KALLAKURICHI II CO-OPERATIVE SUGAR MILLS LTD., KACHIRAYAPALAYAM Kallakurichi II Co-op.

Sugar Mills was established by the Government of Tamil Nadu, during 1990, to fulfill the requirements of the cane growers of Kallakurichi Taluk, Villupuram District. At the foot hills of Kalvarayan hills near Gomuki Dam, in Kachirayapalayam, the Kallakurichi II Co-op. Sugar Mills Ltd. started its functioning in 1997. Amidst several natural barriers Kallakurichi II Co-op. Sugar Mills Ltd. has been able to crush cane to the targeted levels every year and has received several State and National level awards for its performance. During the current (2005-06 crushing season) year Kallakurichi II Co-op. Sugar Mills has crushed a record level of 5.06 lakh tonnes of cane. The leaflet regarding cane cultivation has been prepared for the benefit of the growers with an aim to increase the productivity of cane i.e the average yield/ac (and also sugar production). Package of practices of sugarcane cultivation: India ranks first in the world, both in area under cane and sugar production. In our country, sugarcane is cultivated in 39 lakh ha. and the sugarcane production is around 2700 lakh tonnes. In Tamil Nadu, Sugar cane is cultivated in 3.22 lakh ha. and 366 lakh tonnes of Sugarcane is produced annually. (110MT /Ha.) in India. Improved cultural practices, as mentioned below, should be followed to achieve high yield and good quality cane. 1. Selection of season 2. Selection of varieties 3. Land preparation 4. Nursery maintenance 5. Fertilization 6. Irrigation management 7. After cultivation practices 8. Pesticides and disease Management 9. Harvest Tamil Nadu ranks first in the cane productivity

1. Selection of Season: Choosing appropriate season for growing cane is an essential step to raise a successful crop. There are 4 such seasons in sugarcane cultivation as follows: 1. Early Season 2. Mid Season 3. Late Season 4. Special Season : : : : December to January February to March April to May July to August

Sugarcane planted during early season gives better yield and good recovery. 2. Selection of varieties: Appropriate variety should be chosen, suitable to the location and season. The selected variety should possess the desirable characters viz. high yield potential, high sucrose content and resistance to pest and disease attack, drought and water logging condition. Early season: COC 90063, COC 671, COC 86032, COSI 95071, CO 96071, COG95076, COG 94077, CO86249. Mid and Late Season: CO 86032, COG 93076, CO 85019 and CO 87025. 3. Land preparation : Sugarcane remains in the field for about 2 to 3 years. Therefore a thorough soil preparation is essential. Soil should be thoroughly ploughed 4 to 5 times, depending on the soil type, to get a fine filth. Organic manure should be added in the last ploughing 10 - 15MT of FYM (or) 5 - 10MT compost (or) 10 - 15MT pressmud/Acre should be incorporated in the soil to improve the soil fertility and productivity. After levelling the fields uniformly, ridges and furrows should be formed with 90cm spacing. For late season planting, spacing should be reduced to 60 - 75cm. Ring method of planting: This new planting technique with drop irrigation system enables the cane growers to get maximum yield with minimum water. 4. Nursery maintenance: Setts should be taken from the well preserved nursery. The age of the nursery cane should be 6 to 7 months, and it should be free from pest and diseases.

(a) Seed rate: 30,000 two budded setts. (b) Sett treatments: 30,000 two budded setts should be treated with 50gm. Carbendazim, 1 Kg Lime, 1 Kg Urea, 200 Ml Malathian mixed in 100 Litre of water. The setts should be soaked in the solution for 5 minutes. Later the seed material should be soaked for 20 minutes in 100 Litre of water containing 4 Kg. of Acetobactor and 2kg of Phosphobacterium. Afterwards, the setts should be kept in shade for a while before planting. Initially setts are subjected to S Aerated steam Theraphy (AST) Treatment to free the seed materials from seed born pathogens. 5. Fertilization: The entire Phosphorous in the form of Superphosphate (156 kg) should be applied as basal. The recommended dose of fertilizers i.e 110kg of Nitrogen (247 kg Urea) 45kg of Potash (75kg MOP) should be applied in 3 split doses at 30, 60 and 90th days after planting, nearer to the root zone. Before application urea should be mixed with neem to increase the availability of Nitrogen. 6. Water management: Irrigation to sugarcane should be scheduled according to the 4 distinct growth phase of the crop. Sl. No. 01. 02. 03. 04. Phase Germination phase Tillering phase Growth phase Maturity phase Period 0-35 days 36-100 days 101-270 days 271-365 days Interval 9 days 8 days 8 days 13 days Total No. of irrigations 4 8 21 7 40

7. Pest and disease management: 1. Early shoot borer: ESB is a serious pest in sugarcane upto 3 months of the crop. Control measures: 1. Trash Mulching to a height of 10cm over the furrows. 2. Earthing up at 30th days after planting. 3. Application of Lindane 5G. 5Kg.. or Sevidol 4G 5kg. mixed with sand. 4. Granulosis virus 250ml/spraying in 15 days interval 2 times.

2. Intermode Borer: INB causes heavy yield reduction and reduces cane qulity. Control Measures: 1. Trichogramma chilonis egg parasite is released @ 1cc/release, at 15 days interval starting from 4th month (onwards). 8. Woolly aphids: Woolly aphid is a sucking pest. This should be controlled at the initial stage itself. Proper field surveillance and detrashing will prevent the crop from the pest. Control measure: 1. 250gm Acephate/Acre Spraying should be done in the early morning or late evening. 2. Release of Parasites viz. Dipha on Micromus. 9. Disease management: Most of the diseases are seed borne. Hence the seed materials should be taken from disease free nursery crop. 1) Red rot: This serious fungal disease can be averted by 1. Selection of seed material from disease free nursery 2. Treating the seed material with Trichoderma Viride 3. Drenching the affected clump with Carbendazim. 4. Uprooting and destroying the affected clumps. 5. Avoiding Ratoon crop in the disease affected field. 2. Sett rot: Treating the seed with 50gm Carbendazim + 1kg Urea + 100 lit. water atleast for 5 minutes. 3. Ratoon stunting: Seed material should be subjected to AST, i.e keeping the setts in 50C steam for 1 hour. 4. Grassy Shoot: Subjecting the setts in AST Unit will prevent this mycroplasma disease. 7. After Cultivation: (a) Weed Management: 1 Lit. Atrazine Weedicide should be sprayed uniformly within 5 days after planting. Manual weeding with hand hoes and mammooty should be done at 4th, 8th and 12th week after planting. (b) Detrashing: Detrashing should be done at 5th and 7th month after planting. The sucking pests viz. pyrilla, scale insects, mealy bugs are controlled by this operation.

(c) Propping: Propping should be done at 7th month after planting. This operation prevents the crop from lodging and sprouting thereby helps to achieve good yield. 9. Harvest: Harvest should be done after maturity. The harvested cane should be sent to mills within 24 hours. While harvesting, the cane should be cut at the ground level. Extraneous matter viz. dead cane, dried cane, tops, watershoots, roots and disease affected cane should not be sent to mills. This purity favours the farmers to get higher price for their cane in the subsequent season. The leaflet, containing the package of practices, to be adopted in sugarcane cultivation, is disseminated to the cane growers to achieve higher productivity i.e increased yield/Ac. thereby to make the cane cultivation a profitable one. This also aims at obtaining a quality cane from fields to Mills crushing for the betterment of the Mills with increased yield.

ADMINISTRATOR.