Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is an important and well-established cash crop/industrial crop. One kilogram of sugar requires 2000 kilograms of water. Sugarcane is a perennial crop that takes 12-15 months to mature. To boost sugarcane yield per acre, one should follow the smart production strategies right from land preparation to harvesting.
Land Preparation
The first step is to plough the field using a disc/M.B. plough. This is followed by using the cultivator 3-4 times and harrowing one after another alternately to pulverize the soil. If the field is not leveled, a laser leveler can be used prior to final field preparation. In the case of hard pan development, a sub-soiler should be used to break this down. During land preparation, the following amounts of compost and bio-fertilizers should be applied:
- FYM or Press Mud compost @ 200 Q/ ha.
- Neem Cake @ 250 Kg per ha
- Bio-Fertilizers ESB @ 5 kg per ha
- Bio Fertilizers PSB @ 5 kg per ha
The irrigation and drainage facilities via canals are conducive to sugarcane cultivation. After the harvest of sugarcane, two to three ratoon crops are taken in succession. This process demands good land preparation to sustain productivity in ratoon crops for longer periods of time.
Time of planting
Autumn and spring are the two major seasons for the planting of sugarcane.
Autumn planting
Prepare the field early in September and start planting from 15 September to the end of October. Planting in autumn yields 15-20% more than planting in spring. Some short-duration winter crops can be cultivated as intercrops between rows of the sugarcane crop. The practice of autumn planting is very low among the farmers and there is a need to encourage this to improve their productivity and income.
Spring planting
Prepare the field in January as per the practices mentioned above in autumn planting. Start planting sugarcane from mid-February and complete planting by the end of March. Delayed planting may considerably reduce the yield.
Intercropping
The practice of growing two or more crops between the canes would utilize the farmland to the fullest. Sowing intercrops such as potato, coriander, mustard, or garlic between rows of sugarcane crops does not adversely affect sugarcane production. Farmers can thus generate additional income in a short period of time.
The intercrop should be that which is suitably grown in the local conditions and should always be grown in between the rows. For planting sugarcane apply all recommended doses of fertilizers and other inputs at the time of planting. Apply additional doses of fertilizers to meet the requirements of intercrops at the time of sowing them.
Planting Methods
Several sugarcane planting methods are recommended by various Sugarcane Research Institutes. These include the Furrow, Trench, Ring Pit, Furrow Irrigation Raised Bed, and Space Transplanting methods.
Trench method
The steps required for the trench method of sugarcane planting are:
- Opening of trenches: After land leveling and land preparation, use the trench opener to prepare trenches one foot wide and 10-12 inches deep, spaced four feet apart. An east-to-west trench is preferable.
- Placement of organic manure
Since the soils of the area are not adequately fertile, add farmyard manure/compost or press mud compost @ 200 quintals per hectare to make the lower soil fertile. Neem Cake @ 250 KG per hectare may also be added to improve the efficiency of fertilizers and productivity. The above doses of compost and Neem cake do not need to be added if they are applied during land preparation.
- Mixing of chemical fertilizers
The doses of chemical fertilizers should be determined based on soil test results and on the nutrient requirements of the sugarcane. Apply a basal dose of chemical fertilizers at the time of planting: one-third of nitrogen and the recommended doses of phosphorus, potassium, and other mixtures. Put this mixture into the trenches before placement of seed setts as follows:
DAP- 150 kg /ha.
Urea-75 kg/ha.
Muriate of Potash @ 150 kg/ha
Micro-nutrient mixture -25 kg/ha.
Use a desi plough in each trench to mix all inputs thoroughly in the soil. It can also be done manually.
Some important considerations in this are:
- Selection of seeds: Sugarcane plants 8-10 months old should be used for seed. Do not use diseased or pest-affected plants for seed purposes. Avoid using the 4-5 eyes at the lower portion of the cane for seed. Use a sharp knife to cut two bud seed setts, one inch above the upper eye.
- Treatment of seed setts: Take three drums with a 100-liter capacity and fill them with water. In two of the drums, mix the following chemicals: 2 ml Chlorpyrifos 20 EC + 2 grams Carbandezim + 20 grams of urea per liter of water for seed treatment. First, take the seed setts and wash them in pure water then put them in the first seed treating drum. Once the first drum is filled, transfer it to the second drum. The setts should be treated for 15 minutes, after which they are ready to plant in the field. This treatment will protect seed setts from termites and fungus and improve germination.
