New Technologies Developed

Intercrop autumn sugarcane for more profit

            Intercropping is a tool to promote autumn planting giving 15-20 per cent higher cane yield and 0.5 units more sugar recovery than spring planted cane. The autumn sugarcane based intercropping systems involving pulses, oilseeds, cereals and vegetables. The most profitable intercrops are autumn sugarcane + winter maize (cobs), autumn sugarcane + rajmash, etc.

           

  

      

 

  Fig: Sugarcane+Rajmash   Sugarcane+Maize (Azad uttam)    Sugarcane+Potato (Kufri Ashoka)

                                           

Rationale or advantages of sugarcane based crop diversifications:

• Increase in the acreage of autumn sugarcane with higher cane yield and better sugar recovery.
• Creating additional acreage under pulses.
• Crop residue recycling vis-à-vis maintenance of the soil health. 
• Mid-season income generation from intercrops for better management of sugarcane perse. 

Wheat + sugarcane: Enhancing system productivity through FIRB

            In wheat - sugarcane sequential system, the overlapping cropping under Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) system with wheat sowing on raised beds and sugarcane planting in furrows is adopted.

About the technology:

            Three rows of wheat are sown on each raised bed (48/50 cm top width) at optimum sowing time in November at 17 cm row spacing, keeping the seed rate of 75-80 Kg per hectare through a tractor drawn Raised Bed Maker-cum-Ferti Seed Drill. Immediately after sowing of wheat, irrigation to the height of 3/4^th of the furrow is required for proper germination of wheat. Subsequent irrigations are applied in the furrows. Overall, six irrigations are required in wheat crop. Germination, tillering and growth of wheat are better due to better soil tilth on the raised beds.

 

                     

 

                       Fig: Sugarcane planting in furrows in standing wheat

Sugarcane is planted in furrows (32/30 cm top width and 22 cm depth) in the month of February (optimum time of sugarcane planting in sub - tropical India) in the standing wheat crop. Irrigation is applied in furrows preferably in the evening and sugarcane setts are planted next day and pressed into the soil manually when the soil is in muddy condition (wet planting). In order to chisel the furrow, a wheel hoe has also been designed to loosen the soil before irrigation for better placement of setts.

After wheat harvest, the furrows are used for irrigating sugarcane till earthing up operation. Three raised beds at a spacing of 80 cm are made in single pass and three rows of wheat seeds are drilled on each bed simultaneously.

                            

                       

Sugarcane stands after wheat harvest            Machine making raised bed – furrow system

 

Benefits of the technology

• Sugarcane is planted at the optimum time i.e. in the month of February thus system produces 35 per cent higher cane yield without reduction in wheat yield.
• The system increases water use efficiency by saving 20% irrigation water, no extra irrigation is needed for field preparation (palewa) for sugarcane planting. Further, irrigations serve the purpose of both the crops till the harvest of wheat.
• The system serves as alternative weed management technology
• Increase input use efficiency as 75-80 Kg seeds of wheat is required. The requirement of other inputs like herbicide and insecticide/rodenticide is also minimal.