Cane Setts Research Articles

Evaluation of Top, Middle and Bottom Stalk of Sugarcane as Planting Material

One of the major constraints of chewing sugarcane farming is the dearth of planting material. Two trials were conducted in 1996 and 1997 seasons to evaluate the growth performance of the different parts of the chewing sugarcane stalk viz: top, middle and bottom. Three - budded cuttings of each part used as planting material was obtained from the stalks of the local chewing sugarcane variety NIG 008. There were no significant differences in most of the parameters taken, although, the growth performance of the Top and Middle parts of the stalk were better than the bottom one. In chewing sugarcane production, planting material (cane setts) are obtained from the middle of the stalk to the apex. Although both the middle and top are used, the top of the stalk is preferred by the local farmers as planting material because of the monetary value derived from the middle and bottom parts.. However, in large scale sugarcane farming, the bottom portion, in addition to the top and middle ones can be used without the fear of low cane yield.

Wireworm (Coleoptera: Elateridae) identity, monitoring and damage in sugarcane

Abstract Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) damage the eyes and young shoots of germinating cane setts in many growing regions. Insecticides can be applied at planting to avoid damage. However, there are no guidelines for deciding on whether treatment is warranted and a sampling method to detect wireworms before planting has not been developed. Baits of rolled oats were tested as a method for detecting wireworms in preplant fallows. In 1995 at Bundaberg, the reduction in crop establishment when treatment was withheld was positively correlated with the catch of wireworms at baits before planting. However, no similar relationship was seen in 1996 or at Mackay in either 1995 or 1996: severe damage was recorded on one farm at Mackay where no wireworms had been found. A sampling plan was developed to estimate wireworm numbers at baits with a fixed level of precision. Wireworms collected at the baits and in samples from established canefields in Queensland and New South Wales included five named and 21 unnamed species from five genera, the most abundant being Agrypnus, Conoderus and Heteroderes. Possible barriers to the adoption of baiting as a decision‐support tool are discussed. Development of a reliable monitoring system would require considerably more research, which could not be justified at present.

Lime soaking of sugarcane (Saccharum species) setts under moisture-stress condition

A field experiment was conducted at Cane Farm, Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, during 1993 and 1994 with CoC 671 and Co 6304 sugarcane (Saccharum sp.). The treatment combinations were with and without soaking of cane setts in 40h lime solution along with the irrigation intervals of 10,20, 30, 45 and 90 days, scheduled during 60-150 days of the crop age. Both the cultivars with lime soaking, significantly increased the germination percentage, tillers, millable cane number, cane and sugar yields. Interval of 10 days between irrigations registered higher cane and sugar yields of 93 and 12.6 tonnedha respectively.

Control of termites in sugarcane using insecticides

The efficacy of three insecticides on termite in sugarcane(Saccharum hybrid) was tested at Mokwa in the Southern Guinea Savannah zone of Nigeria between 1992 and 1994. The insecticides comprised diazinon (Basudin 10G) at 1.5 Kg ai/ha, carbofuran (Furadan 5G) at 1.85Kg ai/ha and Monocrotophos (Nuvacron 40EC) at 0.85 Kg ai/ha. They were applied either singly or in combination at planting and at 2, 3, 5 months after planting (MAP). Monocrotophos gave the best protection to treated cane setts at planting while diazinon in combination with monocrotophos applied at plating gave a better protection of the growing cane plant against termite attack. These insecticides applied singly either at planting or during crop growth, did not provide adequate protection. The application of diazinon or carbofuran at planting and subsequent sprays of monocrotophos (at 2, 3, 5 MAP) also was not effective in controlling termite infestation, as shown in the high number of cane stalks damaged. The highest cane yield of 74 t/ha was obtained under the combination of monocrotophos at planting by the monocrotophos/carbofuran combination, this gave a cane yield of 54 t/ha, which was higher than obtained from other treatment.

Improved methodology for isolation of Acetobacter diazotrophicus and confirmation of its endophytic habitat

Nitrogen-free, semi-solid defined medium with crystallized cane sugar (100 g/l) supplemented with cane juice (5 ml/l) was the most selective for isolating Acetobacter diazotrophicus. Surveys of A. diazotrophicus using this medium showed that >10(3) cells/g fresh wt were present at all sites in all parts of the sugar cane plant and in all trash samples examined, reaching up to 10(7)/g. Additional samples, from forage grasses and cereals and from weed species collected within the sugar cane fields, were all negative. Heat treatment (50°C for 30 min) of the sugar cane setts did not affect A. diazotrophicus numbers within the plant. Nitrogenase activity of intact soil-plant systems in pots planted with heat-treated setts did not respond to inoculation with A. diazotrophicus. The endophytic habitat of this diazotroph and its propagation within the stem cuttings was confirmed.

