The growth and water use of three sugar cane cultivars, NCo376, N12 and N14, were measured under varying degrees of water stress controlled by means of a movable rain shelter. Plots of a first ratoon cane crop were allowed to desiccate on two occasions until about three leaves remained alive oh each stalk. Other plots were irrigated regularly. Destructive and non-destructive measurements were used to estimate daily increments in the wet mass of the cane stalks. Although in the unstressed plots the three cultivars each showed similar maximum cane growth rates (approximately 1,3t ha−1d−1), the peak growth rate was reached by cultivar N14 first and by N12 last. Cane growth rate decreased rapidly as a result of water stress but recovery in growth rate was almost complete two weeks after the stress was relieved. N12 used less water than the other two cultivars in unstressed conditions but no differences between the cultivars were apparent under stressed conditions. The water use efficiency (WUE) of unstressed sugar cane in the stalk elongation stage varied from about 0,03 to 0,3 tc ha−1mm−1. The WUE was reduced by water stress but rapidly recovered to control levels after water stress was relieved.