Manuring
Apply compost or cattle manure, 10t/ha or pressmud 5t/ha or dolomite 500kg/ha or calcium carbonate 750 kg/ha. In addition, the following fertilizers as N: P2O5:K2O kg/ha are also recommended.
| Pandalam and Thiruvalla areas | - | 165:82.5:82.5 |
| Chitoor area | - | 225:75:75 |
| Newly cleared forest areas | - | 115:75:90 |
Apply organic manures such as compost/cattle manure/pressmud as basal dose preferably in furrows and mix well with soil before planting.
In sugarcane tracts of Palakkad where sett treatment with Azospirillum @ 500 g/ha together with soil application 5kg/ha is done, sugarcane need be given only 175 kg N/ha. Apply lime/dolomite/calcium carbonate in the field before final preparation of the land.
Apply N and K2O in two splits, the first 45 days after planting and the second 90 days after planting along with earthing up. Do not apply N beyond 100 days after planting.
Apply entire dose of phosphorous as basal dressing. When pressmud at 10t/ha is applied sugarcane grown in Palakkad need be given only 50% of the recommended dose of P as rock phosphate.
Aftercultivation
When ratoon crop of sugarcane is trash mulched @ 4t/ha the crop must be given only 100% of the recommended dose of NPK 225:75:75 against the existing recommendation of 125%.
The crop should be weeded twice on 45 and 90 days after planting before application of fertilizers. First weeding is done by digging on the ridges and by hand in the furrows. Care should be taken to see that the furrows are not filled up while digging so that tillering is not affected. At the time of second digging, the crop is partially earthed up to arrest formation of late shoots. With the commencement of the southwest monsoon, final earthing up should be done to prevent lodging. At this time, detrashing is to be done to prevent the possible germination of axillary buds and to reduce pest infestation. Prevent lodging either by twisting of trash or by propping. Apply oxyflurofen at 0.61 kg ai/ha as pre emergent and at 60 days after planting as post emergent application.
Intercropping
Under irrigated conditions, intercropping with short duration pulse crop is recommended. In such cases, sow the pulse crop on the ridges one month in advance, so that the first intercultivation is not hindered. As a green manure, sunnhemp can also be raised on the ridges.
Irrigation
Irrigate the crop 8-10 times depending upon the availability of rains. In Chitoor area, more number of irrigations will be necessary. In early growth periods, irrigate the crop at more frequent intervals. However, avoid too much moisture and water stagnation especially during germination and early growth phases.
Alternate furrow with trash mulching could economise the use of irrigation water to the tune of 41% during the formative phase of spring planted sugarcane as compared to all furrow irrigation with trash mulching.