CONSTRAINTS AND SOLUTIONS FOR ENHANCING CANE PRODUCTIVITY IN SUB-TROPICS Presented by - Dr. Aditya Prakash Dwivedi Senior Scientist ( Agronomy) Division of Crop Production ICAR - Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research , Lucknow, UP

SUGARCANE SCENARIO Sugarcane growing countries- 80 Global area for sugarcane -27 million ha. Major cane producing countries-Brazil , India and China(63%)-out of that India contributes 29% India is largest sugarcane producer in the world-362 Mt of cane per annum India is second largest sugar producing country-15% of global sugar production In India-5 million ha. Of area, occupies 2.57% of total cropped area , contributes nearly 10% of gross value of the agricultural GDP in the country.

SUGARCANE PRODUCTION SCENARIO IN STATES Sugarcane production – two distinct agro climatic conditions referred as tropical and sub-tropical belts. Tropical belts-42.9%-Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, KN, AP, Gujarat, CG, Odisha and Kerala. Sub-tropical belts-57.1%-UP ,Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, UK, MP, Rajasthan, WB, Jharkhand, Assam .

AGRONOMIC PRACTICES Good agronomic practices for sugarcane Field preparation- hardpan-deep ploughing – by sub-soiler/ chiesel ploughing(cross ploughing 25- 30 cm deep at distance of 1 m)in every 3 - 4 years. Trace mulching(10-15 tonn/per ha.) Reduced tillage-multi ratooning system. Ideal crop rotation-sugarcane-Green gram, sugarcane-black gram, sugarcane-cowpea. Inter cropping-Sugarcane+chickpea,Sugarcane+fieldpea,Sugarcane+lentil, Sugarcane+rajmash-Additional income.

SEED AND SOWING METHOD Seed –upper 2/3, 3eye set – 5/6 tonn/ha. 8 –ten month old cane seed free from insect ,pest and diseases. Autumn planted cane-temperature 20-30 degree Celsius(not less an ten and not more than 40). Sowing time-October/November- 15 months resulted higher productivity-sacrifice 1 Rabi crop-inter cropping with wheat, vegetables, potatoes ,pulses and oil seeds. Spring planting- sowing of sugarcane after harvesting of short duration Rabi crop like mustard, toria, potato etc. from 15 February – 15 march . Summer season / late planting-after harvesting of wheat-less tillering due to short duration for tillering-low productivity-popular in Punjab ,Haryana and western UP.

PLANT GROWTH REGULATOR Soaking of cane sett in 50 ppm ethrol overnight-priming-good germination and plant growth. Sowing technique Flate planting Ring pit method Trench method FIRV method Bud chip technology

WATER MANAGEMENT Method of irrigation Water requirement -1400-1500mm Non scientific irrigation method- irrigation efficiency 35%-45%. Furrow method ,drip irrigation at critical stages of crop growth and trash mulching have potential to save substantial quantity of water with high cane yield. Method of irrigation 1.furrow method 2.Drip irrigation Irrigation at critical growth stages Emergence – 45 DAP. First order of tillering- 65DAP. Second order of tillering- 85DAP. Third order of tillering- 105DAP. Trash mulching

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT N-120-200Kg/ ha.- 2-3 splits within 90 days for autumn ,for spring 1/3 N at sowing/planting and remaining in 3 equal dose in March ,April and May. Phosphorous-DAP >SSP>MRP-60kg per ha.-full as basal . Potassium – 40-90 kg / ha.-application of K at planting is as good as applied in splits. Sulphur-30kg S /ha. In deficient soil Mn-Central UP as well as Zn, Fe,Cu in eastern UP and Tarai region-Foliar spray application of micro nutrient has bee n found effective in increasing cane yield in Up and Punjab. In Bihar, application of Zn , Mn and Fe each @25 kg/ha. And Borax @ 5kg/ ha. In combination with FYM In calcareous soils improved the cane yield. Bio Fertilizers-acetobactor and PSB @ 250 ml per 200 litre water –sett dipping for 1 hr.

WEED MANAGEMENT Loses- 10% to complete failure of crop. Management – cultural ,mechanical ,chemical. Critical crop weed competition period up to 90 days. Cultural –trash mulching and inter cropping. Intercropping with chickpea and field pea in Autumn and green gram, black gram and cow pea in spring planted sugarcane. Chemical –Atrazine @ 2kg a.i./ha. as pre-emergence + 2,4-D @ 1.0 kg a.i. /ha. At 60 DAP. Binding weed-Eastern UP and North Bihar – Metribuzin pre –emergence @ 1.25 kg / ha.

ROLE OF BIO-FERTILIZER IN PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT OF SUGARCANE Bio-fertilizers make up a judicious combination with chemical fertilizers and organic manures. The cane and sugar yield could be increased up to 9.39 and 1.34 tonnes / ha, respectively, by inoculation of Azotobactor and Asospirillum under graded levels of nitrogen. Gluconacetobactor diazotrophicus, a new class of bio-fertilizer has shown an excellent property of biological nitrogen fixation in sugarcane with non-inhibitory effect of NO3-N under micro-aerophilic conditions. An endophyte, this bacterium is found in sugarcane root, stalk, leaf and trash and is capable of fixing sizeable amount of nitrogen.

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