Do not plant single-bud setts directly in the field just to save seed. In a Punjab trial, germination and yield were lower than with 2 to 3-bud setts. To save seed, look at raising single-bud settlings in a nursery and transplanting them, and count the extra nursery and transplanting work.
Where is the difference?
Many farmers hear "single bud" and treat two different methods as one.
- Single-bud setts direct in the field: A small piece goes straight into the furrow. Germination depends on field moisture and conditions.
- Nursery settlings: A seedling is raised in a nursery from a single bud or bud chip, then transplanted. A 2025 Indian Farming article by ICAR-IARI authors says single-bud settlings are transplanted at 25 to 35 days and bud-chip settlings at 6 to 8 weeks.
What the Punjab trial found
A three-year trial on spring planting was run at the Punjab Agricultural University station in Faridkot. The results appeared in the Journal of Sugarcane Research in 2013.
- 3-bud setts: germination 31.6%, yield 64.7 t per hectare.
- 2-bud setts: germination 32.2%, yield 64.9 t per hectare.
- 1-bud setts direct: germination 25.1%, yield 48.1 t per hectare.
In this trial there was no real yield difference between 2 and 3 buds. So if 3-bud setts are not available, 2-bud setts are an option. But planting a single bud direct cut yield sharply in this trial.
How much seed does the nursery method save?
The figures in the 2025 Indian Farming article are:
- Normal 2 to 3-bud setts: 6 to 8 t per hectare, or about 1 to 1.3 t per vigha.
- Single-bud settlings (spaced transplanting): the article gives about 1 to 2 t per hectare, or roughly 160 to 320 kg per vigha.
- Bud chip: 8 to 10 quintals per hectare, or about 130 to 160 kg per vigha.
The same article gives transplant spacing of 90 x 90 cm or 120 x 60 cm. It says seed is about 20% of total cultivation cost, so the saving is a real point. But with it come nursery space, water, daily care and transplanting labour. Work out both sides before you decide.
Which method should you choose?
- If good seed is not short: Healthy 2 to 3-bud setts are the simple route. For details read Sugarcane planting.
- If seed of a new variety is short: Nursery settlings are useful where you must cover more field with little seed.
- For gap filling: Keeping a few polybag settlings ready makes the job easier. See How to fill gaps.
- If you cannot look after a nursery: If you cannot give daily water and attention, stay with direct 2 to 3-bud setts.
With any method, healthy seed comes first. Do not take buds or setts from a field with red rot or smut. If you get germination gaps, also read Why germination gaps happen.
Questions and answers
Can single-bud setts be planted direct?
They can, but in a Punjab trial germination and yield were lower than with 2 to 3-bud setts. If you want to save seed, look at the nursery settling method.
At what age should nursery settlings be transplanted?
According to the Indian Farming article, single-bud settlings are transplanted at 25 to 35 days and bud-chip settlings at 6 to 8 weeks.
Does saving seed raise yield?
There is no such guarantee. The saving is in seed. Yield depends on soil, water, variety and management.
Sources: Singh, Singh, Kumar (PAU): Effects of seed rate, sett size and seed treatment on spring planted sugarcane, Journal of Sugarcane Research 3(1), 2013 · Nagargade et al. (ICAR-IARI): Advanced seed multiplication and planting techniques, Indian Farming 75(12), 2025 · Rana et al.: Multi-ratooning in sugarcane, Indian Farming 71(5), 2021
*Farmers' results are their own experience, not a guarantee. Results change with soil, water, weather and care.
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