- Planting sugarcane setts: Place the treated seed setts across the length of the trench, placing its eyes on both sides as shown in Figure 9. Planted seed setts in the trench should look like a ladder. Soon after planting the treated seed setts, sprinkle 6.25 liters of Chlorpyriphos 20 EC, mixing in 2000 liters of water over the seed setts in the trench.
- Covering of seed setts: Cover the setts with soil not more than 3” deep and press the soil lightly. Do not put the entire soil on seed setts. Use the space for intercropping on ridges in the case of autumn planting. After harvesting the intercrop or after germination of the sugarcane, use some of the remaining soil to cover the trenches during the onset of monsoon. Thereafter, arrange the soils to make ridges in such a way that ridges become trenches and trenches become bunds.
- Gap filling
Gap-filling is an important part of this activity in order to maintain the optimum plant population for maximizing sugarcane production. If gaps are seen in the field, gap-filling should be done soon after germination. Single-budded seedlings can be raised for gap-filling in between two rows of the same plot following the day of planting. Alternatively, seedlings of the same variety can be raised simultaneously in the polybags to fill gaps if necessary.
Weed management
Manual weed management
Weeds grow as the sugarcane grows, and in effect compete with cane plants for nutrients, light, space, and water. If weeds are not removed swiftly, it can affect the growth and yield of the sugarcane. One can use a Khurpi or spade to remove weeds manually in between the rows of sugarcane crops. Keep the plot free from weeds until four months after plantation.
Mechanized weed management
Once plants are knee-high, machines and implements such as a cultivator or desi plough can be used between rows of sugarcane for inter-culture operations. This removes weeds from the plot and makes it easy to apply manure and fertilizer for top dressing. Power tillers are also advisable to help complete the work efficiently. The tractor-driven weed control method is being used.
Chemical weed control
To control broad-leaved weeds and nut grasses, it is advisable to use a pre-emergence spray of atrazine, at 2kg per bigha, on the third day of planting along with a combination of post-emergence selective herbicides at 50 gm + Matribuzine at 30 gm/10 liter of water. Weeds such as Cyprus rotundas can be controlled by spraying 3-5 ml of glyphosate per liter of water before the sugarcane germinates.
Water and irrigation management
There are four distinct growth phases of sugarcane: a) Germination Phase; b) Tillering Phase; c) Grand Growth Phase and d) Maturity Phase. The water requirements and irrigation scheduling vary during these phases.
Sugarcane requires maximum water during the tillering and grand growth phases. Generally, under sub-tropical conditions, water requirements during the grand growth phase are met through rain. In cases of less rainfall due to climate variability, the water requirement of the plant should be fulfilled by irrigation.
The water requirements during the tillering phase must be met through irrigation, however. In the sub-tropical conditions, the approximate water requirement is 200-250mm per hectare for germination, 300-350mm for tillering, 500-550mm for growth, and 300-320mm for ripening. The total water requirements therefore come to 1300-1500mm per hectare.
Sugarcane requires moist soils for quick germination and better crop growth, so needs frequent light irrigation. During summer or before the rainy season, five to eight light irrigations are required for better growth of the cane.
Most often, farmers don’t know how much water is needed for sugarcane crops or the negative effects of overusing it. They require sufficient information regarding more effective use of water resources, particularly in light of climate change. It is advised that sugarcane farmers implement the following procedures:
- Laser-leveling of land: Large amounts of water are wasted with unlevelled land, and irregular irrigation adversely affects the productivity of the sugarcane. The leveling of fields helps minimize both water and nutrient loss and improves overall soil fertility. It is therefore recommended that sugarcane growers do land leveling in their fields.
- Trench or furrow irrigation: Trenches or furrows should be prepared in the field. With this method, water irrigation can be applied in furrows or trenches by cutting the bund: an effective way to inflow the water when required.
- Gated pipe irrigation: In this method, plastic pipes with gates/holes at desired distances are used. The use of gate pipes to irrigate the fields with furrow irrigation is more effective.
- Drip irrigation: In this system, plastic pipes are used to irrigate the field from pumps near the root zone of the sugarcane plant by maintaining a steady flow of water drops.
- Small bed/basin irrigation: For this the field needs, to be well leveled. Prepare small beds of about 1/20th of a hectare by making bunds after planting the sugarcane. Apply water in these small beds up to 5cm deep and avoid heavy flooding in the field.
