Seed Health Management for Better Productivity - Govind Ballabh ...

(Seed Health Management for Better Productivity)Earthing : Full earthing up is done after the final manuring, at 90-120 days after plantingcoinciding with the peak tiller population stage.Detrashing : Detrashing in some of the varieties results in swelling of buds making them moreliable to mechanical damage. However, problems of some pests like white flies, mealy bugs,scales etc. are minimized by detrashing.Propping / wrapping : In order to prevent lodging tying of the crop should be done when it attainsa height of 2.0 meters. Lodged cane is more liable to bud sprouting, hence, seed cane quality inlodged cane is poor. If needed crop may be propped 2-3 times.Roguing and cleaning : Roguing of diseased plants, off type plants or the plants of other varietiesis a must to produce good quality and genetically pure seed of sugarcane. So the seed cropshould be inspected carefully at regular internals from germination stage till harvest and keptscrupulously clean of all pests and diseases. The affected clumps are ronged out as soon as thesymptoms are visible. The crop should be kept free from insects-pests by adopting properprophylactic measures.Nutrient managementTo attain faster rate of growth and good quality seed crop higher amount of nutrients and theirlate split application is advantageous. Apply well decomposed organic manures (compost, FYM, etc)@ 20 t/ha or vermicompost @ 5 t/ha at the time of last harrowing and well mixed with soil.Seed crop should receive 25% more nitrogen and phosphours and 50% more potassiumthan those recommended for the commercial crop in region. Generally 180-190 kg N, 80 kg P 2 O 5and 80 kg K 2 O per hectare is applied for seed crop. The fertilizer may be given in four split viz, 1/4N and full phosphorus and potassium as basal remaining nitrogen in equal split at 60, 90 and 120days after planting.Mehar Chand et al. (2004) from Karnal (Haryana) reported that sugarcane seed cropfertilized with 25% more of the recommended nitrogen (150 kg N/ha) gave the highest stalks andseed cane, cane yield and seed germination. Nitrogen fertilizer application in three equal split atplanting and 60 and 90 days after planting resulted in maximum cane seed, cane numbers andseed cane yield.Pre–fertilizationTo obtain healthy setts with more moisture, reducing sugars and higher nutrient contentpre-fertilizing the nursery crop about 6 to 8 weeks prior to harvest is suggested. A dosage of 50 kgN, 25 kg P 2 O 5 and 25 kg K 2 O per ha may be applied.Weed ManagementComplete weed control cannot be achieved by using any one method. Combination ofdifferent weed control methods is very beneficial to check the growth of different types of weeds.In general pre-emergence spray of atrazine or metribuzin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha and postemergence spray of 2,4-D sodium salt @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha 45 days after planting followed by onehoeing at 90 days after planting is advantageous.- 100 -