Production Technology of sugarcane

Production Technology of sugarcane

Land and soil

High and medium high lands with no water-logging condition are suitable for

sugarcane cultivation. It is grown well in loam, sandy loam and clay loam soils. As it

is a long duration and deep rooted crop hence it needs 4 to 5 times ploughing and

laddering to make land suitable for its growth successfully.

Fertilizer application

Fertilizer application plays the most effective role to increase the yield of sugarcane

and sugar content. Correct doses of fertilizers, correct time and methods of fertilizer

application increase the yield of sugarcane. Considering the fertility and productivity

of soils under different agro-ecological zones (AEZs), the appropriate doses of

fertilizer for sugarcane have been recommended as shown in Table 1.

Table1: Fertilizer Recommendation for Sugarcane under different AEZs (FRG,

BARC 2005)

Sl. Name of AEZ with location Cane Fertilizer Recommendation (kg/ha)

yield goal Urea TSP MP Gypsum Mg0 Zn Boric

(t/ha) So4 acid

1. AEZ 1. Old Himalayan 82.0±8.2 271 177 260 139 50 7 10

Piedmont Plain (Panchagarh,

Thakurgaon, Dinajpur)

2. AEZ 3. Tista Meander 82.0±8.2 271 177 200 139 50 7 10

Floodplain (Rangpur, Bogra,

Joypurhat, Naogaon, Rajshahi)

3. AEZ 8. Young Brahmaputra & 100.0±10.0 326 202 200 167 - 7 -

Jamuna Floodplain (Sherpur,

Jamalpul, Tangail, Manikgonj,

Dhaka, Gazipur)

4. AEZ 9. Old Brahmaputra 60.0±6.0 217 127 110 83 - 6 -

Floodplain (Sherpur, Jamalpur,

Tangail, Mymensingh, Netrakona,

Narsingdi, Kishoregonj)

175

Sl. Name of AEZ with location Cane Fertilizer Recommendation (kg/ha)

yield goal Urea TSP MP Gypsum Mg0 Zn Boric

(t/ha) So4 acid

5. AEZ 11. High Ganges River 100.0±10.0 326 253 180 189 - 10 -

Floodplain (Nawabganj,

Rajshahi, Pabna, Kushtia,

Jessore, Meherpur, Chuadanga,

Magura, Satkhira)

6. AEZ 12. Low Ganges River 100.0±10.0 304 182 130 194 - 10 -

Floodplain (Natore, Pabna,

Goalando, Faridpur, Madaripur,

Sariotpur, Gopalgonj)

7. AEZ 25. Level Barind Tract 80.0±8.0 260 182 200 111 25 6 -

(Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Jaipurhat,

Bogra, Naogaon, Sirajgonj)

8. AEZ 26. High Barind Tract 80.0±8.0 260 182 150 139 25 6 -

(Rajshahi, Nawabganj, Naogaon)

9. AEZ 27. North Eastern Barind 80.0±8.0 260 127 200 139 25 6 -

Tract (Dinajpur, Jaipurhat,

Rangpur, Gaibandha, Bogra)

10. AEZ 28. Madhupur Tract 80.0±8.0 260 152 250 139 25 6

(Dhaka, Gazipur, Narsingdi,

Tangail, Narayanganj, Mymensingh)

11. AEZ 29. Northern and Eastern 65.0±6.5 206 127 160 83 20 4 -

Hills (Khagrachhari, Chittagong

Hill Tract)

12. AEZ 30. Akhaura Terrace 65.0±6.5 206 127 200 111 25 4 -

(Brahmanbaria, Habigonj)

Fertilizer application for ratoon sugarcane

Ratooning of sugarcane is advised as it matures early, reduces production cost and

earns more profit.

For getting high yield of sugarcane in High Ganges River Floodplain areas, 15 tons

Farm Yard manure (FYM) or press mud per hectare with 25% less recommended

doses of fertilizers is required. For ratoon cane only 50% additional dose of Urea is

required compared to plant cane (Table 2).

Table 2: Recommended doses of fertilizers (kg/ha) for plant and ratoon cane

Crop Organic manure Urea TSP MP Gypsum Zinc sulphate

(ton/ha)

Plant cane 15 245 190 135 142 7.5

Ratoon cane 15 364 190 135 142 7.5

Seed rate

Normally sugarcane planting is done by two methods -

Conventional method and Spaced transplanting (STP)

method. For conventional method direct sett planting is

done while for STP method setts are planted first in seed

bed or in polythene bag and then after germination, the setts

are transplanted in the main field. For conventional method

high seed rate is required compared to STP method. For

raising 22000 to 24000 seedlings or mother plants per

hectare, seed rate is required as below:

For conventional planting: 6.0 - 7.0 t/ha

For spaced transplanting: 3.0 - 5.0 t/ha

Sett treatment

Sett treatment of sugarcane is done to control seed borne diseases (Red rot, Smut,

White leaf, Ratoon stunting disease etc.) and to protect the seed from soil borne

pathogens (Pineapple disease, Wilt etc.). To produce disease free clean seed

(Breeder/Nucleus Seed and Foundation Seed), seed treatment is a mandatory. It is

normally done in two ways viz. heat therapy and chemotherapy.

