Introduction to Sugarcane Molasses

Sugarcane molasses, also known as syrup, is a thick liquid left over after the sugar extraction process from sugarcane juice. It is produced through a series of processes including heating, neutralization, precipitation, filtration, concentration, and crystallization. It is commonly referred to as "syrup" and serves as a liquid energy source.

Product Composition

Main Applications

Agricultural Uses

1. Soil Improvement and Fertility Enhancement

   • Microbial Activator: Molasses serves as a carbon source (high C:N ratio), stimulating soil microbial proliferation, accelerating organic matter decomposition, and releasing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus (adding 5% molasses to compost can shorten fermentation time by 30%).
   • Soil Structure Optimization: Viscous molasses can bind sandy soil particles, enhancing water and nutrient retention (water retention in sandy soil increases by 15%-20%).
   • Foliar Fertilizer Enhancer: When combined with seaweed extract and trace elements for foliar spraying, the sugars in molasses promote stomatal opening, increasing nutrient absorption (e.g., spraying during the color change period of grapes can increase sugar content by 1.5-2.0 Brix).
   • Biopesticide Carrier: Used for fermenting Trichoderma or Bacillus subtilis, molasses provides a nutrient medium for microbial agents, extending the survival time of active microorganisms (e.g., enhancing the efficacy of biological agents for soil-borne disease control by 50%).

2. Application Methods (Reference)

   • Compost Fermentation: Add 3%-5% of molasses based on the weight of compost materials, mix with water, and spray evenly.
   • Drip Irrigation Fertilization: Dilute 50-100 times, using 5-10 kg per acre, in combination with liquid fertilizers.
   • Foliar Spray: Dilute 200-300 times and combine with boron fertilizer to prevent flower and fruit drop.

Aquaculture Uses

1. Water Quality Regulation and Ecological Balance

   • C/N Ratio Adjustment: As a carbon source, molasses promotes the growth of heterotrophic bacteria, degrading ammonia and nitrite (in prawn ponds, raising the C/N ratio to 15:1 can reduce ammonia by 50%).
   • Algal Control: Inhibits excessive blue-green algae growth while promoting diatoms and green algae, stabilizing water transparency.

2. Feed Efficiency

   • Attractant: The sweetness of molasses attracts fish and shrimp, increasing feed utilization (adding 2% molasses to carp feed can increase consumption by 15%).
   • Probiotic Carrier: Used for fermenting EM bacteria or Bacillus, spraying enhances the activity of beneficial bacteria in the water.

3. Stress Resistance and Immunity

   • The B vitamins and minerals in molasses can alleviate stress during molting in fish and shrimp, reducing mortality rates (survival rate of Pacific white shrimp increases by 8%-10%).

4. Application Methods (Reference)

   • Water Spraying: Use 2-3 kg of molasses per acre of water (1 meter deep), dissolve and combine with probiotics, applying weekly.
   • Feed Addition: Mix 1%-3% molasses by weight into feed, forming pellets or directly blending for feeding.
   • Bio-floc Cultivation: Initially add 5-10 ppm molasses to maintain a C/N ratio of 10-15:1.

Feed Uses

1. Nutritional Value Enhancement

   • Energy Supplement: Molasses contains 45%-60% sucrose, providing rapid metabolic energy and alleviating heat stress (adding 3% molasses to dairy cow diets can increase milk production by 5%-8%).
   • Palatability Improvement: The sweetness increases feed intake, especially beneficial during the fattening phase for cattle and lactating sows.

2. Feed Processing Aid

   • Pellet Binder: Adding 1%-2% molasses reduces feed dust and increases pellet formation rate (chicken feed pellet formation rate increases by 20%).
   • Silage Fermentation Agent: Promotes lactic acid bacteria growth, lowering silage pH and inhibiting spoilage bacteria (adding 4% molasses to corn silage increases lactic acid content by 30%).

3. Intestinal Health Regulation

   • As a prebiotic, it promotes the colonization of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria, reducing diarrhea rates (adding 2% molasses to piglet feed reduces diarrhea rates by 40%).

4. Application Methods (Reference)

   • Mixed Feed: Add 3%-5% molasses to cattle and sheep feed, and 1%-2% to poultry feed.
   • Silage Preparation: Spray 20-30 kg of molasses solution (50% concentration) per ton of silage material.
   • Water Supplementation: Dilute 10 times for livestock drinking water, especially during hot weather.

Precautions

• Agricultural Use: Avoid applying undiluted molasses directly, as it may attract pests (e.g., aphids), and implement pest control measures.
• Livestock: Adding more than 8% molasses to ruminant diets may cause acidosis in the rumen; increase dosage gradually.
• Aquaculture: After applying molasses, increase oxygen levels for 2 hours to prevent oxygen depletion from microbes affecting fish and shrimp.