EFFECTS OF PHOTOSELECTIVE SHADE NETS ON EARLY GROWTH OF SUGARCANE SEEDLINGS

ABSTRACT Sugarcane has a great economic interest in Brazil, so it needs technologies to increase its yield strength, especially for seedling production. This study aimed to ascertain the influence of shading nets on early growth and development of pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings. An experiment was conducted in a protected environment, in the Rural Federal University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), in Recife-PE, Brazil. The protected environments were covered with anti-UV low-density polyethylene plastic plus: Solpack® red ultranet net, Solpack® white net, Solpack® freshnet net, and without shade net, and five replications each. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, and multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was used to verify associations among cultivation modules, micrometeorological factors, and seedling growth parameters. Anti-UV low-density polyethylene + shade net improved seedling growth and development up to 27 days after planting. Higher substrate temperatures benefited early growth of seedlings. After 27 days of planting, sugarcane seedlings required higher air temperatures, as well as increased global and photosynthetically active solar radiation.