Sugarcane Farming in Sindh, Pakistan.
Sugarcane farming
Sugarcane is an important crop in Pakistan, both economically and culturally. It is one of the country's major cash crops and is grown on a large scale in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. The crop provides the raw material for the sugar industry, which is a major source of revenue for the country. Additionally, sugarcane is used to produce other products such as molasses, ethanol, and bagasse (the dry pulpy residue left after juice extraction), which are used in industries like textiles, paper, and power generation. It also creates job opportunities for farmers, labourers and its by-products used in other industries. Moreover, sugarcane is also an important crop in terms of the livelihoods and food security of many smallholder farmers and rural communities in Pakistan.
Our sugar yield and sugar
recovery (%) are less than half of the developed cane-growing countries of the
world. The goal of increasing sugar yield per unit area is difficult, time-consuming and needs dedicated efforts from the government, millers and growers.
Some of the measures to
bring down the cost of cultivation and improve cane productivity include the
selection of the right varieties, maintenance of soil health, quality planting
material, nutrient management, the adoption of copping systems approach, weed
management, water management and proper post-harvest handling.
Role of Grower:
Grower is the main key
factor that can help to increase the sugarcane production from the field. In
Pakistan, the most grower doesn’t know the proper method of sugarcane
cultivation. Hence the cane produced is of no good quality and we have less
cane and sugar recovery. So it is necessary that there should be organizations that
should guide the growers to increase their production. Here are some of the
steps that can improve sugarcane production.
Land
preparation: Sugarcane is a deep-rooted crop and proper land
preparation plays an important role in the development of the cane root system, and
achieving optimal growth of the crop. Land should be prepared by deep ploughing
at least after every two years. The soil should be disked. The soil in the prepared
field should be friable and well worked so that full germination takes place
and later on plants grow without any inhibiting barriers (compact sub-soil
layer).
Farmyard
Manure: It is very important that well-rotten farmyard manure
(FYM) should be applied a month prior to land preparation. Press mud from the
sugar industry is another excellent source of organic matter and nutrients.
.Green manuring can also serve the purpose.
Soil
Insect Control at Planting Time: Growers must keep in mind
the practices they can use to decrease the possibility of soil insect damage.
Only two crop conditions require use of a soil insecticide in Louisiana
sugarcane fields and usually only in sandy soils. These are:
(a) When pasture, turf or
grass-infested land is brought into cane production for the first time or after
being out of cane production for several years. There are usually enough grubs
or wireworms already established in this type of land to warrant a preventive
application of insecticide at cane planting time. However, a soil insecticide
application may not be needed with the second plant-cane crop if the field has
been kept reasonably free of grass during the ratoon crops.
(b) When cane fields are extremely grassy, particularly when cane is planted in a field that was not kept free of heavy grass infestation when fallow. Ongoing wireworm and white grub infestations will persist in grassy fields. Again, this may be needed only on light or mixed soils.
Growers must consider
control measures for soil insects at planting time and base chemical control on
verification of soil insect pest infestations. Based on new research data, the
economic threshold is slightly above one wireworm per bait sample before
planting. Soil insecticides have had a suppressive effect on beneficial
predators in sugarcane studies.
Sowing Season
The selection of an appropriate planting method and schedule greatly influences crop growth, maturity, and yield. Since low temperature and moisture stress are detrimental to germination and subsequent establishment, the planting season in subtropical regions is preferably spring. But in areas where winter is severe enough to restrict growth or even kill sugarcane, planting material may only be available in autumn, thus necessitating pre-winter planting. In tropical regions, particularly where irrigation is not practised, a sufficiently moist season should be selected for planting and establishment.
There are two planting seasons: fall and spring. Fall planting starts from the first week of September and continues to mid-October in Punjab and Sindh, while in the NWFP planting is done in October and November. Spring planting starts in mid-February and lasts until the end of March in Punjab and Sindh. These planting times are strictly observed because late planting can reduce the yield by as much as 30 per cent.
Seed rate and planting pattern:
Appropriate seed rate and
spacing are often overlooked by farmers, with the result that the optimal plant
population is not achieved, which is the key factor in sugarcane production.
The seed rate and spacing between rows differ with variety. Thick-cane
cultivars like 'BL-4', 'Triton', and 'PR-1000' require a higher seed rate and
more space between the rows than thin and medium-cane varieties. Eight to nine
tonnes of stripped cane per hectare for thick varieties, and six to seven tones
for medium to thin varieties is sufficient to produce a desired plant
population of about 0.15 million canes/ha. A spacing of 1 m between the rows of
thick varieties, and 0.60-0.75 m for thin to medium varieties allows sufficient
space for operations like intercultural and earthing up.
Seed Rate
Upper Sindh 80-100 mds/acre or 30000-40000 buds/acre
Middle Sindh 80-100 mds/acre or 30000-40000 buds/acre
Lower Sindh 80-100 mds/acre or 30000-40000 buds/acre
Planting
Pattern:
Sugarcane may be planted at a row spacing of 90 cm to 1 m. Two budded double sets should be placed end to end in the furrows covered with 2 to 3 cm soil layer. About 3.2 to 4 tonnes of seed (80 to 100 maunds) of thin cane varieties and 4 to 5 tonnes seed (100 to 120 maunds) of thick varieties are sufficient to plant one acre.
