Optimizing Planting Density To Enhance Sustainable Sugarcane Production

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19464815

Abstract

High cost of production is the main constrain in the adoption of sustainable sugarcane production. Huge quantity of seed contributes about 20% to cost of production. Therefore, optimization of rational seed rate with respect to genotypes is need of time. General recommendation for all genotypes and varieties is not a rational approach as it wastes the seed resources. Site specific varieties and variety specific production technology is the only one solution to cope challenge of climate change in agriculture. The scientist has to re-think about the current general recommendation of production technology in all field crops. In this view, a field experiment was conducted during the spring season 2021 at the Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad, to determine variety specific seed rate for promising sugarcane clones viz. S2008-S2008-AUS-133, S2005-US-54, and CPF-253 and three different seed rates viz. 35,000, 50,000, 65,000 three-budded setts (TBS) per hectare. The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement and three replications. The results indicated that the sugarcane variety CPF-253 performed best at a seed rate of 50,000 TBS per hectare, producing 118,000 millable canes per hectare, a cane yield of 123.90 t/ha, and a sugar yield of 16.67 t/ha. The sugarcane clone S2008-S2008-AUS-133 achieved its best performance at the highest seed rate of 65,000 TBS per hectare, yielding 120,080 millable canes per hectare, a cane yield of 120.08 t/ha and a sugar yield of 15.19 t/ha. The highest 114,880 millable canes per hectare, maximum a cane yield of 105.69 t/ha, and highest sugar yield of 13.77 t/ha in sugarcane clone S2005-US-54 at 50,000 TBS per hectare. These findings suggest that optimal seed rate is variety-specific. It is therefore apparent that adjustment in population to match the genetic potential of each variety can result in maximum cane and sugar yields.