossetto and Daniel Albiero
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Américo Ferraz Dias Neto: School of Agriculture Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
Ivan Bazo Bergamim: School of Agriculture Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
Flavio Roberto de Freitas Gonçalves: School of Agriculture Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil
Raffaella Rossetto: Sugarcane Program, UPD Jau, VI IAC, Jau 17201-970, SP, Brazil
Daniel Albiero: School of Agriculture Engineering, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, SP, Brazil

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: Accurate assessment of crop vegetative state is crucial for agricultural management, particularly under environmental stress, and detailed field experiments face logistical and cost challenges. This study addresses two key gaps: (1) limited research on the effects of biostimulants, specifically L-alpha amino acids, on sugarcane’s metabolism, yield, and quality; and (2) the need for robust, non-invasive methods to evaluate crop performance. A novel approach is proposed using the Vegetation Activity Index (VAI), derived from integrated NDVI data, as an effective tool for assessing vegetation dynamics over the crop cycle. There was no significant difference in VAI between treated and untreated areas during the plant development cycle ( p = 0.342), but a significant increase in VAI was observed in treated areas post-treatment ( p = 0.009). Polynomial regression models (R 2 : 0.921–0.959) effectively explained vegetation variability. VAI and Total Recoverable Sugars per Hectare (STH) data followed a normal distribution, with no significant difference in VAI during the plant development cycle ( p = 0.342) and no significant impact on STH ( p = 0.492). A strong correlation between VAI and STH for treated areas (r = 0.966, p = 0.034) was observed. The L-alpha biostimulant increased vegetation activity during critical growth periods but did not affect sugar yield. Return on investment analysis indicated high profitability for the treatment.

Keywords: sugarcane; biostimulant; vegetation activity index; crop assessment; sustainable agriculture; agricultural management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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