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Climate and Soil Requirement

Sugarcane is a long duration crop, which takes around 10 to 15 months to be harvested, the maturity of the crop also depends upon the local geographical conditions. Best soil for sugarcane in India has the areas with high rainfall or good irrigation as the crop requires large quantity of water. The soil required for sugarcane should be rich in nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus, however it should not be either too acidic or too alkaline. It is a nutrient intensive crop leading to fast depletion of soil fertility, thus requiring appropriate amount of manures & fertilizers for cultivation. A flat plain or level plateau is an advantageous soil type for sugarcane cultivation as it facilitates irrigation for the crop.

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Land Preparation & Farm Management

As sugarcane crop stands in the field for more than a year, it is necessary to give deep plowing by mould board plow drawn by a tractor. The proper time for plowing is immediately after the preceding crop is harvested or just after a good shower of rain is received. After this, the land should be exposed to the atmosphere for a month and the harrowing should be done 3 to 4 times to break clods to make the land smooth and to facilitate uniform irrigation. A very important recommendation is to practice intercropping with Sugarcane, as it offers great opportunity for increasing farm income. Crops like groundnut, soybean, watermelon, cucumber, potato, gram, cabbage, cauliflower, onion, radish, coriander, fenugreek, etc. can be grown effectively, as these crops compliments sugarcane growth and thus increase the yield. Farmers engaged in sugarcane farming should conserve the trash and should refrain from burning it as it helps in providing the essential nutrients to the soil. Trash mulching conserves soil moisture and mulched trash should be incorporated into the soil at the time of earthing- up.

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Methods of planting

Sugarcane is planted by three methods in different parts of the country
Flat planting:
Shallow furrows are opened with a local plow or cultivator and at the time of planting.The selts are planted end to end in the furrows, with one three-budded selt falling in each thirty-centimeter length of the furrow. Following that, the furrows are filled with soil and the land is leveled with heavy planking. It is recommended that the soil must have enough moisture at the time of planting.
Furrow planting:
Furrows are made with a sugarcane ridger, which is about 10-15 centimeters deep in Northern India and about 20 centimeters in South India. Selts are planted end to end in the furrows and is covered with 5-6 centimeters of soil, leaving upper portion of furrows unfilled. This furrow planting practice is prevalent in parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and in Peninsular India, particularly in heavy soils.
Trench method:
Trenches are dug by hand or with the help of a ridger. After that, the fertilizer and soil is mixed completely and is then placed evenly in the trenches. In trenches, the selts are planted end to end and to control termites, shoot and root borers, gamma BHC EC in water is sprayed over the planted selts in the trenches. After that the trenches are filled with loose dirt.

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Hoeing & Earthing-up

Hoeing is necessary for better aeration, moisture conservation and control of weeds. It is done after one & three weeks of planting and subsequently after every irrigation.
Earthing-up is required 2-3 times during the crop period as it cultivates the suppressed growth of excess tillers, minimize fertilizer losses through leaching and facilitate irrigation. Earthing up helps to drain out the excess water from the field to control weed infestation and to protect the crop from lodging.

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Sugarcane Planting Season

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Irrigation Management

First irrigation should be done when 20-25% plants have germinated or about 20 days after sowing. Regular irrigation should be done at an interval of 10-15 days during summer, 25-30 days during winter. The Sugarcane crop needs maximum water at tillering stage and during elongation or grand growth phase.

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Fertilizer Scheduler of Mosaic Products

Note:

• •Above dosages are applicable for Maharashtra.
• •Apply nutrients based on soil test values and crop requirements to improve crop and soil health.
• •Apply well decomposed Farm Yard Manure (FYM) or compost (@ 5-6 MT/acre) 2-3 weeks before sowing.
• •Application of nitrogen fixing (Azospirillum and Gluconacetobacter) and phosphate solubilizing(Phosphobacteria) bio-fertilizers are found to reduce the requirement of chemical fertilizers to the extent of 25%.
• •Tying and Wrapping- These operations are most essential in sugarcane cultivation just to provide mechanical support to the grown-up plants to prevent lodging.

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Nutrient Deficiencies