- Trash mulching: Trash mulching, particularly with sugarcane ratoon crops, helps minimize the evaporation of water, thus improving soil organic contents/health and suppressing the growth of weeds. It is recommended to stop the existing practice of trash burning and instead use trash mulching for ratoon crops.
- Skip Furrow: This method saves 37.3 % water.
Most of this occurs during the rainy season from June to September, when many of the fields are water-logged. Root respiration becomes poor during these conditions. Waterlogging also increases the leaching of nutrients and reduces the activities of microorganisms and crop lodges.
This affects the sugar recovery rate and contributes to a very low crop yield. It is therefore necessary to drain the excess water from the field. The construction of proper drainage facilities is recommended in the sugarcane fields.
Soil and Nutrient management
Green Manuring
In the sugarcane field, farmers can cultivate dhaincha and sunn hemp as green manure. Before they flower, at the age of 1.5 to 2 months, green manure crops can be produced as a solitary crop and buried in the field. A sugarcane crop can then be planted afterward.
When earthing up, these crops can be planted between rows of sugarcane and buried in the ground. Ninety kg of nitrogen can be produced in the field with 20 tons of green matter on average.
Bio composting of Sugar Mill Press mud cake.
Sugar Mill Press mud cake is a rich source of plant nutrients. However, as it is a by-product it is mostly sold off by the mills and burnt in the brick kilns. Instead, it can be used in the sugarcane fields as a bio-compost to improve nutrients in the soil and crop productivity.
In Nepal, where farmers have low access to chemical fertilizer, this product is a very useful option. The availability of plant nutrients in 50qt of wet press mud (having 65-70% water) is indicated in Table.
| Elements | Nutrient Percentage of Press Mud | Amount to be applied |
| Nitrogen | 1.7% | 25.5 kg |
| Phosphorus | 3.6% | 54.0 kg |
| Potassium | 1.4% | 21.0 kg |
| Sulfur | 2.3% | 34.5kg |
Press mud cake also contains various essential plant nutrients for the growth of sugarcane such as Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Bo, Mo, and Cl. Press mud compost is organic manure, so helps improve the physical and biological health of the soil and thus facilitates plant growth and productivity, as well as being a cheaper source of chemical plant nutrients.
Chemical Fertilizers
The following general suggestions can be followed based on the soil test reports, which should be the basis for determining the chemical fertilizer doses. The following dosages ought to be used for planting:
- DAP- 150 kg /ha.
- Urea-75 kg/ha.
- Muriate of Potash @ 150 kg/ha
- Micro-nutrient mixture-25 kg/ha
While applying chemical fertilizers, the following factors should be considered at the different stages of plant growth:
First top dressing: Ensure the first top dressing is applied 45-55 days after the plantation. Open the furrow approx. 8” away from the sugarcane plant with the help of a desi plough. Apply urea at the rate of 75kg per hectare, along with 30 bags of compost/ press mud in the furrow, and cover it properly.
Second top dressing: Ensure the second top dressing is applied 75-85 days after the plantation. Apply the same amount of urea and compost/press mud as mentioned in the first top dressing by making the furrow around 10” away from the sugarcane plant.
Third top dressing/earthing-up: Apply 100kg urea and 30 bags of compost per hectare near to the plants and do the earthing up.
Keep in mind, that the entire dose of fertilizer must be completed before the onset of monsoon (June). This also applies to the October planting season; the entire dose of fertilizer should again be completed before the onset of monsoon.
Pest management
Sugarcane is a crop that has a very long crop cycle and goes through different phases in the year. A range of insects/pests and diseases can attack this crop during its entire growth period. Sugarcane production declines by an estimated 20% due to insects/pests and 19% due to diseases.
Therefore, management of insects/pests and diseases is very important to sustain productivity. Management practices may differ according to the agro-ecological condition of sugarcane growing areas and farmers need to adapt management strategies relevant to the specific location.
Insect Management
Globally, at least 288 insect varieties infest sugarcane, of which two dozen cause heavy losses to the quality and yield of the crop. Major pests of sugarcane in the Eastern Sugar Mills selected areas are Plassey borer, early shoot borer, top borer, root borer, Gurdaspur borer, pink borer, mealy bug, Pyrilla, scale insect, and grasshopper.
Plassey borer
Plassey borer (Chilotumidicotalis Hampson) is named after Plassey in West Bengal, India. It is also widespread in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Burma.
