Nantou White Sugarcane Field Trial
Nantou White Sugarcane Field Trial
Growth, Quality, and Yield of White Sugarcane Treated with Rolling Greens RichFarm
2017–2018 | Nantou, Taiwan | White Sugarcane Field Trial
In 2017, Rolling Greens conducted a field trial on white sugarcane in Nantou, Taiwan, to evaluate how adding RichFarm, a Rolling Greens microbial product, to an existing conventional fertilization program affects sugarcane growth, quality, and final yield.
Planting began in August 2017 and harvest took place in September 2018, covering a full sugarcane growing cycle of roughly one year.
Beyond comparing RichFarm with conventional fertilization, the trial included a sterilized RichFarm treatment to isolate the effect of live microorganisms, as well as an unfertilized blank control as a baseline.
Irrigation, and all other field management practices were kept identical across plots throughout the trial.
RichFarm was applied after conventional fertilization at 60 g per mu, for a total of 4 applications during the growing season.
Conventional fertilization used Taiwan Fertilizer Co. Hei Wang Te No. 1 (20-5-10-60) at 40 kg per mu per application, for a total of 6 applications over the season.
The sterilized RichFarm treatment matched the RichFarm treatment in rate, timing, and application method; the only difference was that the product had been sterilized.
1. More vigorous root and plant growth with RichFarm
Field observations at harvest showed that sugarcane treated with RichFarm had denser root systems with more visible fine root and root hair development, and the stalks appeared thicker.
The original field records also tracked total stalk length, internode length, and stalk diameter over time. Across the two groups, the RichFarm treatment maintained stronger overall growth from the growing stage through harvest.
2. Greater plant length and stalk diameter at harvest
Long-term monitoring data also show that the RichFarm group maintained greater plant length and stalk diameter at most observation points.
These data indicate that differences in the RichFarm treatment were not limited to final harvest weight; changes in growth traits were already observable during the growing season.
3. Higher single-stalk weight and quality traits
In the trait comparison of harvested samples, single-stalk weight in the RichFarm treatment was 72.1% higher than in the control group.
In addition to weight, the original harvest records measured sweetness and moisture content:
The differences observed in the field therefore went beyond larger plant size; the harvested samples also showed higher sweetness.
4. Significantly higher plot yield
Comparing “conventional fertilization + RichFarm” with “conventional fertilization,” the scenario closest to real-world farm use:
7,660.4 vs. 3,226.6 kg/mu
Adding RichFarm increased yield by about 4,433.8 kg per mu, 137.4% higher than conventional fertilization alone.
Notably, the sterilized RichFarm group averaged 211.29 kg/40 m², close to the 193.79 kg/40 m² of conventional fertilization alone, while the RichFarm group containing live microorganisms averaged 460.08 kg/40 m².
5. Live RichFarm significantly different from other treatments
The original trial included a statistical comparison. Multiple comparison results:
• Conventional fertilization + RichFarm: 460.08 kg/40 m²
• Conventional fertilization + sterilized RichFarm: 211.29 kg/40 m²
• Conventional fertilization: 193.79 kg/40 m²
• Blank control: 178.86 kg/40 m²
The live RichFarm treatment differed significantly from the sterilized RichFarm treatment, whereas the sterilized RichFarm, conventional fertilization alone, and blank control treatments did not show yield differences of the same magnitude.
Beyond showing whether adding the product increases yield, this result allows a direct comparison between live microorganisms and the sterilized product.
Across this roughly one-year white sugarcane field trial, from growing-stage observations to final harvest, the RichFarm treatment showed results that were consistent in direction.
At the plant level, the RichFarm treatment showed more vigorous roots, larger stalk diameter, and higher single-stalk weight and sweetness. At the field yield level, conventional fertilization with RichFarm reached a mean plot yield of 460.08 kg/40 m², 137.4% higher than the 193.79 kg/40 m² of conventional fertilization alone.
Importantly, the trial included a sterilized RichFarm treatment. After sterilization, mean yield dropped to 211.29 kg/40 m², close to conventional fertilization alone, while the RichFarm treatment containing live microorganisms produced significantly higher yield.
Under the conditions of this trial, the results support the potential of RichFarm as a microbial supplement within an existing fertilization program to improve white sugarcane growth and yield.
This page was compiled from the original 2017–2018 Nantou white sugarcane field records and fertilizer efficacy trial report. Results should be read with the following conditions in mind:
• The formal yield comparison used 4 treatments with 5 replicates, for a total of 20 plots of 40 m².
• In the RichFarm group, the microbial product was added on top of an existing conventional fertilization program. Results should therefore be read as the effect of RichFarm combined with existing fertilization, not as RichFarm replacing fertilizer.
• Some results, such as root systems and plant appearance, are based on field morphological observations; length, stalk diameter, weight, sweetness, and moisture come from original field measurement records.
• The “+72.1% single-stalk weight” figure in the original field presentation is a comparison of harvested plant traits. It is a different metric from the “+137.4% yield per unit area” in the formal plot trial and should not be treated as the same yield figure.
• The original presentation also estimated sucrose yield from stalk weight, moisture, and sweetness, arriving at a preliminary figure of about +142%. Because this value is not the sucrose yield from actual sugar processing, it is not presented on this page as a primary trial result.
• The results on this page reflect trial performance under the specific Nantou field site, white sugarcane variety, and fertilization management conditions of the time.
Rolling Greens works with growers, agribusinesses, and research partners to design field trials for different crops, climates, and fertilization systems, evaluating RichFarm’s performance under real production conditions.
Sources: Nantou Sugarcane Field Experiment Report (2017–2018); RichFarm No. 1 White Sugarcane Fertilizer Efficacy Trial Report
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