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Co 0238 (Karan-4) sugarcane Photo: DrNaresh Shejawal · Pexels License · source ↗

Co 0238 (Karan-4) sugarcane

Co 0238, released in 2009 as "Karan-4" by ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI) Coimbatore through its Regional Centre at Karnal, is the single most transformative cane variety in independent India's sugar history. Within a decade of release it displaced the long-dominant CoS 767, CoSe 92423 and CoJ 64 across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Haryana, taking the subtropical sugar recovery from 9.5% to a peak of 11.8% in 2018-19 and contributing decisively to UP overtaking Maharashtra as India's largest sugar-producing state.

Key features

  • Pedigree: CoLk 8102 x Co 775, bred at ICAR-SBI Regional Centre Karnal
  • Release year: 2009 (notified for subtropical zone — UP, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan)
  • Maturity group: early to mid-maturing (10-11 months)
  • Cane yield: 81-85 t/ha plant cane, 73-77 t/ha ratoon
  • Sugar recovery (CCS): 11.5-12.5% — about 1 percentage point above the prevailing checks at release
  • Stalk type: medium-thick, yellowish-green canes with light waxy bloom, erect non-lodging habit
  • Special traits: high tillering, good ratooning ability, drought-resilient, high response to nitrogen

Cultivation zones

Co 0238 covered ~85% of UP cane area, ~80% of Uttarakhand and ~60% of Bihar by 2019-20, and is also planted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and parts of MP. Best performance is on medium-deep loams with assured irrigation. Recommended planting windows are autumn (Oct-Nov) and spring (Feb-Mar) at 75-90 cm row spacing with 3-bud setts at 75,000-1,00,000 setts per hectare.

Pests and diseases

The variety's Achilles heel is red rot (Colletotrichum falcatum). Co 0238 was field-tolerant when released but the pathotype CF08 (Pathotype 14) overcame its resistance from 2017-18 onward, with severe epiphytotics across UP and Bihar in 2019, 2020 and 2021. ICAR-IISR Lucknow and SBI Karnal have since recommended phased replacement on red-rot-hotspot blocks (see sugarcane-red-rot-colletotrichum) with newer releases such as Co 0118, Co 15023 and Co 98014. The variety is moderately susceptible to top borer and pyrilla; reasonably tolerant to smut.

Adoption

Co 0238 accounts for the single biggest reason for India's surplus sugar position and ethanol-blending feasibility (see ethanol-blending-programme-ebp-sugarcane). The variety pays out FRP-plus consistently at 11.5%+ recovery (see sugarcane-frp-fair-remunerative-price) and is the reference benchmark against which all newer subtropical releases are evaluated. Mills in western UP report 11.8-12.2% recoveries from Co 0238-dominated cane in years free of red rot.

See also: Sugarcane crop, Sugarcane red rot, Sugarcane ratoon crop, Co 86032 sugarcane, Sugarcane FRP, Sugarcane recovery percentage.

Sources

  1. Varieties under cultivation. ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore.
  2. Sugarcane research bulletins. ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow.
  3. Varieties under cultivation. Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pune.