Nature of attack of the Plassey borer: The primary infestation is caused by clusters of newly hatched larvae on the top 3-5 internodes of cane. The larvae make holes in the sugarcane stem and can be detected by a shiny red color on the surface of the stem. Loss of the top part of sugarcane from the attack of this borer is a major problem in the sugarcane field.
In the secondary infestation phase, mature larvae migrate to adjacent cane or the lower healthy internodes. Losses in yield and recovery vary with the level of infestation. However, the primary infection causes more loss than the secondary one.
Management of the Plassey borer: The borers infest the mature crop stalk and at this stage chemical controls are not very effective. However, the following methods can control the damage:
- Cultural and mechanical practices to remove and destroy infested canes.
- Collection and destruction of egg masses.
- Using light traps.
- Regular release of parasites such as trichgramma chilonis.
| S.N. | Name of Pest | Damage symptom | % reduction in cane yield | Control |
| i). | Early shoot borer | Borers kill the plant growing points and cause “dead hearts” (the youngest still unfolded leaves wilt and die), broken sugarcane stalks, and reduced sugar contents in infested sugarcane crops | 22 to 33
| · Release S. inference @ 125 gravid females per ha. |
| ii). | Top shoot borer | • The larva pierced the unfolded leaves, revealing a row of parallel shot holes in the developing leaves. • Has a bunchy top look and boreholes at the top of the shot.
| 21-37
| · Spray Coragen @ 380 ml per ha in 800 liters of water near the base of plants. |
| iii). | Gurdaspur borer | · Newly hatched larvae of this borer make one hole on top internodes and gregariously feed there. · After a few days these larvae shift in ones or twos to the adjoining clumps/plants. | 5-15
| · Collection and destruction of egg masses. · Using light traps. · Regular release of parasites such as trichgramma chilonis |
| iv). | Root borer | · The newly hatched larvae crawl down and bore into the base of young plants about 2.5″ below ground level resulting in drying of the central spindle. | 35.00
| · Application of chlorpyriphos at 1kg a. i. per ha over cane setts. |
| v). | Scale insect |
| 32.60
| · Spray dimethoate @ 2ml/ lit along with sticker after detrashing. · Apply contact insecticides like dichlorvos or any @ 2ml/lit of water by using hand sprayer.
|
| vi). | Mealy bug |
| Up to 35 | · Spray Profenofos 40 % + Cypermethrin 4 % EC @ 400 -600 per Acre. |
| viii). | White fly |
| 80
| · Spray thiamethoxan 25 WG @ 125g/ha, 750 litres of spray fluid. |
| ix). | White grub | · White grubs begin feeding on the roots and underground stems.
· The first evidence of injury is localized patches of pale, discolored symptoms. | 33 | Application of chlorpyriphos at 1kg a. i. per ha at the base of the sugarcane plant. |
| x). | Termite | • Has a hollow interior that could be filled with dirt. • The entire shoot dries out and becomes extractable. | Application of chlorpyriphos at 1kg a. i. per ha over cane setts. |
Disease management
| S.N. | Diseases | Symptoms | Control |
| 1. | Red rot | · The spindle leaves (3rd-14th) show signs of drying. · Internal tissues turn reddish with white spots. · Advanced stages show an earthy brown color with cottony hyphae in the pith cavity. · In heavy rain, the entire crop may dry up rapidly. | · The affected clump and its root system should be uprooted and burnt.
· The bundling of the affected field should be done to avoid the movement of rain or floodwater.
· Ratooning of the diseased crop should be avoided. |
| 2. | Smut | · The new sprouts are tall and numerous, with a long black whip covered in spores.
· Affected plants have thin canes and pointed leaves, making them easy to spot before the smut whip appears. | · The occurrence can be decreased by pre-treating seed pieces with a 2.5% organomercurial fungicide dip.
· Incidence is effectively decreased by removing clumps that exhibit smut whip during the tillering period. |
| 3. | Wilt | · Wilt symptoms occur post-monsoon. · Infected clumps show stunted growth and yellowing leaves. · Severe cases result in dried clumps with hollow, lighter canes. · Red discoloration is prominent near nodes, with no specific odor. | · Healthy seeds (as mentioned under red rot) should be planted.
· Seed setts may be treated with organomercurial fungicide before planting.