Heat therapy of sugarcane setts

• Before plantation the setts are treated by moist hot air

treatment (MHAT) plant at 54oC for 4 hours with

above 95% RH. It is effective in controlling the seed

borne diseases like red rot, smut, white leaf etc. To

control ratoon stunting disease setts are treated by hot

water at 50oC for 3 hours .

Chemotherapy of sugarcane setts

• To protect sugarcane setts from the attack of soil borne

sett rotting fungi like Ceratocystis paradoxa,

Fusarium sp. setts are treated by dipping in Bavistin

50 WP/Knowin 50 WP/Corozim 50 WP etc. solution

(0.1%) for 30 minutes.

Seed bed preparation

Seed bed is prepared for settling raising from setts of sugarcane. It is normally practiced

for planting of sugarcane through spaced transplanting method (STP). The land is to be

ploughed properly for seed bed preparation. The size of seed bed is 24×4 sq. ft.

Procedure: Eighty kg cowdung/compost/ press mud, 500g Urea, 500g TSP and 250g

MP are mixed thoroughly with the soil. The seed bed should be 7.5-10 cm high from

the ground. The treated setts are placed side by side on the seed bed and covered with

Conventional method

STP method

Moist hot air Hot water

treatment plant treatment plant

Setts treatment by fungicide solution

slight soil and straw. The seed bed is regularly watered for proper germination. For

one hectare of land ten (10) seed bed of 24×4 sq. ft.size are enough to accommodate

the required quantity of setts.

Time of sowing/planting

Sugarcane planting has been recommended as i) Early planting (September to

October), ii) Mid planting (November to December) and iii) Late planting (February

to March). In the early planted cane higher germination, higher number of tillers and

higher yield of cane is obtained. In case of mid and late planting, spaced transplanting

(STP) method is recommended. In the late planting, higher number of settlings is

required compared to early planting. For mid and late planting irrigation is necessary

for germination of setts or survival of settings. In the early planted cane at least 30 to

50% higher yield is obtained compared to late planted cane. Besides, early plantation

provides opportunity for growing two intercrops with sugarcane.

Sowing method

Spaced transplantation (STP) method

At present, sugarcane is planted in medium high and low

land in the country. In many cases it is planted after T.

aman harvest i.e. in the month of December and January.

At that time temperature falls below 18oC which is not at

all congenial for sugarcane germination. To overcome the

situation spaced transplantation (STP) technique has been

developed. In this method sugarcane setts are placed in

polybag or in soil bed in October/November. When land is

ready, settlings are transplanted maintaining a particular distance and irrigation is

applied. Through this technique only healthy settlings can be planted and its

advantages are given below:

• Equal spacing between plant to plant can be maintained.

• No risk of gap in the sugarcane line.

• Cane yield could be increased to desired level with optimum plants in the field.

• Pest and disease infestation is less.

• STP method is more suitable than conventional method for production of

Foundation and Certified seed.

• Intercrop can be grown with STP sugarcane.

• It requires about 50% less setts.

Different kinds of planting materials used as seed

Sugarcane can be planted using different kinds of planting materials. They are:

• Three bud sett

• Two bud sett

STP method in the field

• Bag settling

• Single bud soil bed settling

• Double bud soil bed settling

• Ryungun settling

• Lateral shoot

• Stalk less settling

• Budchip settling

Three bud and two bud setts are used for conventional method of planting while other

kinds of settings are used for spaced transplantation (STP) method.

Irrigation

Development of pedal pump for irrigation

Agricultural Engineering Division of Bangladesh

Sugarcane Research Institute has developed a pedal pump

for irrigation. It is improved version of pedal operated

treadle pump. A person can operate this pump in a manner

like riding bicycle.

Advantages

• Woman, man or young person, everybody can operate this pump.

• Water lifting capacity : 60-100 L/min

• Irrigation capacity : 0.50 acre/day

• Cost of production : Tk. 4500.00

By using this pump farmers can lift huge quantity of water easily in a short time, which is

suitable for small scale irrigation in small area of sugarcane, seedbed and garden.