Water management for sugarcane and maize under future climate scenarios in Brazil

Over the last several decades, there have been concerns worldwide about coping with increasing energy demand. Several alternatives to oil have emerged, among them the use of plant biomass for fuel. Sugarcane and maize have exhibited excellent potential in this regard. These crops are highly efficient in producing carbohydrates which can easily be fermented to produce ethanol. Proper irrigation practices, providing the ideal amount of water that the plant needs to reach its full potential yield, are needed to maximize income from these crops. Sugarcane and maize are of great economic importance to the state of São Paulo, where it is common to irrigate these crops. This research aims to determine conditions for increased productivity and water availability for these crops in the region of Piracicaba, SP, under future climate scenarios. To achieve this goal, the DSSAT/CANEGRO and CERES-MAIZE crop growth models were coupled with the MarkSim model for estimating data for future climate scenarios. Information from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was used to generate data for current conditions, as well as for the A1B, A2 and B1 future scenarios. Based on these results, for future scenarios, sugar cane productivity will be reduced by approximately 40%, and there will not be enough water to mitigate such an effect. To maintain the same levels of productivity in corn, will be necessary to increase irrigation water by 81%.