A Detailed Guide to Sugarcane Planting Methods and Key Technical Points

Sugarcane is a crop of temperate and tropical regions. It is the raw material for making sucrose, and ethanol can also be extracted from it as an alternative energy source. More than one hundred countries around the world produce sugarcane, and the largest sugarcane-producing countries are Brazil, India and China. Sugarcane is rich in sugar and water, and also contains various vitamins, fats, proteins, organic acids, calcium, iron and other substances that are highly beneficial to human metabolism. It is mainly used for sugar production. The rind is generally seen in two common colors, purple and green, and there are also red and brown varieties, but these are relatively rare.

How to Plant Sugarcane: Land Preparation and Trenching

1. Land preparation

Land preparation provides sugarcane with deep, loose and fertile soil conditions for growth, fully meeting the needs of its root system so that the roots can better absorb water and nutrients. At the same time, land preparation can also reduce diseases, insects and weeds in the cane field. Deep plowing is the foundation for increased yield. Sugarcane has a well-developed root system, and deep plowing favors root development, making the aboveground parts grow quickly and yields high. 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 the soil properties, generally about 30 cm. Deep plowing should not destroy the original soil layers, and it is best combined with increased fertilizer application. Early plowing allows the soil to weather and improves fertility. Therefore, after the previous crop is harvested, the cane field should be plowed promptly. 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, making fertilization and management easier. The width and depth of the 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 level.

How to Plant Sugarcane: Applying Sufficient Base Fertilizer

Use 1000-2000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. Mix with 100 kg of superphosphate, 25 kg of urea, 20 kg of potassium sulfate or 15 kg of potassium chloride, compost for 7-15 days, and then apply into the planting furrows. Or use 50 kg of a 10:10:10 NPK compound fertilizer.

How to Plant Sugarcane: Sowing

1. Variety selection: Choose excellent varieties with high yield, good quality, disease resistance, good adaptability and good taste. When selecting seed cane, choose cane tops with thick and uniform stems free of cracks, strong cane tops, and broad, large, green leaves free of pests and diseases. Do not use cane tops with pests and diseases.

2. Seed soaking: Choose plump, pest-free, disease-free, uninjured two-bud setts and soak them in clean water or 2% limewater for 1-2 days. This can improve the drought resistance of the seed cane and also help eliminate pests and diseases.

3. Reasonable close planting: Sow 5-6 seed cane setts per 100 cm in the planting furrow, and sow 3000-3500 two-bud setts per mu. The planting density is generally kept at about 20 buds per 100 cm, ensuring 4500-5500 effective stalks per mu.

4. Wide rows: The row spacing for sugarcane planting should be 90-100 cm, which favors ventilation and field management after planting.

5. Shallow planting: The depth of covering the seed cane with soil is generally about 5 cm.

6. Planting method: Use double-row staggered planting. The seed cane should be placed flat in the planting furrow with the buds facing the sides. When covering with soil, first gently press the setts into the soil, then cover with soil and firm it to encourage rooting.

7. Sowing time: For fruit sugarcane, the planting time is from September of the current year to February of the following year. Planting too early means there is no seed cane available, and planting too late affects yield and quality.

How to Plant Sugarcane: Cultivation Management

1. Fertilization

① Seedling-promoting fertilizer: Apply after emergence together with the first weeding, at 15 kg of urea per mu.

② Growth-stage fertilization: During the field growth stage, apply 100 kg of superphosphate (or calcium magnesium phosphate) and 10 kg of NPK compound fertilizer (or potassium chloride) per mu together with each hilling.

③ Apply foliar fertilizer and balanced fertilizer at the right time. During the growth period, according to seedling condition, spray the compound, efficient, multi-element, organic ecological foliar fertilizer "Rongdafeng" at 300 times dilution 3-4 times; after seedling establishment, frequently water weak seedlings at the roots with 5% ammonium bicarbonate water.

2. Reasonable irrigation

Fruit sugarcane has a high water requirement, so timely irrigation should be noted, but flooding irrigation should be avoided. Light irrigation is recommended, keeping the soil alternately dry and moist, with moist conditions predominant.

3. Hilling and seedling establishment

Generally, hilling should be done 3-4 times per year, with an interval of about 30 days each time. At the same time, combined with hilling, timely seedling establishment should be carried out, keeping 7-8 plants per meter.

4. Stripping sheath leaves

Begin stripping leaves after the cane plants have elongated, stripping 3-4 leaves each time. Stripping too many leaves affects plant growth, and stripping too late affects wax formation.

How to Plant Sugarcane: Control of Diseases, Insects, Weeds and Rodents

The main diseases of fruit sugarcane are pineapple disease, top rot, smut and leaf wilt, and the main insect pests are sugarcane borers (commonly known as sugarcane stem borers), as well as cotton aphids, pink mealybugs, sugarcane beetles and others. In terms of control strategy, comprehensive control measures combining "agricultural control, biological control, physical control and chemical control" should be adopted.

1. Agricultural control

The main measures of agricultural control are reasonable layout and regular crop rotation, standardized planting, selection of pest-free and disease-free seedlings, cleaning the field, and strengthening field management. At sowing, disinfect seedlings with 3% limewater for 2-6 hours to promote robust growth of cane plants, enhance resistance, and suppress the occurrence of pests and diseases.

2. Biological control

Biological control uses the natural enemies of pests, such as Trichogramma wasps, red ants, ladybugs, mantises, dragonflies and others, to control the occurrence and development of pests. Based on the common trait that both pests and beneficial insects have poor resistance to highly toxic and highly residual pesticides, measures should promote low-toxicity and low-residue biological pesticides, avoiding or reducing harm to the natural enemies of pests - the beneficial insects - so as to achieve pest control by insects.

3. Physical control

Physical control mainly uses the phototaxis of adult insects to trap and kill adults by setting specific light wavelengths. At present, the "Jiaduo brand frequency-vibration insect-killing lamp" installed on a trial basis has a relatively ideal trapping effect. Under normal weather conditions, turning the lamp on for 10 hours each night, each lamp can trap and kill 300-500 adult sugarcane borers, 200-300 sugarcane beetles and various other pests. Generally, one lamp is installed for about every 50-60 mu of cane field, with the lamp frame about 20 cm above the crop and capable of being raised and lowered.

4. Chemical control

Chemical control means using pesticides. In order to achieve rapid and efficient control, it is necessary to seize the peak occurrence periods (that is, the three peaks in March-April, June-July and September-October) and achieve the "four unifications" of unified pesticide, unified time, unified action and unified application.