Seed rate

Normally 30000 to 35000 three eye budded setts or 50000 two eye budded setts are required for planting of one hectare area (5 to 6 tonnes according to the varieties).

Seed treatment

If sugarcane setts are infested by mealy bugs and scale insects, setts are dipped in the solution of 0.1 % melathion or in Fishoil Rocinsoap solution for five minutes before use.

After giving the above treatment, sugarcane setts are dipped into 0.5 % solution (500 gm in 100 litres of water) of Aretan or Amisan or Agallol or Seresan for 5 minutes before planting as a pre-cautionary measures against seed borne as well as soil borne diseases. If these chemicals are not available, the seed setts are treated with Thiram or Captan.

Hot water treatment - In this method, setts should be treated with hot water at 56 ˚C temperature for two hours.

Lime water treatment - In this method, dissolve 0.5 kg of quick lime in 200 liters of water and dip the setts for 12 hours for softening of the eyes. This treatment ensures better germination and also kills eggs of insects.

Hormones treatment - To obtained good germination and vigorous seedlings treat the setts with 10-ppm solution of Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) or Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) or Gibberellic Acid (GA).


Lower portion of the cane contains more sucrose, if the sucrose content is more, it take more time for liberation of energy and hence buds takes more time for germination, while glucose gives more energy within short time so buds takes less time for germination.
• Immature the cane, quicker will be the germination and vise versa.
• Due to short internodes, a great number of buds are sown per unit row length and which reduces the chances of gaps in the plant stand. The best advantage of use of top as seed materials is the lower portion with high sucrose content can be sent to the factory for crushing.
• Top buds remain covered in leaf sheath and hence they are not exposed to any outside injury.

Spacing

In fertile soils, distance between two rows is 100 to 120 cm, while in light soils, distance between two rows is 90 cm.

However, it is advisable to go for 120 cm spacing where intercultivation and earthing up operation are done by tractor drawn implements.

If drip irrigation system is available, the cane crop should be planted in paired row system.

In Saurashtra, variety C0-671 should be planted in paired row system by keeping the distance between row of 25 cm and between pair 75 cm.