· Crop rotation should be followed in the affected field.
|
| 4. | Grassy shoot | · A large number of lean and lanky pale sprouts in the clump appear like ‘bunchy grass’. Normal stalks are not formed. | · Healthy seed (as mentioned under red rot) should be used. · Setts may be treated with antibiotics like streptomycin, Terramycin, Tylan, Erythromycin @ 250 ppm. |
| 5. | Mosaic | · Young crown leaves held against the light display chlorotic and normal green area mosaic patterns. · The chlorotic area may show reddening or necrosis. Leaf-sheath may also display such symptoms. | · Planting crops free of disease should be used to produce seed.
· It is possible to prevent secondary illness transmission by insect vectors by applying either dimecron (0.2%) or malathion (0.1%). |
Propping / Tie-up
Lodging is one of the major problems in sugarcane, causing severe loss of yield. Lodged crops are more prone to pests like stalk borer, plassey borer, rodents, etc. This also initiates the sprouting of buds and reduces the sugar content in the stem and the quality of the seed for the next season.
Tie-up canes in a group can significantly reduce lodging. Earthing up can also prevent the lodging of sugarcane. The earthing up also helps minimize losses due to water logging and drought.
Ratoon management.
Ratoons are the roots and remaining lower part of the sugarcane in the ground which can regenerate canes in the next season. Two to three ratoons can easily be managed in succession by farmers. Farmers can get more yields from the ratoon than from planted cane with the adoption of the recommended ratoon management package of practices.
Ratoon crop is more profitable than plant cane as it reduces 30-40% of cultivation costs. Early harvesting of ratoon crops can help farmers plant other short-duration crops in the sugarcane field.
The yield of ratoon crops in the command area is very low, however, mainly due to poor management practices on account of the farmers’ lack of knowledge. In order to enhance productivity and income the following strategy is recommended:
Good ratoon management practices
- Growing healthy plant crops, using improved varieties of sugarcane without gaps.
- Harvesting of the previous crop from ground level, so that buds below the ground can sprout.
- Stubble shaving: Stubbles above ground level need to be shaved immediately after the harvest of sugarcane.
- Trash mulching/recycling: Instead of burning trash after harvesting the previous crop, it should be spread evenly in between the rows or in alternate rows of the ratoon crop as shown in Figure 16. Decomposing culture (e.g.: Trichoderma virdi @ 10kg/ha along with 80kg urea/ha and 100kg single super phosphate) should be used on trash for fast decomposition.
- Irrigation: Irrigate the fields immediately after harvesting.
- Gap filling: Gaps in ratoon need to be filled with saplings raised in polybags by single eye buds, sprouted stubble, or seed setts.
- Off-barring: The hard and compact mass of soil near the root zone should be loosened by ploughing near the root.
- Nutrition management: Apply a 30% higher dose of N fertilizer in the crop at 10–15 cm depth as per the schedule given in Table.
| S.N. | Time of Application | Nitrogen (N) | Phosphorus (P) | Potash (K) |
| 1. | Immediately/within 15 days of harvesting the previous crop and after the first irrigation | 80 | 70 | 70 |
| 2. | 6 weeks after the first dose | 80 | – | – |
| 3. | 12 weeks after the first dose | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| 4. | At earthing up (end of June) | 50 | – | – |
| Total | 250 | 140 | 140 |
- Foliar spray of chemical fertilizers: A spray of 2% water-soluble fertilizers of Nitrogen and Potash over the ratoon is very helpful in improving fertilizer efficiency and yield of sugarcane. Pesticides should be included in the solution if a black bug or pyrilla is noticed in the field. Usually, in ratoon, iron chlorosis can be observed. In such cases, 0.5% ferrous sulfate (50g ferrous sulfate in 10 liters of water), 0.5% zinc sulfate (50g zinc sulfate in 10 liters of water), and 2% urea (200g urea in 10 liters of water) should be sprayed on the crop 3-4 times at an interval of 8 to 10 days.
- Crop husbandry: All steps mentioned above should be completed after two weeks of harvesting the previous sugarcane. The first irrigation must be carried out immediately after applying the fertilizer. During the crop growing period, irrigation should be carried out to meet the requirements of the crop and soil moisture conditions in the sugarcane field. Early earthing up in May and a final earthing up at the end of June enable maintenance of the tillers at the optimum level, reduce weeds, and protect the crop from lodging. Irrigation, weed, insect, pest, and disease management should follow similarly.
Harvesting
Harvest the crop from ground level after maturity and send it to the sugar mill for crushing within 24 hours of harvest.
