Effect of Water Logging on Post-harvest Sugarcane Deterioration

Microorganisms affecting Post-Harvest Sucrose Losses in Sugarcane

“…before and after burning of cane (Bevan and Bond, 1971). It is also been reported that as the time period after harvest increases the number of these bacteria were found to increase further thereby leading to low sugar recovery (Singh et al, 2015;Misra et al, 2016a;2016b;2016c;2016d;Kumar and Singh, 2012). There are various sites from where these bacteria can easily enter into the sugarcane stalk, a place where these bacteria find favorable growth and proliferation conditions.…”

“…Such a time lag makes cane more prone to microbial invasion as the juice extruding out through cut ends nurture microorganisms (Bevan and Bond, 1971;Solomon, 2000). Higher microbial invasion was also being observed in canes that have grown under drought and water logging conditions and the rate of microbial invasion with the increase in time in harvested canes of such conditions was revealed to be relatively more than the normal conditions (Misra et al, 2016a;2016b). (4) Damage duration in the harvested canes: It is well understandable that longer exposure of internal tissues of cane stalk before it is been crushed higher will be the proliferation as well as growth rate of associated microorganisms resulting in relatively more sucrose losses in harvested sugarcane.…”

Impact of chemical treatments on Leuconostoc bacteria from harvested stored cane/stale cane

“…It is well known that cane juice is rich in sugar content (basically sucrose) and has a pH ranging between 5.2–6.8. The juice pH decreases with the delay in crushing making an environment rich condition for Leuconostoc to invade and proliferate [ 9 , 10 ]. Other quality parameters are correlated with increase in acidic nature of cane juice and so we evaluated various quality aspects related to it to check the effect of Leuconostoc on post-harvest sugarcane deterioration.…”

“…These invade sugarcane through cut ends or through cracks and enter into the juice rich region, where it gets favorable conditions for its proliferation [ 8 ]. This bacterium consumes sucrose as their energy source and converts sucrose into various other compounds like organic acids, reducing sugars, ethanol and polymers with long and complex chains [ 9 , 10 ]. Mishandling of canes during mechanical harvesting, burning, chopping into billets aggravates the inactivation of the phenol oxidase enzymes present on cane stalks which acts as a protective or anti-bacterial layer [ 11 ].…”

“…Difference in formation of dextran in stale and freshly harvested canes is due to the time lag between harvesting and crushing. Moreover, in case when abiotic stress conditions occur (particularly under water logging and drought), production of dextran enhanced which further accentuate the losses [ 9 , 10 ]. Association of bacterial count with dextran production and sugar recovery is well known [ 6 ].…”