Variety

Co TI 88322 (Madhuri): Resistant to red rot disease

Co 92175: Suitable for drought prone situation

Co 740: For ratooning

Co 6907, Co7405 and Cul 57/84 (Thirumadhuram): Red rot resistant, high sugar content

Cul 527/85 (Madhurima): Resistant to red rot, tolerant to drought and water logging

Co 88017 (Madhumathi): Resistant to red rot, tolerant to drought and water logging

Planting time

The normal planting season is October-December. Delay in planting reduces cane yield. Planting should not be delayed beyond February in the plains. In hilly tracts where sugarcane is cultivated under rainfed conditions, planting should be done after abatement of heavy rains.

Land preparation

Plough the land thrice length wise and breadth wise and level properly. Prepare furrows 25cm deep and 75 cm apart for short duration and 90cm apart for medium duration varieties. In hilly tracts, prepare pits in rows along the contour at spacing of 30 cm in the row and 75 cm between the rows. For mid-late varieties, an inter-row spacing of 75 cm is recommended.

Planting material

Select top ends of mature, healthy disease free canes up to 1/3 of total length and cut into setts of three eye buds. The seed rate is 40000-45000 setts/ha.

For control of fungus diseases like red rot, dip cut ends of setts in 0.25% solution of copper based fungicides.

Planting

Plant setts end to end in the furrow, with the eye buds facing sideways and cover with soil. In the pit system, plant 2-3 setts in each pit.

Manuring

Apply compost or cattle manure, 10t/ha or pressmud 5t/ha or dolomite 500kg/ha or calcium carbonate 750 kg/ha. In addition, the following fertilizers as N: P₂O₅:K₂O kg/ha are also recommended.

Apply organic manures such as compost/cattle manure/pressmud as basal dose preferably in furrows and mix well with soil before planting.

In sugarcane tracts of Palakkad where sett treatment with Azospirillum @ 500 g/ha together with soil application 5kg/ha is done, sugarcane need be given only 175 kg N/ha. Apply lime/dolomite/calcium carbonate in the field before final preparation of the land.

Apply N and K₂O in two splits, the first 45 days after planting and the second 90 days after planting along with earthing up. Do not apply N beyond 100 days after planting.

Apply entire dose of phosphorous as basal dressing. When pressmud at 10t/ha is applied sugarcane grown in Palakkad need be given only 50% of the recommended dose of P as rock phosphate.

After cultivation

When ratoon crop of sugarcane is trash mulched @ 4t/ha the crop must be given only 100% of the recommended dose of NPK 225:75:75 against the existing recommendation of 125%.

The crop should be weeded twice on 45 and 90 days after planting before application of fertilizers. First weeding is done by digging on the ridges and by hand in the furrows. Care should be taken to see that the furrows are not filled up while digging so that tillering is not affected.

At the time of second digging, the crop is partially earthed up to arrest formation of late shoots. With the commencement of the southwest monsoon, final earthing up should be done to prevent lodging. At this time, detrashing is to be done to prevent the possible germination of axillary buds and to reduce pest infestation.

Prevent lodging either by twisting of trash or by propping. Apply oxyflurofen at 0.61 kg ai/ha as pre emergent and at 60 days after planting as post emergent application.

Intercropping

Under irrigated conditions, intercropping with short duration pulse crop is recommended. In such cases, sow the pulse crop on the ridges one month in advance, so that the first intercultivation is not hindered. As a green manure, sunnhemp can also be raised on the ridges.

Irrigation

Irrigate the crop 8-10 times depending upon the availability of rains. In Chitoor area, more number of irrigations will be necessary. In early growth periods, irrigate the crop at more frequent intervals. However, avoid too much moisture and water stagnation especially during germination and early growth phases.

Alternate furrow with trash mulching could economise the use of irrigation water to the tune of 41% during the formative phase of spring planted sugarcane as compared to all furrow irrigation with trash mulching.

Harvesting

Harvest the crop when it is fully mature. Delayed harvesting will reduce yield and recovery percentage.

Ratoon crop

Normally not more than two ratoon crops are recommended. Burn the trash after spreading uniformly in the area immediately after the harvest of the previous crop. Stubble shaving should be done with a sharp spade wherever the canes are not cut close to the ground.