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

(Seed Health Management for Better Productivity)If setts are brought from long distance, dip for 24 hours in a solution containing 500g limein 200 litre of water. This will invigorate the buds. If setts are infested with scale insects, mealybugs or white flies, treat with 265 ml of dimethoate (roger) per 100 litre water for five minutesbefore planting.Whenever facilities for hot water treatment are available the setts may be treated for 2hours at 50 0 C in hot water to check the chronic diseasees like grassy shoot, smut and red rot. Inlieu of this, moist hot air treatment (MHAT), evolved to control setts transmissible diseases beused. It also sterilizes canes against certain insects like scale, mealy bug etc. In MHAT unit seedcane be treated with above 95% humidity at 54 0 C for 4 hours. This system is highly useful toeliminate smut infected buds.Planting timeSugarcane crop raised exclusively for seed purpose is known as a ‘short crop’. The shortcrop is usually harvested at around 8-10 months. In the case of a short crop, entire stalk can beused for preparing setts, discarding only the bottom most buds.As the best age of harvest of a nursery crop is around 8-10 months, the planting dateshould be accordingly adjusted. For example, for autumn crop, the nursery planting should bedone from February to March. For spring crop, the nursery planting should be done in April.Site selectionSaline, alkaline and acidic soils are not suitable. Preference should be given to fertile soilswith good drainage, high organic carbon content and good water holding capacity at least to adepth of 50 cm. The effective soil depth for adequate root development should be at least 1 m.The soils should not be too shallow with hard pans as the roots will not penetrate deep; resulting inlodging and earthing will be difficult.The pH of soil should be 6.5 to 8.0. If the soils are saline; they need to be amended byapplying gypsum, sulphur and or organic matter. Water logged soils should be avoided for takingseed crop. The upland field is selected for raising the seed crop. The rain water traversing fromadjoining field is prevented to check spread of red rot.Field preparationSugarcane needs deep tillage. One deep ploughing followed by two cross harrowing orrotavator are required to prepare good seed bed.Levelling can be carried out by using a tractor operated leveller. A fairly level bed ensuresa uniform crop stand, proper distribution of irrigation and good crop growth. Sub-soiling is effectiveto break hard pan, ensuring better internal drainage.Seed rateHigher seed rate is preferred at reduced spacing. For 1.0 hectare land 50,000 three budedsetts or 75,000 two buded setts would be sufficient to raise a good seed crop, by weigh about 80-85 quintal seed will required for one hectare land.Other cultural operations- 99 -