Polybag transplanting of sugarcane
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Planting sugarcane setts in polybags provides an opportunity for the crop to fully express its genetic potential for tillering and yield.
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IN SUGARCANE cultivation preparation and planting of setts in the field is an important operation. In most cases the average germination rate of sugarcane crop is around 40 to 50 per cent, which results in higher wastage of seed materials.
High recovery
Early (November-December) planting which is known for higher recovery in sugarcane is seldom followed in the South due to intense cultivation and delayed harvest of khariff paddy crops.
Delayed planting of sugarcane, affects a good crop establishment facing water scarcity and severe summer.
Polybag planting
Planting polybag seedlings rather than conventional planting can overcome this difficulty. This method of planting sugarcane provides an opportunity for the crop to fully express its genetic potential for tillering and yield.
Polybag method of planting requires only 1.5 tonnes of seed materials per hectare as compared to 10 tonnes per hectare in normal planting.
Planting technique
In this method of planting, sharp knives prepare single budded setts without damaging the buds leaving 3 cm on both the ends of the buds.
The setts are then placed horizontally by keeping the bud at lateral position in the poly bags of size 15 x 10 cm, containing a mixture of soil, sand and farmyard manure at 1:1:1 ratio. Two small holes need to be provided at the bottom of the bags to drain excess water.
Watering has to be done on alternate days. Seedlings or settlings are to be raised in polybags. One-month-old seedlings should be used for transplanting in the main field.
Pocket manuring
After removing the bag, the seedling along with the soil mass should be placed in small pits made in the centre of the furrows in the main field. One seedling has to be placed per pit and irrigation should be done immediately after transplanting.
Weed growth
Experiments conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, have found, that sowing of Sesbania aculeate (daincha) as an intercrop in polybag transplanted sugarcane fields on both the sides of ridges with a spacing of 10 cm at the time of transplanting suppresses weed growth and improves the nutrient status of the soil
R. Isaac Manuel & P. Panneerselvam
Faculty of Agriculture
Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu
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