The perennial grass Saccharum officinarum, or sugarcane, is typically propagated vegetatively rather than from true seed. This method involves planting sections of the mature stalk, called “setts,” to grow new, genetically identical plants. Successful propagation relies on the quality of the planting material and adherence to specific planting and care techniques. This approach ensures rapid establishment and maintains the desired varietal characteristics, making it the preferred method for all growers.
Selecting and Preparing Planting Material
Successful sugarcane growth begins with selecting a healthy mother stalk, often called “seed cane.” The stalk should be mature (six to twelve months old) and visibly free from pests or diseases, such as discoloration or lesions. The stalk must contain multiple nodes, or joints, which house the lateral buds, or “eyes,” that sprout into new shoots and roots.
The stalk is then cut into smaller pieces, or setts. Each sett typically contains two to three nodes to maximize germination percentage. While single-bud setts can be used, two-bud setts offer a higher rate of successful germination. Cuts must be made cleanly with a sharp, sterilized tool, ensuring the buds are not damaged, as they are the source of the new plant.
Before planting, setts can be treated to protect them from soil-borne pathogens. A common practice involves dipping the setts into a fungicide solution, such as a 0.1% carbendazim mixture, for about ten minutes. Some growers also include a biological treatment, like soaking the setts in a slurry of Azospirillum, a beneficial bacterium, to promote early growth and root development. Prepared setts should be planted soon after cutting to prevent them from drying out, which significantly reduces their viability.
Step-by-Step Planting Techniques
The prepared setts require well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Ground preparation involves deep tilling, followed by creating a planting trench, or furrow, typically 8 to 10 centimeters deep. This trenching ensures the setts are positioned correctly and allows for easy irrigation immediately after planting.
The setts are placed horizontally in the trench, laid either end-to-end or with a slight overlap. Overlapping is a technique used to ensure a dense plant population even if some buds fail to sprout. Placing them horizontally is the traditional method, allowing multiple buds to germinate and grow toward the soil surface. After placement, they are covered with a shallow layer of loose soil, generally 5 to 7 centimeters deep.
Immediate and thorough watering after planting is necessary to initiate germination and root formation. The soil should be completely saturated at the time of planting to settle the soil around the setts and provide the initial hydration needed for buds to break dormancy. For multiple rows, a spacing of 75 to 90 centimeters between trenches is recommended to allow for adequate growth and light penetration.
Essential Post-Planting Care
Once setts are planted, consistent moisture management is necessary for successful establishment. The soil must be kept uniformly moist but never waterlogged, as excessive saturation can lead to bud rot and prevent roots from accessing oxygen. A warm soil temperature, ideally between 26 and 33 degrees Celsius, encourages the buds to sprout quickly.
Under favorable conditions, new shoots should begin to emerge within one to three weeks after planting. Early weed control is important because young sugarcane shoots are easily outcompeted by weeds for water and nutrients. Manual weeding or applying a suitable pre-emergent herbicide helps keep the planting area clear, ensuring developing shoots receive maximum resources.
Once new shoots are visible, an initial application of a nitrogen-rich fertilizer supports rapid vegetative growth. This early nutritional boost encourages the plant to form a strong root system and produce a high number of stalks, which contributes to a robust stand. As the shoots grow taller, gradually mounding soil around the base of the emerging plants, a process called hilling, helps stabilize the canes and promotes additional underground shoots.