|
Sci Tech
FARM QUERY
Reddish colour in sugarcane
I notice a reddish colour in my sugarcane crops (on the stem and in some leaves) recently and have been trying various control measures without any effect. Is there any suitable suggestion available which can be effective?
Damodar Patil
Maharashtra
A disease locally known as ‘ratdo’ or ‘radiyo’ where all the leaves and stem turn a reddish hue spreads very fast from one field to another and causes great economic loss as crop withers within eight to 10 days of infection,. Generally, it strikes the crop when it is two or three months old and, if proper measures are not taken, the crop fails completely. To treat this condition, farmers in Gujarat make a mixture of equal quantities of lime and castor cake and sprinkle it between two rows of the crop and cover it with soil. The field is irrigated immediately after the treatment. Farmers who use this technique say that repeating the treatment after eight to 10 days can save the crop altogether. About 15 to 20 kg mixture is required for one acre of land though it can vary a great deal from farmer to farmer. Mr. Amrutbhai Patel, Valsad in Gujarat has used this method a couple of times in last two or three years. He has four hectares of irrigated land with heavy clay type of soil. (source: Honey Bee, 6(1):14, 1995)
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
|