Research has shown good
yield increases in production and sugar per acre when the planted row was
widened to the 15- to 18-inch furrow. Growers who can successfully handle the
24-inch width furrow are encouraged to do so. It is also suggested that the
furrow opener be constructed to leave a wide bottom with a slight indentation
on each side of the furrow and a slight ridge of loose soil in the middle of
the furrow bottom.
Varieties:
Practice healthy seeds of improved varieties of sugarcane. Which can increase cane yield from 20 to 25 per cent. The Sugarcane varieties recommended are given below:
CP-43-33, CP- 77-400, CP
81-1435, ABT super, BF–162, SPSG – 26,
SPF – 234, BL – 4, T - 10
Recommended varieties of Sugarcane.
Lower Sindh (areas south to
Hyderabad)
Early maturing: BL –4
Mid-season: PR –1000, BF
–129
Late maturing: NIA-98
Upper Sindh (areas north of
Hyderabad)
Early maturing: BL-4, L
–113, L –116, TRITON, SPSG-26
Late maturing: NIA-98
BL-4 variety flourishes very well in heavy fertile and well-drained soil with good irrigation. As the variety occupied good fields, it established high yields. New variety BF-12-is yet in the stage of multiplication, while SPSG -26 and Th-10, has just been introduced. Results show that 87 per cent planted recommended varieties and the remaining 13 per cent planted non-recommended varieties. The economic life span of sugarcane variety varies from 8 to 10 years and after that replacement of the variety is necessary.
Fertilizer application
According to a survey, the
farmers are using one-fourth of chemical fertilizers against the sugarcane crop
requirements due to the non-availability of fertilizers and the high cost of
the same. Apart from this haphazard use of fertilizer brings no fruit and
therefore the farmers do not get the crops to their expectations. The very
important job of getting the soil tested before the use of any particular
fertilizer is not practiced in our country.
As mentioned earlier fertilizer use in Pakistan is imbalanced and inadequate. Most of the cane growers in the country use only nitrogenous fertilizers while others use an imbalanced combination of N and P. Use of K is almost neglected in cane crop. It is very important to use proper doses of balanced fertilizers to exploit the maximum yield potential of cane crop. Fertilizer recommendations for sugarcane are given below.
Nutrients (kgs acre-1 ) Fertilizer (bags acre-1 )
NP/2O/5 K/2O Urea DAP MOP/SOP
70-110 50 50-70 2.25-4 2.25 2.5-1.75 / 2-3
All phosphorus, potash, and one-fourth N should be applied when planting. It is preferable that P and K may be applied in furrows where seed sets are to be placed. The rest of the nitrogenous fertilizer may be applied in three equal splits i.e. during April, and May and by mid June to February-March planted crop.
Soil Testing
The best way to define lime,
phosphorus and potassium requirements is with a reliable soil test. The soil
sample must be collected accurately for the test to be valid. Large fields
should be broken up into smaller units for sampling purposes, and the smaller
fields intensively sampled, because nutrient and pH levels often vary greatly
within fields. Intensive, thorough sampling is the only way to detect these
variations and adjust fertilizer and lime rates accordingly. Medium to heavy,
pH 5.0-8.5. Liming required if pH < 5, or gypsum if pH > 9.5.
Weed control
Good land preparation is a
key factor in controlling weeds. For proper weed control, Gesapax combi (80 WP)
may be applied @ 1.4 kg per acre in medium textured soils and @ 1.8 kg per acre
in heavy soils in 100 to 120 litres of water. The weedicide should be used with
the advice of technical experts.
Irrigation
It is very important to take
care of the irrigation requirements of sugarcane, particularly in the summer
months. Farmers must plan their acreage to be planted under cane crop according
to the available water at their farm. Keep in mind that each field should get
at least 16 to 20 irrigations during the crop year adjusting the irrigation
schedule according to rainfall in summer.
Table of Irrigation Schedule
March-April: 12-14 days
May-June: 8-10 days
July-August: 10-15 days (if
there is no rainfall, irrigation interval should be 8-10 days)
September-October: 15-20
days
November-December: 25-30
days
Control of diseases
For controlling sugarcane diseases, use healthy seeds and preferably plant disease-resistant varieties. Treat the seed with fungicide before planting. The diseased plants from the field should be removed and either buried or burnt.
Harvesting
Stop irrigation 25 to 30
days before harvesting of crop and do not leave the harvested crop for long in
the field. In case it has to be kept for a prolonged period, it should be
covered with trash. Different varieties planted may be harvested according to
their maturity. Harvesting of early maturing varieties may be started during
November, mid-season varieties during December and the late maturing varieties
during January. The crop harvested during February-March gives good ratoon
crop.
When the stem is close to
the surface, great vigilance is required in order to cut the maximum portion of
the stem, which is valuable both for its weight and sugar content. The
harvested cane should be immediately hauled to the mill otherwise weight and
sucrose losses may occur. For this purpose, transport should be arranged in
advance.
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