Limited microbial degradation in hurricane‐affected sugarcane in the United States

Abstract Tropical weather events bring strong winds and rains to sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrids)‐growing regions in the United States. Additionally, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season coincides with the beginning of the processing season for the US sugarcane industries. In September 2024, Hurricane Francine made landfall in south Louisiana, resulting in acute impacts to the crop. Hurricane‐affected cane samples were analyzed to quantify degradation and microbial activity. Marginal impacts on juice quality were observed immediately following the storm; however, these impacts did not persist across the season. Initial measurements showed a roughly 15% decrease in sugar content in storm‐affected cane, with lower pH and elevated dextran content. Despite hurricane effects, the industry did not appear to have any major losses in productivity based on economic reporting and subsequent juice measurements taken at the end of the season. Regardless, the experimental techniques presented here for microbial degradation quantification represent potential opportunities for the industry to incorporate new modes of forecasting, monitoring, and mitigating losses attributable to microbial activity in damaged sugarcane.