Cuban research institute works on more resistant sugarcane varieties

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Feb 14 (ACN) With results in new varieties of sugar cane with higher sucrose and resistant to climate change, the Research Institute of that crop in Santiago de Cuba (eastern region) is part of the actions to update plantations and improve the efficiency of the sugar industry in Cuba.

Guillermo Reynosa, director of the entity, said that science and innovation are the technical support of the productive bases.

The qualified group approved 12 measures and 35 actions in response to the call to save the harvest, which are aimed at the production of grass and to comply with interesting projects financed by the AZCUBA group and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA by its Spanish acronym).

So far, they recommend two varieties introduced through vitroplants spread in the seed banks of the four agro-industrial companies of the territory and which are of higher agricultural and industrial yields, Reynosa informed.

They are also working on a food and nutritional security plan, with other crops such as sweet potato clones, cassava, soybean varieties, beans and four rustic houses for protected plantations.

For her part, Jacqueline Puchades, head researcher at the Institute, explained that the objective is to satisfy the needs of agro-sugar growers in obtaining new varieties resistant to pests and diseases, adaptable to climatic conditions, soil protection and environmentally compatible techniques.

In this sense, they have implemented throughout Cuba a software for the Irrigation and Drainage Service and the recommendation of new sugarcane varieties, along with the execution of several agronomic projects, the researcher concluded.