Autumn sugarcane planting begins: 5 points sugarcane farmers must pay attention to in 2017

This year, the sugarcane regions of our country have had heavy autumn rainfall, high temperatures, and early typhoons, making sugarcane production management more difficult. Now it is exactly the season for autumn-planted sugarcane, so what should sugarcane farmers pay attention to when planting sugarcane in autumn in 2017?

01 Water and fertilizer management

Autumn is the key period for sugarcane yield formation. In case of a dry season, deep irrigation should be carried out about once every 10 days to keep the water content within 50 cm below the soil surface at more than 80% of maximum water-holding capacity. During this period, the plant nutrient demand is also high, so fertilizer should be applied reasonably according to field conditions. When leaves turn yellow, topdressing to strengthen the final growth stage should be applied as soon as possible, with 15 kg of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer per mu applied to the roots.

02 Disease and pest control

For sugarcane fields with severe aphid and stem borer outbreaks, combined with pest monitoring and forecasting, drones can be used for aerial spraying of pesticides and other concentrated control measures. For dispersed control, use 50% pirimicarb, 5 grams mixed with 10-15 kg of water and spray to control aphids; use 20% chlorantraniliprole suspension concentrate, prepared and sprayed according to the instructions to control stem borers. For sugarcane fields with severe pokkah boeng, brown stripe disease, and rust, diseased plants should be removed promptly, severely affected diseased leaves should be removed, old lower leaves should be stripped off, and ineffective diseased and weak plants should be thinned out.

03 Wind prevention and disaster reduction

This year, typhoon damage in coastal areas has been relatively severe, so wind prevention and disaster reduction work should be done well. High hilling should be carried out, with a height of 30 cm, and the hilled soil should be full and shaped like a steamed bun. After a typhoon, lodged sugarcane should be straightened promptly and tied into a “”-shaped frame to promote continued normal growth of the sugarcane.

04 Drainage and waterlogging prevention

Some sugarcane regions have heavy autumn planting rainfall, so field drainage work should be done well. Drainage ditches should be built around the outer edges of sugarcane fields. For sugarcane fields prone to waterlogging, according to topographic conditions, drainage ditches in a “cross” shape, “” shape, or “well” shape should be dug to drain water to the drainage ditches around the outer edges of the sugarcane fields, promptly lower the field groundwater level, and reduce waterlogging damage.

05 Management of autumn-planted sugarcane

Autumn-planted sugarcane is generally planted from late August to early October. In production, high-yield and high-sugar varieties should be used. The planting time should be reasonably controlled according to weather conditions, and 5000-6000 buds per mu is appropriate for planting. Apply sufficient base fertilizer, and according to the growth conditions of the sugarcane, reasonably apply additional winter warming fertilizer.