In Guangxi, China, the area used to plant sugarcane is growing in order to meet the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan’s objective of sugar self-sufficiency (2021–2025). Comprehensive soil heavy metal data are necessary for growing area expansion in order to inform farmers and policymakers. Here, we analyzed soil samples from ten sugarcane-growing counties/districts of Guangxi by employing four different risk assessment indices. Our results indicate that the studied soils are moderately to strongly acidic and are deficient in soil organic matter ( 3) across all regions and Pb and As contamination ranging from moderate to severe, particularly in Jiangzhou district. Contrastingly, Cd and Hg showed no significant enrichment (Igeo < 0) relative to the local background, though their sources require further investigation. The potential ecological risk assessment showed a high risk, specifically from As in Jiangzhou district, which was the only area showing a moderate comprehensive potential ecological risk. A significant positive correlation was found between the total and bioavailable contents of all five heavy metals, whereas soil pH and organic matter were significantly negatively correlated with the bioavailability of Cr and Pb, but positively correlated with As and Hg. The availability of Cd, however, was independent of pH and OM, suggesting the influence of other, unmeasured geochemical factors. These results highlight specific and localized environmental risks that may require targeted management to ensure agricultural safety, ecosystem health, and sustainable sugarcane production.

Pokkah boeng disease (PBD), which is caused by Fusarium verticillioides, is a major sugarcane disease in Southeast Asian countries. Breeding varieties to become resistant to F. verticillioides is the most effective approach for minimizing the damage caused by PBD, and identifying genes mediating resistance to PBD via molecular techniques is essential. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) is one of a cell’s first responses to pathogenic infections. Plant peroxisomes play roles in several metabolic processes involving ROSs. In this study, seedlings of YT94/128 and GT37 inoculated with F. verticillioides were used to identify PBD resistance genes. The cells showed a high degree of morphological variation, and the cell walls became increasingly degraded as the duration of the infection increased. There was significant variation in H₂O₂ accumulation over time. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities increased in both seedlings. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that peroxidase-metabolism-related genes are mainly involved in matrix protein import and receptor recycling, adenine nucleotide transport, peroxisome division, ROS metabolism, and processes related to peroxisomal membrane proteins. The expression levels of SoCATA1 and SoSOD2A2 gradually decreased after sugarcane infection. F. verticillioides inhibited the expressions of C5YVR0 and C5Z4S4. Sugarcane infection by F. verticillioides disrupts the balance of intracellular ROSs and increases the cell membrane’s lipid peroxidation rate. Defense-related enzymes play a key regulatory role in maintaining a low, healthy level of ROSs. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the mechanism through which peroxisomes mediate the resistance of sugarcane to PBD and provide candidate genes that could be used to breed varieties with improved traits via molecular breeding.

Although thiamethoxam is frequently used in sugarcane production in Guangxi, China as a systemic insecticide and bioactivator, little is known about its field control effectiveness and residue dissipation across commercially significant genotypes grown in the region. In this study, we have addressed this gap by assessing the residue dynamics and borer control effectiveness of thiamethoxam in three significant sugarcane types (GT 40, Haizhe 22, and ROC22). Three application doses (Low: 750 mL/hm²; Medium: 1500 mL/hm²; High: 2250 mL/hm²) were sprayed as a soil drench along with urea for field and greenhouse studies. Over the course of 75 days, residues in juice and leaf tissues were measured using LC-MS/MS, and stem borer damage and control effectiveness were recorded. Thiamethoxam residues in juice peaked at 45 days after treatment (DAT), with ROC22 exhibiting the highest concentration (11.07 mg/kg). All treated plots continued to have thiamethoxam residues above the Chinese maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.3 mg/kg at 75 DAT, suggesting an inadequate pre-harvest interval. Leaf residues remained a long-term reservoir for more than 56 days and were an order of magnitude greater. While the low dose demonstrated increased efficacy over time, the medium and high doses produced statistically equal borer control (50–75% efficacy), exhibiting a saturation effect. There were notable varietal differences: Haizhe 22 achieved steady control with fewer residues, while ROC22 was most vulnerable and needed greater doses. These results demonstrate that a 75-day pre-harvest period is insufficient for consumer safety, requiring additional experiments for longer intervals for susceptible cultivars. The ideal economic threshold is determined to be the middle dose (1500 mL/hm²), which balances environmental load, chemical input, and efficacy. To enable precision application techniques suited to certain sugarcane genotypes, future research should concentrate on clarifying the genetic basis of varietal uptake discrepancies.