Effect of interactions between available water and solar radiation on sugarcane productivity and the impact of climatic change

Water availability is a major factor affecting sugarcane yields, with about 10 mm of water required for each tonne of sugarcane produced (Ham, 1970). The extent to which both past climatic change and seasonal water deficiency have affected sugarcane yields are critical to understanding past changes in crop yields and assessing the probabilities of increasing sugarcane productivity by strategic irrigation. About 35% of sugarcane lands in Australia receive some irrigation annually. The most significant area is in the Burdekin region, but irrigation also occurs in the Mackay and Bundaberg areas in particular. This paper uses the land system computer model AUSCANE to analyse the effects of water deficiency on cane yields at Mackay and Tully over extended periods and also examines available water-solar radiation interactions.