sugarcaneArticle Free Pass sugarcane, perennial grass of the
genus Saccharum cultivated for its juice, from which sugar is
processed. Most present-day commercial canes are the offsprings
or hybrids of the species Saccharum officinarum, which was
developed from a wild cane species, Saccharum robustom, and
cultivated by natives of southern Pacific Islands. This article
treats the cultivation of the sugarcane plant. For information
on the processing of cane sugar and the history of its use, see
sugar. The cane-growing areas of the world are located from 37°
N (southern Spain) to 30° S (KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa), but
most of the world’s cane sugar is grown in subtropical and
especially in tropical areas. The sugarcane plant produces a
number of stalks that reach from 10 to 24 feet (3 to 7 metres)
high and bear sword-shaped, long leaves. The stalks are composed
of many segments and at each joint there is a bud. When the cane
becomes mature, a growing point at the upper end of the stalk
develops into a slender a