Evaluation of some relatively new fungicides for smut control in sugar-cane

A 2-year field study was carried out during the planting seasons from 1985 to 1987, inclusive, using four fungicides to control smut disease of sugar-cane. Cane setts of cultivar Co 957 were treated with the fungicides either by preplant soaking or postplant spraying with 2 g a.i. captafol 1 −1 as Captafol 60, 1 g a.i. copper oxychloride 1 −1 as Pere-col 50, 1 g a.i. zineb 1 −1 as Zineb 45%, and 2 g a.i. benomyl 1 −1 as Benlate 50. Preplant soaking in captafol gave the best control of smut and postplant spraying with benomyl was least effective. Bearing in mind economics, effectiveness and yield, preplant soaking in captafol was the most promising of all the treatments as it produced the highest yield of 18.8 t ha −1. However, postplant spraying with the same fungicide would be practicable for smut control in large-scale sugar-cane cultivation.

Effect of humic acids on the growth, yield and nutrient content of sugarcane

Effect of humic acids (HA) extracted from lignite was studied in a sugarcane crop during a field experiment conducted between October 1988 and September 1989. The soil was a sandy loam with pH 8.0 (soil:water ratio = 1:2.5), ECe 0.61 dSm −1 (electrical conductivity of the soil-water saturation extract expressed in deci Siemens per meter) and oxidisable carbon 4 g/kg. HA extracted from lignite was sprayed on the soil surface as K-humate. Cane setts dipped in 0.3% HA solution were compared with two levels of HA 3 and 6 g/m 2 applied to the soil at planting and on the 35th day after planting. A control plot did not receive any treatment. Fertilizers were applied uniformly to all plots. At maturity, the yield of cane and quality of cane juice were recorded. Leaf blades and sheaths were analysed for mineral nutrients. HA at 6 g/m 2 significantly increased the cane yield compared with other treatments while HA 3 g/m 2 was on a par with cane setts dipped in 0.3% HA solution. HA addition improved the sugar yield as well as the concentration of nutrients in the leaf blades and sheaths. Time of application of HA did not show any difference in yield of cane.

Absorção e translocação do P32 em função do número de raízes adventícias da cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp)

Este trabalho visa a determinar a influência do número de raízes do tolete da cana-de-açúcar, na absorção e translocação do p32das raízes para a gema. A pesquisa foi realizada no Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura - CENA, em Piracicaba, SP, durante o período de 1981-82. O experimento foi montado em blocos casualizados, com tratamentos de: 1, 2, 4e 8raízes de 25 dias de idade, de toletes + 10-Kuijper, unigemares, com 4 repetições. As raízes absorveram NaH2P(32)04 a 10-4M, durante 24 horas. Após a absorção, os toletes foram divididos em suas partes - raízes, gema, nó, internódio superior e internódio inferior, e processados convencionalmente, para as determinações da radioatividade, por meio de um contador Geiger-Muller. As determinações da radioatividade mostraram que o P32 absorvido e translocado para a gema aumentou com o numero de raízes.

Interaction of spore concentration and fungicide concentration on the control of pineapple disease of sugar cane setts

Sugar cane setts were artificially inoculated with spores of Ceratoytis paradoxa (pineapple disease), treated with a range of concentrations of mercuric fungicides and planted out in the field, near Brisbane, Queensland. At a constant concentration of inoculum, infection (as judged by shoot emergence, eye sprouting, and macroscopic signs of infection) decreased as the concentration of the fungicide increased. When the concentration of spores in the inoculum was increased the fungicide concentration needed to be increased to maintain a given level of control. Of the two fungicides tested, BSM11 (10 per cent phenyl mercuric acetate and 50 per cent potassium 2,4,6 trichlorophenate) was slightly more effective than Aretan (6 per cent w/w organically combined mercury). The possibility of phytotoxicity of the mercury fungicide was shown. The complicating effect of infection by other organisms is discussed.

Preliminary study on the varictal resistance of Standing cane to Pine apple disease and the influence of the discase on the juice quality

Pine apple disease caused by Ceratostomella paradoxa do synes was for the first time noticed by Wont in Java in 1893. Since then this has been reported in every sugar producing country through out the world. This is primarily a disease of the stalk. The causal organism is a wound parasite and once it invades the cane stalk it develops rapidly in the parenchyma of the tissue and destroys it. Since the cut ends of the cane setts are exposed, this explains why the disease is very commonly found in the sugar cane setts used for planting. The occurence of this disease is not very common in the standing canes. In 1933 it was reported to have been found in the standing canes in Coimbatore by Subramaniam (L. S.) Incidence, of this disease though reported to be of rare occurence, of late it has been found in several varieties of the standing canes in some places of the sugarcane areas of this tract. The incidence varying from 3.9% to 21.8% was recorded in some varieties of the standing eanes in Nellikuppam area by Subramaniam (C. L.) during the year 1955-'56.