Seed bed
- Preparation of good seed bed is essential
- Since the same field is retained for 2-3 years
- Deep ploughing / sub-soiling is needed
- Field Layout
- In India - by adopting two systems viz.,
- Ridge and furrows system
- Flat system.
- There are some special systems
- Trench system
- Deep Trench system
- Paired - row system
- Ring or pit system etc.
- Vegetative propagation
- Known as seed pieces or setts
- Buds on sugarcane germinate and give plants
- Planting materials may be
- Single bud sett or Chip bud
- Two budded setts
- Three budded
- Seedlings raised from nursery
- Seedlings raised by poly bags or
- Tissue cultured seedlings
- For sett planting
- Sugarcane setts are prepared from nursery cane
- Nursery cane is younger than (6-8 months) juice cane
- Ultimate plant stand and yield depends on the type of seed material used. The characteristics of good seed cane material are
- Free from disease and pest infestation
- Age of seed crop is around eight months
- Setts should have healthy buds without any damage in handling and transport
- Buds with higher moisture content, adequate nutrients, higher amount of reducing sugars
- Cane should be free from aerial roots and splits
- Pure in quality
- Use of sharp knife to cut setts
- Treat the setts immediately with fungicide solution
- Machine cutting and mechanical planting is also followed in developed counties
- Seed rates & spacing
- Depends up on the spacing
- Spacing varies due to
- Climate
- Method of establishment
- In TN
- 50,000 three budded setts
- 75,000 two budded setts
- 187,500 single budded setts
- Row spacing may vary
- 0.9m to 1.5m and 2.4m