SUGARCANE CULTIVATION IN INDIA
The cane
plant is a coarse growing member of the grass family with juice or sap high in
sugar content. This tropical plant is ready in 11-18 months. The mature
stems may vary from 4 to 12 feet or more ill height, and in commercial
varieties are from 0.75 to 2 inches in diameter. The stem has joints or nodes
as in other grasses. These range from 4 to 10 inches apart along the
aboveground section of the stem. At each node a broad leaf rises which consists
of a sheaf or base and the leaf blade. The leaf blade is very long and narrow,
varying in width from 1 to 3 inches and up to 5 feet or more in length. Also,
at each node along the stem is a bud, protected under the leaf sheath.
PLANTING
Planting
sections of the stem propagates sugar cane plants. In planting cane fields,
mature cane stalks are cut into sections and laid horizontally in furrows.
Usually only one node on a stem piece develops a new plant because of polarity
along the stem piece. When laying them horizontally and covering with soil a
new stem plant stem sections grows from the bud, and roots grow from the base
of the new stem. The stem branches below ground so several may rise as a clump
from the growth of the bud at a node.
Planting
is in rows about 6 feet apart to make possible cultivation and use of
herbicides for early weed control. As plants become tall lower leaves along the
stems ultimately drop off, so only leaves toward the top remain green and
active. Between the nodes the stems have a hard, thin, outer tissue or rind and
a softer center. The high sugar containing juice is in this center.
More than one crop is harvested from a planting. After the first crop is
removed two or more so-called stubble crops are obtained. This results from
growth of new stalks from the bases of stalks cut near the ground level in
harvesting.
HARVESTING
Harvesting
of cane is highly mechanized. Machines top the canes at a uniform height, cut
them off at ground level, and deposit them in rows. Leaves and trash are burned
from the cane in the rows by use of flamethrower type machines. An alternate
method is to burn the leaves from the standing cane, after which it is cut and
taken directly to the mill. Delay between cutting and milling in either case is
short as possible since delay results in loss of sugar content.
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