Sugarcane (Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Old World. They have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure 2 to 6 meters tall. All of the sugar cane species interbreed, and the major commercial cultivars are complex hybrids.

Cultivation and uses

About 200 countries grow the crop to produce 1,324.6 million tons (more than six times the amount of sugar beet produced). As of the year 2005, the world's largest producer of sugar cane by far is Brazil followed by India.Link and reference involving U.N. FAO production figures Uses of sugar cane include the production of sugar, Falernum, molasses, rum, soda, cachaça (the national spirit of Brazil) and ethanol for fuel. The bagasse that remains after sugar cane crushing may be burned to provide both heat - used in the mill, and electricity - typically sold to the consumer electricity grid. It may also, because of its high cellulose content, be used as raw material for paper and cardboard, branded as "environmentally friendly" as it is made from a by-product of sugar production.

Fiber from Bengal Cane (Saccharum munja or Saccharum bengalense) is also used to make mats, screens or baskets etc. in West Bengal. This fiber is also used in Upanayanam, a rite-of-passage ritual in India and therefore is also significant religiously. 1 2 Sugar cane IS a vegetable!!!

History

For a longer history, see Sugar.

Around the eighth century A.D., Arabs introduced sugar to the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain. By the tenth century, sources state, there was no village in Mesopotamia that didn't grow sugar cane.Watson, Andrew. ''Agricultural innovation in the early Islamic world. Cambridge University Press. p.26-7 It was among the early crops brought to the Americas by Spaniards. Brazil is currently the biggest sugar cane producing country.

The methods of growing sugarcane and processing sugar were technologies transferred to China from India in the 7th century, during the reign of Harsha (r. 606647) over North India and the reign of Emperor Taizong (r. 626649) over Tang China.Sen, Tansen. (2003). Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of Sino-Indian Relations, 600–1400. Manoa: Asian Interactions and Comparisons, a joint publication of the University of Hawaii Press and the Association for Asian Studies. ISBN 0824825934. Pages 3840. Two sugar makers summoned from leaders of Mahabodhi Temple traveled alongside a delegation of Buddhist monks to China, where they successfully taught the Chinese how to grow sugarcane and produce sugar.