Adoption of new sugarcane varieties by the non-miller-planters in Mauritius: the importance of on-farm trials

Abstract

One of the major research activities of the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute (MSIRI) is the breeding and selection of sugarcane varieties adapted to the different agro-climatic environments. Most of the on-farm experimentation is carried out in the fields of miller-planters (planters who own the sugar mills), where resources in terms of land, labour and other inputs are usually easily available. The non-miller-planters are operating in environments which are not always similar to those of the miller-planters. There is a need for on-farm experimentation under these conditions in order to improve productivity. Variety trials, observation plots and industrial trials to compare commercial varieties with promising and newly released ones have been established on-farm in order to improve the adoption rate of new varieties. The paper elaborates on the objectives of this major extension activity during the last decade. A major inference is that the planters obtain first-hand information on promising varieties prior to their release for commercial plantation, hence influencing their decision for adoption or rejection. Moreover, additional information on the performance and behaviour of these promising varieties is made available to research staff.