Keywords
Economic Analysis
Sugar Recovery
Water Productivity
Irrigation Efficiency
Abstract
Sugarcane is a vital crop in the Philippines, yet its production remains constrained by rising input costs, labor shortages, and increasing water scarcity. This study evaluated the performance of the Auto Furrow Irrigation System (AFIS), a solar-powered, sensor-based surface irrigation technology developed by Central Luzon State University, in combination with a biofertilizer produced by UPLB-BIOTECH to enhance sugarcane productivity in a low-yielding SRA block farm. Pilot testing was conducted during the 2023–2024 cropping season in Paniqui, Tarlac. Data were analyzed using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, and treatment means were compared using the least significant difference (LSD) test. Results showed that AFIS, combined with biofertilizer, significantly improved crop growth and yield parameters compared with conventional practices. Stalk height increased from 328 cm to 363 cm, millable tillers from 14 to 16, and stalk diameter from 26 mm to 31 mm. Yield performance also improved substantially, with sugarcane yield increasing from 111–122 TC ha-1 under conventional irrigation to 164–189 TC ha-1 under AFIS. Water productivity, calculated using total irrigation water and computed effective rainfall, rose from 6 kg m⁻³ to 12 kg m⁻³. Sugar recovery improved from 1.6 to 1.9 Lkg TC-1, resulting in higher sugar output per hectare (301–347 vs. 156–206 Lkg ha-1). Statistically, AFIS with biofertilizer showed significant differences at the 5% significance level in stalk height, stalk diameter, stalk weight, yield, and sugar production. Economic analysis further indicated higher profitability under AFIS, with a benefit–cost ratio of 2.34 and a return on investment of 134%, compared with 1.36 and 36% under the conventional system. Although AFIS required a higher initial investment, its approximately 2-year payback period remained economically acceptable. The results demonstrate that integrating AFIS with biofertilizer can substantially increase sugarcane yield, water-use efficiency, and net economic returns. However, these findings are based on a single site and one cropping season; therefore, multi-location and multi-year evaluations are recommended to validate system performance under diverse field conditions.
References
Aguado-Santacruz, G. A., Arreola-Tostado, J. M., Aguirre-Mancilla, C., & García-Moya, E. (2024). Use of systemic biofertilizers in sugarcane results in highly reproducible increments in yield and quality of harvests. Heliyon, 10(7), e28750.
Ahmed, Z., Gui, D., Murtaza, G., Yunfei, L., &Ali, S. (2023). An overview of Smart Irrigation Management for Improving Water Productivity under Climate Change in Drylands. Agronomy, 13 (8), 2113.
Blank, L. T., & Tarquin, A. J. (2012). Engineering economy (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Boardman, A. E., Greenberg, D. H., Vining, A. R., & Weimer, D. L. (2018). Cost–benefit analysis: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture. (2015). Soil water storage capacity and available soil moisture. Water Conservation Fact Sheet (Order No. 619.000-1, Agdex 550).
Espino, A. Jr. N., Muñoz, R. C., Olalia, L. C., Cinense, M. M., Berronilla, R., Raneses, E. V., & Vergara, R. R. (2020). Improving production efficiency and cane yield in sugarcane block farms using an automated furrow irrigation system: Terminal report. DOST-PCAARRD.
Fischer, G., Tubiello, F. N., Van Velthuizen, H., & Wiberg, D. A. (2007). Climate change impacts on irrigation water requirements: Effects of mitigation, 1990–2080. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 74(7), 1083-1107.
Gentile, A., Dias, L. I., Mattos, R. S., Ferreira, T. H., & Menossi, M. (2015). MicroRNAs and drought responses in sugarcane. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6, 58.
Gittinger, J. P. (1982). Economic analysis of agricultural projects (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.
Gu, Z., Qi, Z., Ma, L., & Yuan, S. (2017). Water stress based deficit irrigation scheduling using RZWQM2 model for maize in Colorado. In 2017 ASABE Annual International Meeting (pp. 1). American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
Hoang, D. T., Hiroo, T., & Yoshinobu, K. (2019). Nitrogen use efficiency and drought tolerance of various sugarcane varieties under drought stress at early growth stage. Plant Production Science, 22, 250–261.
Hussain, S., Khaliq, A., Mehmood, U., Qadir, T., Saqib, M., Iqbal, M. A., & Hussain, S. (2018). Sugarcane production under changing climate: Effects of environmental vulnerabilities on sugarcane diseases, insects and weeds. Climate Change and Agriculture (pp. 1–17).
Jawad, H. M., Nordin, R., Gharghan, S. K., Jawad, A. M., & Ismail, M. (2017). Energy-efficient wireless sensor networks for precision agriculture: A review. Sensors, 17(8), 1781.
Kay, R. D., Edwards, W. M., & Duffy, P. A. (2016). Farm management (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Misra, V., Solomon, S. C., Mall, A. K., Prajapati, C. P., Kumar, A., & Ansari, M. (2020). Morphological assessment of water stressed sugarcane: A comparison of waterlogged and drought affected crop. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 27(5), 1228–1236.
NASA. (2024). ArcGIS Web Application. NASA.
Nikolaou, G., Neocleous, D., Christou, A., Kitta, E., & Katsoulas, N. (2020). Implementing Sustainable Irrigation in Water-Scarce Regions under the Impact of Climate Change. Agronomy, 10(8), 1120.
Padilla, V. M., Violanta, R. P., Benzon, H. L., Mendoza, J., Millares, A. V., & Vergara, A. B. (2020). Toxicological study and pilot testing of Nutrio biofertilizer for improved production of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Regions III and VI: Terminal report. DOST-PCAARRD.
Paulino, Baldonebro, J. G., & Andrade, F. E. (2025). Performance of Sugarcane Planted at Different Soil Types and Rainfall Duration in the
Philippines. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 6(5), 1–1.
Schmidhuber, J., & Qiao, B. (2022). Rising input prices add unwanted pressure on the already fragile global food economy. Food Outlook: Biannual Report on Global Food Markets, June 2022.
Schultz, N., Silva, Jailson Silva Sousa, Monteiro, R., Renan Pedula Oliveira, Valfredo Almeida Chaves, Pereira, W., Silva, José Ivo Baldani, Boddey, R. M., Verônica Massena Reis, & Urquiaga, S. (2014). Inoculation of sugarcane with diazotrophic bacteria. Revista Brasileira de Ciencia Do Solo, 38(2), 407–414.
SERD Personnel Editor. (2025). Nutrio® Biofertilizer. Industry Strategic Science and Technology Plans (ISPs) Platform.
Sevilla, F. M. (2021). Sugar annual report number RP2021-0020. United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service.
Shively, G. (2012). An overview of benefit-cost analysis. Scientific Research Publishing.
Simarmata, T., Khumairah, F. H., Hibatullah, F. H., Irwandhi, Ambarita, D., Herdiyantoro, D., Kamaluddin, N. N., & Nurbaity, A. (2024). Revealing the crucial role and future prospects of biofertilizers for improving soil health and crop productivity in eco friendly sustainable agriculture in Indonesia. FFTC Journal of Agricultural Policy.
Thompson, M., & McDonnell, P. (2016). Automated furrow irrigation – economic case study, Burdekin region. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), Queensland
Wu, W., Fu, W., Alatalo, J. M., Ma, Z., & Bai, Y. (2022). Effects of coupling water and fertilizer on agronomic traits, sugar