Sugar Cane and Its Cultivation

Sugar cane is a subtropical and tropical crop that was originally from Papua New Guinea and was distributed all through Southeast Asia, India, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the southern United States on account of human relocation and the slave exchange. The relocations have additionally brought about new variety of sugar cane.

Sugar cane is an important crop in most countries. It is a source of sugar in countries like India, it is an inexhaustible, normal agrarian asset since it gives sugar, other than biofuel, fiber, compost and horde of results/co-items with environmental manageability. Its juice is utilized for making white sugar, earthy colored sugar (khandsari) and jiggery (gur). It is one of the principles yields of gaining outside trade. It is likewise utilized for the creation of compacted fiber board, paper, plastics and furfural. Green highest points of sugar cane are a decent wellspring of grain for cows.

Sugar cane was first cultivated around 327 BC in the subcontinent of India before it was distributed to the rest of the world. It was flourished in the new world. As years passed, sugar cane was than produced in other warm climatic countries such as the Philippines, united states, Brazil, Pakistan, Mexico, Thailand, Australia and other smaller parts of the world.

Sugar cane doesn't require a particular sort of soil as it tends to be effectively raised on assorted soil types running from sandy soils to mud top soils and clay soil, but when loamy fertile soil mixed with lime and salt is excellent for the growth of sugar cane. A well-drained, deep, loamy soil, generally heavy soils preferred. The optimum soil pH is about 6.5, but sugar cane can tolerate considerable degree of soil acidity and alkalinity (it can be grown pH in the range of 5 to 8.5). Soil testing before planting is desirable, as it helps in determining the optimum quantity of macro and micro nutrient application. Poor physical conditions, like soil compaction due to intense mechanization when limiting, are much more difficult to ameliorate. If soils are acidic, then liming is the most important practice in the acid soils to improve productions.

The most suitable weather for sugar cane is humid equatorial with adequate sunshine. A high amount of sunshine is needed by the cane plant since it is a sun-loving plant (C4 plant). It grows best between 35 N and S of the Equator. The perfect temperature for the development of sugar cane is 27°Celsius. A rainfall of 100 cm to 175 cm precipitation is perfect for sugar cane creation. In tropical and sub-tropical or locales, sugar cane was grown extensively because of the protracting of the time of blustery season. Ice is harmful to sugar cane. It very well developed pleasantly on ocean coast, as salty breeze is useful for its fruitfulness for the development of the yield.

There are 12 commercial varieties available to the growers. They are: Galoa, Homer, Kaba, Mali, Mana, Ono, Ragna, Spartan, Vatu, Waya, Vomo & Yasawa. Commercial varieties are bred to suit different soils. Varieties are tested for 13-15 years. Growers are bound by the Cane Contract to select only those varieties suitable for the farm by using the approved variety list for the farm, a choice of 3 suitable varieties is given for each farm.

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All land preparation operations for sugar cane should start at least 6-10 weeks before planting. Generally, a period of 10 weeks is required to prepare the land when there is a heavy green manure crop, and 6 weeks when there is only a volunteer growth stage. Land should be prepared well in advance of planting time. An initial ploughing with a tractor 30cm deep is recommended. Field should be well drained and clods should be broken down to give a fine tilth.

Success of failure of crop depends on time of planting. Freely drained soils, such as on hill planting, can be done during the rainy months (December - March). On flats, planting should be completed no later than May. When replanting has to be done after ploughing out old ratoon, then sept should be the deadline for replanting. Trash should be removed from seed pieces. The stalk should then be cut into 3 eye set pieces and cut ends dipped in fungicides (make bundles or 50 before dipping). Use of fungicide will improve germination, cut ends should be treated before planting fungal attacks. Planting setts should be tied together into convenient bundles and only cut ends are dipped in the fungicide solution.

Ridge and furrow method is easy and mostly followed. Having made the drill, the next step is to place superphosphate at the bottom of the drill at recommended rate for particular soil type. Place light covering of soil on fertilizers to avoid fertilizer damage to the eye. Depending on moisture level of the soil 5 cm-10 cm of soil should be used to cover setts. The soil can be compacted by walking along the rows. In dry conditions tractor tires may run along the rows to prevent moisture loss.

The use of right fertilizer of the right mixture and quantity applied at the right time is very important. Fertilizer Application or sugar cane is based on soil and leaf, tissue analysis results. The farm advisor collects soil and leaf samples from the grower’s farm. These are analyzed in the laboratory and the results are then translated to determine the amount of sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate and potash that is required on the farm. When leaf and soil analytical results are not available, an average recommendation on ‘Fiji wide’ basis is used, which is 6:4:2 for plant crop and 6:2:1 for ratoon crops. These ratios give the bags/acre of ammonium sulphate; superphosphate: muriate of potash.

Sugar cane needs to be weed free for the first 90-100 days before, and most sensitive to weeds during tillering stage manual weeding at 30, 60 & 90 DAP is effective to control weeds, trash mulch at 45 DAP 7-10 t/ha,10 cm thick is effective against many weeds. Application of atrazine 5kg/ha in 1125 liters of water to be sprayed on the third or fourth day after planting, depending on soil moisture. At 20 and 60 days of planting spraying of 2,4-D (4.5 kg) + Gramoxone/paraquat (2.5 liters) is recommended Initial ploughing, off baring, trash mulching, are the weed control methods in ratoon.

Sugar cane should be harvested when it reaches the stage of maturity with highest sucrose content. Test of ripeness are usually made on samples taken over the field. This is done by coring punches from different number of standing canes. Modern can evaluation is based on the rate of harvesting, governed by daily sustained grinding of the crushing capacity of the factory or mill, which usually operates for a period of 5-6 months (29-33 weeks), during which time it should be supplied with a steady and carefully regulated supply of cane. Maturity is usually brought about by retardation of growth rate caused by: In Fiji it occurs at 14-18 months in the plant crop, and 12 months in the ratoon. Cane is cut by hand using can knives. The cane cutters are usually grouped in gangs and are paid in tons of cane they harvest.

Therefore, it can be concluded that sugar cane production happens all through the world, particularly in places with warm atmosphere, for example, Brazil. Nations import (for example, Russia), trade, (for example, Brazil) and produce sugar all around the globe. Sugar cane is the best method for creating sugar, which is the reason it is so generally developed. There are numerous procedures that should be experienced to recover sugar from sugar cane. Numerous individuals are associated with the way toward developing, planting and refining sugar cane, which at that point includes more individuals in the job of bundling, bringing in and devouring sugar the world over. Sugar is probably the biggest item on the planet and if the economy proceeds for what it's worth, the sugarcane business will keep on spreading.

References

1. http://www.sugarcanecrops.com/climate/
2. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-sugarcane-producing-countries.html
3. https://www.wikihow.com/Plant-Sugar-Cane#Planting-Sugar-Cane