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Ratoon Crop in Sugarcane

Ratooning, the practice of regrowing a sugarcane crop from underground stubble of the plant crop, covers 40-45% of subtropical India's cane area but typically yields only 30-35 t/ha versus 65-70 t/ha for plant cane.

Key parameters

  • Area Share: 40-45% of subtropical Indian cane area
  • Yield Gap: ratoon 30-35 t/ha vs plant cane 65-70 t/ha
  • Stubble Shaving: 4-5 cm below ground
  • Gap Filling Density: 27,000-33,000 clumps/ha (3 clumps/m row)
  • Irrigations: 18-20 in crop life

Implementation and adoption

ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow and ICAR-SBI Coimbatore prescribe stubble shaving 4-5 cm below ground, off-barring, gap-filling to 27,000-33,000 clumps/ha, 18-20 irrigations, trash mulching, 75% RDF + microbial consortia, and Fe/Zn micronutrient sprays. Best-practice ratoons can sustain plant-cane yields up to the third generation.

See also: Sugarcane Crop, Jaggery Making Bellam, Staggered Planting Sugarcane, Sugarcane Mealy Bug, Sugarcane Whitefly, Bagasse Fuel.

References

  1. Ratoon Management - ICAR-SBI Sugarcane. https://sugarcane.icar.gov.in/index.php/en/2014-04-28-11-31-50/production-technology?id=315
  2. Ratoon Management Practices - Cane Advisory. https://caneadvisory.ac.in/list/ratoon-management/ratoon-management-practices