How to plant sugarcane well? How to prevent and control lodging?

Sugarcane is a relatively tall-growing crop. In the later stages of growth, it can reach over two meters in height. The plant is tall, and the leaves increase accordingly. If it encounters stormy and windy weather, its center of gravity becomes unstable and it is very prone to lodging. So how do you prevent and control the lodging problem in sugarcane? How to plant sugarcane well?

I. How to prevent and control the lodging problem in sugarcane?

1. When selecting varieties, you should choose lodging-resistant varieties. These varieties mainly have relatively hard stalks, thick and sturdy roots, fewer leaves in the later stage, and straight stalks, making them less prone to lodging.

2. Before planting, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and apply topdressing early. Fertilizer should be reasonably formulated, and excessive nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied, so that sugarcane can grow sturdy rather than leggy at the seedling stage, improving its lodging resistance.

3. After sugarcane grows tall, the lower old leaves and dead leaves can be removed, because the photosynthetic capacity of old leaves has already decreased greatly. Each sugarcane plant only needs 5-8 leaves. This can reduce the weight and wind exposure area of sugarcane and prevent lodging. When sugarcane grows to about two meters, the sugarcane can also be tied together with rope in a “” shape, which can also effectively prevent lodging.

II. How to plant sugarcane well?

1. Land preparation

Land preparation is to provide deep, loose, and fertile soil conditions for sugarcane growth, so as to fully meet the needs of root growth, thereby enabling the root system to better absorb water and nutrients. At the same time, land preparation can also reduce diseases, insects, and weeds in sugarcane fields.

Deep plowing is the foundation for increasing yield. Sugarcane has a well-developed root system, and deep plowing is beneficial to root development, making the aboveground part grow faster and increasing yield. Deep plowing is a general principle and requirement. The specific depth of deep plowing must be adapted to local conditions, depending on the depth of the original plow layer and soil properties, generally about 30 cm. Deep plowing should not destroy the original soil layers, and it should be combined with increased fertilizer application. Early plowing can weather the soil and improve fertility. Therefore, sugarcane fields should be plowed promptly after the previous crop is harvested. Early plowing is even more important for fields planted with sugarcane after rice.

2. Opening planting furrows

Opening planting furrows allows sugarcane to be planted at a certain depth, facilitating fertilization and management.

(1) Conventional sugarcane furrows

The width and depth of sugarcane furrows should be adapted to local conditions, generally about 20 cm deep, with a furrow bottom width of 20-25 cm, and the furrow bottom should be flat.

(2) Drought-resistant, high-yield sugarcane furrows

Open furrows around hills along contour lines, with deep furrows and compacted plate soil, furrow depth 40 cm, furrow bottom width 25 cm, furrow center spacing 100 cm, and use moist soil from the bottom of the lower furrow to cover the seed cane in the upper furrow. Cover with 6.6 cm of soil and compact it.

3. Fertilization

(1) Apply heavy base fertilizer

Fertilizers are mainly organic fertilizers, phosphorus and potassium chemical fertilizers, and a small amount of nitrogen chemical fertilizer. Phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer are mainly applied as base fertilizer, because sugarcane's absorption of phosphorus fertilizer mainly occurs in the early and middle stages. Moreover, phosphorus fertilizer has low mobility in the soil and needs to be close to the roots to be easily absorbed. Sugarcane's absorption of potassium fertilizer also mainly occurs in the early and middle stages (accounting for about 80%). Moreover, the potassium absorbed by sugarcane plants in the early and middle stages can supply the needs of the later stage. Therefore, potassium fertilizer should be applied early. When the amount is small, apply it all at once as base fertilizer; when the amount is large, use half as base fertilizer and apply the other half at the peak tillering stage or early elongation stage.

(2) Apply topdressing in stages

According to the fertilizer requirements of sugarcane, the application principles of topdressing can be summarized as "three attacks and one supplement, light at both ends, heavy in the middle." "Three attacks" means applying fertilizer to promote seedlings, tillering, and stem growth. "One supplement" means supplementing with fertilizer in the later stage to strengthen the tail. "Light at both ends" means the amount of fertilizer applied at the seedling stage and late elongation stage should be small, and "heavy in the middle" means the amount of fertilizer applied at the early elongation stage should be large.

4. Scientific and reasonable stripping of sugarcane leaves

The timing of leaf stripping should be determined according to the dead leaf condition of the sugarcane plants and the labor situation. Leaves can be stripped once each in August-September and October-November. Each leaf stripping should be carried out in the morning or afternoon, because within 4 to 5 hours after the sun comes up in the morning, sugarcane leaves have the highest efficiency in assimilating carbon dioxide. Stripping leaves too early will damage sugarcane stem growth and reduce photosynthesis in sugarcane.

(1) When stripping leaves, you should pull the leaf tip upward and turn it, not pull downward, so as not to damage the leaf scar.

(2) Do not strip green leaves, or strip few of them, because green leaves not only carry out photosynthesis, but most of their nutrients can be transferred and reused before they die.

(3) Do not strip leaves excessively all at once. Leaves should be stripped in multiple sessions. In short, more than 10 green leaves must be maintained.

(4) In plots with severe pests and diseases, take the stripped leaves away and burn them. For those without pests and diseases, it is recommended to cover the sugarcane field in alternate rows on site. This can not only preserve water and moisture, but also serve as organic fertilizer after the sugarcane leaves rot.

(5) Plots reserved for sugarcane seed production should not have leaves stripped, in order to protect sugarcane buds from damage.

5. Timely intertillage and weeding

Sugarcane grows slowly at the seedling stage, with wide row spacing and large gaps, and the seedling stage in most sugarcane areas coincides with the rainy season, making it easy for weeds to grow and compete with sugarcane for sunlight, water, and nutrients, affecting sugarcane growth and tillering. Therefore, intertillage and weeding should be carried out 1-2 times in a timely manner. To reduce workload, chemical herbicides can be applied to control weeds: use 300-400 grams of 80% ametryn wettable powder per mu, mix with 50 kg of water, and spray.

6. Control insect pests

The main pest at the seedling stage is the sugarcane borer, also known as the stem borer, which harms sugarcane seedlings and causes dead hearts. If no pesticide was applied at sowing, before dead-heart seedlings appear in mid-to-late May, spray with 500 times diluted trichlorfon solution for control. Spray once every 5-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.