Patent ID: 8012912

Claim:
A method for increasing the yield of sugar from a sugarcane crop during a period of time including a growing season and a harvesting season having final stages comprising; a. introducing nitrogen to the soil of the crop at the beginning of the growing season; b. determining the nitrogen depletion measurements in the leaves of the sugarcane crop prior to harvesting, wherein the determination is correlated to a SPAD chlorophyll meter reading; c. applying an effective amount of a ripener to the leaves of the sugarcane crop, based on the specific nitrogen depletion measurements, wherein no ripener is applied when a SPAD reading greater than about 45 is obtained, wherein ripener is applied to the sugarcane crop at a rate of about 6 ounces/acre to about 7 ounces/acre when a SPAD reading between about 44 and about 45 is obtained, wherein ripener is applied to the sugarcane crop at a rate of about 5.3 ounces/acre to about 5.7 ounces/acre when a SPAD reading between about 40 and about 43 is obtained, wherein ripener is applied to the sugarcane crop at a rate of about 4.8 ounces/acre to about 5.2 ounces/acre when a SPAD reading between about 37 to about 39 is obtained, wherein ripener is applied to the sugarcane crop at a rate of about 4.0 ounces/acre to about 4.5 ounces/acre when a SPAD reading of less than about 37 is obtained.