How do cooler temperatures help sugarcane mature?

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Sugarcane field — Sugarcane Field of sugarcane (*Saccharum officinarum*) in St. George Parish, Barbados.

Cooler temperatures help sugarcane mature by slowing down vegetative growth, which encourages the plant to ripen. While the plant requires temperatures of at least 20 °C (68 °F) for optimal growth, a shift to continuous cooler conditions—often in tandem with withholding water—promotes the maturation process. This transition is why harvesting and milling typically occur during the dry, relatively cool season of the year.1