CROP

GEOMETRY AND PLANTING PATTERN IN SUGARCANE

Arjun Tayade
Senior Scientist (Agronomy)
Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore 641 007

Crop geometry
Crop production aims at efficient harvest of solar energy, which in turn
depends upon the efficiency of light interception and its utilization.
Higher
efficiency of light interception could be achieved through rapid development of leaf
area index (LAI) and maintaining the optimum LAI for a longer duration. Plant
population and crop geometry play a dominant roleon LAI and light interception.
Plant population defines the size of area available to individual plants or the number
of plants per unit area, whereas crop geometry refers to the shape of area available
for individual plants or the pattern of distribution of plants over the ground.
2.1.

Row spacing for sugarcane

Cane yield is a function of the stalk population per unit area (number of
millable canes) and single cane weight. The number of millable canes and cane
weight could be improved by providing optimum conditions for plant growth. Closer
spacings generate a higher plant population at the initial stages but the tiller
mortality is also high as a consequence of within-row shading. However, under
closer spacing, there is an increase in the stalk population resulting in higher cane
yield. Varieties widely differ in their response to row spacing. Early and short
duration varieties generally perform well under closer spacing while late varieties
require wider spacing.
Generally optimum inter row distance depends up on the tillering capacity of
the variety, time of planting, fertility status of the soil and stress conditions like
drought. Closer row spacings are adopted under low soil fertility status, shy tillering
varieties, delayed planting, cooler and slower growing conditions and drought. For
high biomass yield, narrow row spacing has been found to be advantageous. The
drawbacks of narrower spacing are the high cost of seed cane and difficulties in
carrying out cultural operations and harvesting. Closer row spacing also results in
quicker close in of the canopy and may suppress the production of late tillers.
While closer row spacing of 75 - 100 cm is common in India, wider spacing is
adopted in countries like Australia, Brazil, Mauritius and South Africa.In areas where
mechanized cultivation is practiced, the row spacing is wider (> 1.2 m) while
narrower row spacings (0.6 m - 1.2 m) are adopted in countries where human labour
is extensively used for the cultivation of sugarcane.
2.2

Paired row planting

Paired row system of planting is becoming popular in recent years especially

under drip irrigation. In this system, the space between a pair of two rows is
reduced by bringing them closer and the spacing between adjacent pairs of rows is
increased. The drip laterals are usually laid in between the rows within the pair.
This helps to reduce the length of laterals required for laying out the drip system to
half that under normal spacing and thereby the cost of the drip irrigation system is

reduced substantially. Several studies have indicated that cane yield could be
maintained under the paired row system. Experiments conducted at Sugarcane
Breeding Institute, Coimbatore during 1988 - 90 have shown that the cane yield in
60/120 cm paired row was comparable with that under 90 cm uniform rows. In a
study conducted at Sameerwadi (Karnataka) there was no significant difference in
cane yield between normal row spacing (90 cm) and paired row spacing which
recorded 101.1 and 102.5 t/ha respectively in the variety, CoC 671. This system
also provides scope for raising intercrops in the larger space in between pairs of
rows. Several modifications of 90 cm row spacing have been studied in India, so as
to have a wider inter-row space alternated with a narrow interspace like 60/120,
50/130, 40/140, 30/150 cm etc. to accommodate an intercrop in the wider inter-row
space. In such modifications, the row length per unit land area and the requirement
of seed cane remains constant and the yields obtained are also comparable.
2.3

Wide row planting

In India, harvesting of sugarcane is being done using human labour. As this

operation involves drudgery, the availability of human labour for harvesting is
gradually dwindling. In addition, the labour is also becoming very costly. Therefore,
development of a mechanical sugarcane harvester suitable for Indian conditions is
the need of the hour. To facilitate the use of harvesters in cane fields, the row
spacing needs to be increased to at least 150 cm for the use of larger machines and
this is popularly referred to as wide row spacing. For using the smaller harvesters,
120 cm row spacing could be adequate. By adopting appropriate agro techniques,
it is possible to sustain higher productivity levels under wide row spacing. The
availability of large interspaces between the wide rows will facilitate the use of
power tillers and other small machinery for operations like weeding and earthing up.
It will be very easy for the human labour to move inside the field for operations like
trashing, plant protection, guiding irrigation water etc.
At Sakthi Sugars, Appakudal, Tamil Nadu wide row spacing of 1.5 m was
compared with conventional spacing of 75 cm with the variety Co 86032. Though
there was a reduction in the number of tillers at 90 days after planting and NMC/ha,
the wide row spacing of 150 cm produced significantly more cane yield, because of
increased cane height and diameter and higher single cane weight. Experiments
conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, PAU, Jalandhar during the seventies and
some of the sugar factories in Punjab have shown that wider inter row spacing of
120 150 cm could be adopted without any adverse effect on cane yield and that
the ratoon yield was higher with wider spacing as compared to 75 and 90 cm
spacing.
Management of sugarcane under wide row spacing
It is necessary to adapt the cultivation practices to maintain cane yield under
wide row spacing on par with the conventional 90 cm row spacing. Based on the
experiments conducted at Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore agro
techniques for wide row sugarcane have been standardized. High yield levels have
been achieved by selection of varieties, manipulation of plant population and
planting pattern and by judicious manuring. The studies conducted on fertilizer and
irrigation requirements of sugarcane under wide rows and normal rows indicated

that these do not change between the two situations as the yields obtained are
comparable.
Varieties: Varietal selection plays a pivotal role in the success of wide row spacing.
Significant variety x spacing interactions and differences in the response of
sugarcane varieties to row spacing has been reported.
Among the varietal
characters, high tillering capacity, synchrony in tillering, fan shaped growth pattern,
non-lodging nature, higher cane number and higher single cane weight are
important for wide rows. In an experiment at Coimbatore with three varieties,
variety x spacing interaction was found significant for stalk population, cane yield
and CCS yield. The variety Co 91010 recorded similar cane yield at 90 cm, 120 cm
and 150 cm (dual rows) row spacings, whereas in the other two varieties (Co 94005
and Co 94008) the cane yield was the highest at 90 cm row spacing and decreased
with increase in row spacing. The sugarcane variety Co 86032 performs well over a
range of row spacings including 150 cm wide rows.
Seed rate: A seed rate of 75,000 two budded setts/ha, which works out to 6.75
setts per metre length of row, is being adopted for sugarcane under the normal row
spacing of 90 cm. It has been well established that tiller mortality is substantially
lower and a higher percentage of shoots survive to become millable canes under
wide rows. Increase in the average weight of cane at wide row spacing has also
been observed in several experiments. Hence, it may not be necessary to increase
the seed rate to 11.25 setts per metre row to maintain the seed rate of 75,000 setts
per hectare. In an experiment conducted at Sugarcane Breeding Institute cane
yield in the sugarcane variety Co 86032 under wide row spacing (150 cm row
spacing and 60,000 setts/ha) and normal row spacing (90 cm row spacing and
75,000 setts/ha was almost the same, 119.1 t/ha under wide row and 119.8 t/ha
under normal row.
Planting pattern: Among the different methods of sett placement, dual row
planting has been found to be superior. In this method, broad furrows are formed
at a spacing of 150 cm and in the middle of the furrows sugarcane setts are planted
in two rows adopting a spacing of 25 - 30 cm between them. In a comparative
study of two different methods of wide row planting, the dual row system gave
higher cane yield compared to the single row system and normal 90 cm row spacing