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

(Seed Health Management for Better Productivity)to healthy crop. Preference should be given to healthy seed materials; free from pests anddiseases like red rot, wilt, smut etc. The top one third to half portion of a cane being comparativelyimmature, has buds of high viability and is the best for planting. The tops are inferior with regard tosugar content therefore, when top setts or cuttings are used for planting, less sugar is wasted.Moreover, top portion contains healthy buds, more moisture, nutrients and reducing sugars, whichhelps in quick and better germination. The upper buds are protected by leaf sheaths, whichconserve their germination ability. Bottom portion of cane is rich in sugar and takes a long time ingermination; this should be used in jaggery making. If only upper half of the cane is utilized forsetts, comparatively higher germination is secured. Seed cane should be taken from wellmanured, erect and healthy crop of not more than 10 month age. Ratoon crop is not suitable forseed purpose as these canes may carry the disease of the previous crop. Medium thick, fresh andtender stalks should be selected for planting. The eye bud should be prominent but not overmature.If canes are brought from distance place, it is advisable to bring along with leaves to avoiddrying of cane and mechanical damage to the buds.Srivastava et. al. (1990) reported that the seed material as seed cane crop, shall confirm tothe following;1. The age of the crop at harvest for seed purpose should be from 8 to 12 months.2. The seed material should not include any portion of either the floral axis or three internodesbelow the highest node of a flowered cane.3. The seed material should be fresh and the seed setts should be planted within 24 hours ofcutting seed canes.4. Each node should bear at least one sound bud. The number of nodes without sound budsshall not exceed 10 per cent by count of the total number of buds per cane.5. The swollen buds or the buds which have projected out to the extent of more than onecentimeter from the surface of the cutting shall not exceed 5 per cent of the total number ofbuds.6. The seed cane shall be free from sett roots. The number of nodes having sett roots allround should not be more than 5 per cent of the total number of nodes in the seed cane.7. The seed material shall be free from splits and splinters caused during harvesting and inthe preparation of setts. Split caused during sett cutting shall not extend beyond the nearbyinternode.8. The seed material should have 80 per cent viable buds. In case of area declared frostaffected, the viability of the buds shall not be less than 50 per cent.9. The seed material shall be of only one variety. No admixture is permissible.10. The setts shall be cut in such a manner that the distances of the cut and from the nearestnode shall not be less than 4 cm.11. The setts should contain moisture as per following standards.- 97 -