MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUGARCANE DURING DROUGHT

P. Geetha
Scientist (Agronomy)
ICAR - Sugarcane Breeding Institute
Coimbatore-641007

Well drained moisture retentive fertile soil with adequate sunlight and rainfall during
growth phase and low night temperature during maturity phase is an ideal condition for
sugarcane. In majority of areas, the crop is either grown with monsoon rains or lifts or can
irrigation systems. Under such conditions the crop suffers from severe drought during
summer due to non-availability of water in the canal or limited lift irrigation source. The
situation is more aggravated by the high atmospheric temperature and evaporative demand.
This results in very high mortality of tillers resulting in poor growth and final yield.
Management practices to be adopted under such conditions should be aimed at
minimizing the loss of cane yield.
1. Intensity of drought during formative phase and productivity
Wherever sugarcane is grown, its growth is limited to some degree by either too little or
too much water, but mostly the former. The amounts of such losses vary widely.
However, it can be quantified to indicate optimum time interval between two irrigations.
Sugarcane crop of CoC 671 and Co 6304 plan ted in April was given irrigations at
varying intervals and cane yield was assessed. Cane yield decreased with increasing
intervals between irrigations. The loss in cane yield was 39.6 and 40.9 per cent in Co
6304 and Coc 671, between normal and no irrigation plots. The optimal interval between
two irrigations could be 10 days during formative phase and skipping of one irrigation
could result in about 848 tonnes reduction of cane yield per ha.
2. Increasing tiller production by sett treatment
In any production improvement practice under moisture stress conditions, it is absolutely
essential to maintain a higher population especially in sugarcane where the economic
product cane yield is the vegetative millable cane. This can be delivered by many ways
within certain limitations.
(a) Reducing row spacing
A closer spacing between rows will be advantageous one for increasing plant
population. Plant population must be adjusted to available soil moisture levels, either
within rows or between rows. Soil moisture increased from within rows to the middle
point between rows. This was more pronounced in wider rows and apparently
affected by decreasing root density as the distance from the rows increased. Better
utilization of available soil moisture in closer spacings would benefit more tiller
production as well as their survival.

(b) Use of seed soaking chemicals

Nickell (1977) indicated that the plant characters most related to yield is the
number of healthy stalks per unit area at harvest. Inducing tillering is often most
effective way to increase the yield. In this connection, ethylene producing
compounds have been much used. Eastwood (1979) indicated the usefulness of
ethophon in inducing tillering in two cultivars.
In our study also both etherel and eec induced earlier and higher tiller
production. However, the yield differences were not marked, due to proportionally
lesser tillers transformed into millable canes probably due to increased competition
for water and nutrient at the stress period.
3. Foliar spray of urea and potash
The importance of potash fertilization under water stress condition remains obscure
when this nutrient is not particularly limiting in the soil. Nevertheless, it seems that
adequate potash availability contributes much towards growth and yield improvements.
Transport of potassium ions to the leaves and growing point is essential for maintaining
the turgor pressure of cells. Potassium stressed roots are less effective as they are less
permeable to water. Under such conditions, foliar application of potash favours better
absorption into leaves, thereby maintaining the water balance within the plants. The
absorption is made better in the presence of urea. This favourable environmental
condition will benefit more survival of tillers and transformation into cane formed
shoots resulting in higher cane yield.
4. Use of organic mulches
Waste products like straw, leaves etc. were found to increase the rate of infiltration of
water into soil and retention of the same for longer periods. It has been reported by
Rajput and Mukhtar Singh (1970) that during main less pre-monsoon periods, straw
mulch conserved soil moisture to an extent of 40 per cent. Mulching helps through
higher soil moisture and reduced evaporation favours increased survival of tillers and
yield of cane.
5. Protective irrigation with limited water at critical periods
In some areas, water will be available just for only one protective irrigation during
summer months. This limited quantity of water can be economically and effectively
utilized by irrigating the sugarcane crop at critical periods within the formative phase
viz. just at the initiation of tillering phase which is around 5-6 th week after planting.
The yield can further be increased if the inter row is mulched with cane trash.