Sugarcane

Varieties

• Early maturing CO 6906, 85 A 261, CO 8014, CO 8021, 84A 125, 81A 99, 87A 298, CO T 8201, 90 A 272, 91 V 83, 93A 145, 93 C 297, 91 V 83, CI Si 95071 and CO R 8001, CO A 89095, 86 V 96.
• Mid –late maturing Co A 7602, CO 7805, 83 V 15, 86A 146, CO 87040, 87A 397, 88 A 162, 89 V 74.
• Late maturing CO 8011, CO 7219, CO 7706, 87A 380
• Moisture stress CO T 8201, CO 6907, CO 7219, 90 A 272, CO A 7602, 84A 125, 81 A 99.
• Saline alkaline soils COT 8201, 81 V 48, 81 A 99, 93 A 145, CO 7219.
• Swamp conditions 83 V 15, CO T 89085
• Red rot tolerant CO A 89085, CO 7706, CO 7805

Land preparation

• Soils to be worked to fine fifth to a depth of 20-25cm.
• Open trenches of 30cm width, 20cm depth and 50cm ridges have to be formed by manual labour or iron plough or ridgemar.

Seed rate

• 40,000 three budded sets per hectare

Seed treatment

Hot water treatment of seed material at 520 C for 30 minutes or treatment with aerated steam against grassy shoot disease followed by dipping of setts in Carbendazim (0.05%) and Malathion (0.1%) to eliminate pineapple disease and scale insect.

Short crop

Primary seed nurseries of six to seven months age can be raised from treated seed material in the month of December-January. Secondary seed material should be planted in July-August months utilizing seed from primary seed nurseries. Commercial plantings can be done utilizing seed from secondary nurseries.

Spacing

80 cm between rows for early varieties and 90cm for mid-late varieties.

Planting with cut off dates

1. Early varieties January-February
2. Mid varieties February – March
3. Late varieties March

• Manures and fertilizers including bio-fertilizers, micro nutrients etc;
• Farm yard manure @ 25 tonnes per hectare or press mud cake @ 12 tonnes per hectare in the last ploughing.
• 224kg nitrogen (pocket application has to be applied in two equal split doses at 45 and 90 days after planting.

Inter cultivation and other management practices, if any :

Weed Management

Application of Atrazine @ 5kg/ha in 1125 litres of water to be sprayed on the third or fourth day after planting, depending on soil moisture. At 20 and 60 days of planting spraying of 2,4-D (4¹/₂ kg) + Gramoxone (2.5 lts) in 1125 lts/ha is recommended.

Interculture

Earthing up at about four months after planting, propping the crop by trash twist, twice or thrice, depending on crop growth.

Irrigation

Once in six days during summer and once in 15-21 days from November to harvest. During grand growth period, irrigation is to be provided when dry spell exceeds 15 days. If only one irrigation is possible during formative phase, it has to be given 30 days after planting and trash mulching has to be done three days after planting @ 3t/ha.

Harvesting

Crop has to be harvested at peak maturity depending upon variety, date of planting and juice quality.

Post Harvest Technology

Sugarcane harvested in a field should be free from root material, soil etc., The immature top portion should be cut to the first visible top internode. Such dressed cane should be crushed within 24 hours either in a sugar factory or jaggery crusher to avoid loss in the weight of cane and recovery of end product.

Powdery and bucket shaped forms of jaggery were found to be better for storage and handling. Jaggery kept in painted earthem pots and gur drying cum storage bins was not subjected to any spoilage for longer period. Jaggery powder kept either in polythene bag or polythene bottles can be stored for periods longer than a year without any loss in quality or quantity.

Normal areas and seasons : Ratoon crop:

Varieties :

The same varieties indicated for plant crop are suitable for ratoon crop.

Soils / Area

Alluvial, red and well drained loamy soils.

Stubble shaving and inter culture

Plant crop has to be harvested to the ground level or just below ground level. Stubble shaving has to be done with spades without disturbing the stools. The interspaces have to be ploughed to 12 to 15cm depth to break the crust and improve aeration for better ratooning.

Trash mulching

Trash mulching @ 3t/ha at 3^rd 5^th days after planting ensures conservation of soil moisture and suppression of early shoot borer and weed growth.

Manures and fertilizers including bio fertilizers, micro nutrients etc.,

336kg N/ha has to be applied in two split doses at ratooning and 45 days later. P₂O₅ @ 100kg/ha and K₂O @ 120kg /ha are to be applied at the time of ratooning. If deficiency of iron is noticed, ferrous sulphate (2%) is to be sprayed on foliage immediately.

Gap filling

Gap filling has to be done with seedlings raised in polythene bags or in nursery from single budded setts within two weeks after ratooning.

