The management of drip irrigation and mechanized harvesting in the sugarcane crop are suggesting combined row spacing. In this context the objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of RB98710 variety, with drip irrigation in two row spacing. For this, two plantings were performed in August 2011, with single (1.0 m) and combined row spacing (0.6 and 1.4 m). The analysed data were variables of plant growth (leaf area index, canopy height, length of stems and plants per square meter), production variables and weather elements. The form factor value for leaf area was equal to 0.65. In both row spacing, the variables of plant growth were related with accumulated degree-days and had adjusted equations with satisfactory applications. The evaluated variables of plant growth were not different by the used row spacing configurations. The fresh stalk yield (100.9 t ha-1) and sugar yield (17.8 t ha-1) of irrigated sugarcane crop cultivated in Rio Largo, Alagoas state, Brazil, were not influenced by the use of different row spacing configurations.
Saccharum ssp.; leaf area index; canopy height; plants per square meter; degree days