Weed Management

Weeding and hoeing at 25 to 30 days and 60 days after planting. Spraying 2,4-D (4,5 kg/ha) and Gramoxone (2.5lt/ha) in 1125litres of water per hectare at 60 days after ratooning.

Harvesting

Ratooning crop matures earlier than plant crop. Therefore crop has to be harvested earlier than plant crop at peak maturity.

Saline Alkaline Soil Conditions

Varieties

81 A 99, 81 V 48, 93 A 145, CO T 8201 and CO 7219.

Soils / Areas

Saline / Alkaline soils.

Land preparation

Deep ploughing is not advisible but other aspects are similar to plant crop.

Seed rate

Rs.45,000/- three budded setts per hectare. Seed material should be selected from matured crop.

Planting / Sowing with cut off dates.

Early planting December (January)

Late planting June

Manures and fertilizers

Gypsum has to be applied @ 2-5t/ha depending upon P^H ranging from 8.5 – 9.2. Farm yard manure @ 25 t/ha or press mud cake @ 12t/ha and Zinc sulphate @ 50kg/ha are to be applied in the last ploughing. P₂O₅ @ 100kg/ha and K₂O @ 120kg/ha for early planted crop and 50kg/ha K₂O for late planted crop at the time of formation of ridges and furrows. For early planting, Nitrogen @ 112kg/ha in two splits at 60 and 120 days and for late planting 75kg N/ha in two splits at 30 and 60 days after should be applied after planting.

Inter cultivation and other management practices if any :

• Provision of drainage and leaching with good quality water.
• Earthing up at 4 months after planting and trash twist propping 2-3 times depending upon the growth of the crop.
• Trash mulching @ 3t/ha three days after planting.

Irrigation

• For early planted crop – Once in six days during summer and once in 15-21 days from November to harvest.
• During rainy season if dry spells prevail 1-2 irrigations may be provided. Late planted crop is usually rainfed.

Harvesting

• Crop has to be harvested at peak maturity depending upon variety, date of planting and juice quality.

Management

Early shoot borer

• Deep planting of setts in furrows.
• Application of Phorate 10G granules @ 15kg/ha at the time of planting.
• Trash mulching @ 3t/ha at 3 days after planting in plant crop and immediately after stubble shaving in ratoon crop.
• Irrigation at frequent intervals during summer. Spraying Endosulfan 0.07% or Chlorpyriphos 0.05% at 4, 6 and 9 weeks after planting in 450, 675 and 900lts of water respectively.

Intermode borer

• If infestation is severe during june –July, spray endosulfan 0.07% twice at 15 days interval.

Scale Insect

• Dipping three budded setts in Malathion 0.1% or Dimethoate 0.05% for 15 minutes before planting.
• Detrash the canes during the first week of July, August and September retaining eight top leaves and spraying. Dimethoate is preferred for spraying during heavy rains.

Root grub

• Damage due to root grub appears to be severe in light soils.
• Application of phorate 10G granules @ 15kg/ha to soil at planting reduces the damage. In standing crop, flooding of fields for 2-3 days is effective in reducing the severity.

Mites

• Red mite occurs in hot weather immediately after summer showers. Spraying wettable sulphur (0.3%) effectively checks red mite.

Disease Management

Smut

• Losses in yield may go up to 50% in plant crop and beyond 60% in ratoon crops.
• Systematic eradication of smutted clumps.
• Avoidance of second ratoon if incidence is severe.
• Treating three budded setts in hot water at 52⁰C for 30 minutes or aerated steam at 51⁰C for two hours followed by dipping setts in Carbendazim and raise special seed nurseries.
• Selecting seed material from disease free areas atleast 40m away from affected fields.

Red rot

• Damage due to red rot is two fold : Reduction in cane yield and reduction in sucrose content of the juice.
• Selection of healthy seed material from disease free localities.
• Systematic erodication of affected clumps.
• Uproot and destroy un-germinated setts of plant crop and un-sprouted clumps of ratoon crop.
• Affected plant crop should not be ratooned.
• Proper drainage should be maintained to avoid stagnation.
• After harvesting affected plots, all stubbles and debris should be burnt and further cane planting should not be taken up to four months.
• Diseased canes are to be harvested as early as possible and crop residues, should be burnt.
• Keep the crop erect without lodging by propping with bamboos or trash twist propping.
• Growing resistant varieties like Co7706, Co8013, Co A 7602, Co8021, CoT8201, CoR8001, 85 A 261, 83A30, 90A 272 and Co7219.

Grassy shoot disease

• Uproot and destroy affected clumps. Severely affected plots should not be ratooned. Select seed material from disease free plots. Treat setts in hot water at 52⁰C for 30 minutes and aerated steam at 50⁰ C for one hour and raise special seed nursery. Spray Malathion (0.1%) or Dimethoate (0.05%) to check vector population.

Top