After cutting sugarcane, spread the leaf trash between the rows instead of burning it. In an ICAR-IISR, Lucknow report, soil organic carbon rose in the field where trash was kept and fell slightly in the burnt field. Trash holds moisture and reduces weeds. Only the trash from a red rot field should be handled differently.
Myth and fact
Seeing trash in the field after harvest, many farmers light a match right away. The field looks clean, and it seems the ratoon will sprout sooner. But experts at ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow write that burning trash carries the risk of losing useful nutrients and of pollution.
Figures from the IISR report
Soil organic carbon (SOC), after one plant crop and three ratoons:
- Trash burnt: 0.55% to 0.53%.
- Trash removed from the field: 0.55% to 0.55%.
- Trash kept in the field: 0.55% to 0.68%.
These are figures from one report. The change in your soil can be different. But the direction is clear: if trash goes back into the soil, the soil can benefit. According to an IISR estimate, 100 tonnes of sugarcane gives 10 to 12 tonnes of dry leaves per hectare per year. Burning this much material means losing organic matter available in the field itself.
Why does a ratoon crop need more moisture?
According to an ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore study, ratoon roots are shallow, so the ratoon feels water shortage quickly, especially early on. Trash spread between the rows covers the soil, less moisture is lost and the root zone stays moist. When trash covers the soil, fewer weeds grow, soil structure improves and the rotting trash releases nutrients.
How to spread trash
- Place: Spread trash between the rows. Do not heap it on the ratoon row.
- Quantity: The TNAU guide says 3 tonnes / hectare, which is about 490 KG / vigha (1.2 tonnes / acre).
- Trichoderma: The IISR report records that mulching with Trichoderma increased organic carbon and phosphorus in the soil. If you want to use it, ask your local agriculture officer.
- Irrigation: After spreading trash, set the irrigation schedule according to the moisture in the field.
The labour question
In an SBI study of 32 farmers, 75% of farmers called trash disposal a main difficulty, because it needs labour. In the same study, about 53% of farmers were doing mulching. So this work can be done in the field. If you tell the labourers at harvest to put the trash between the rows, the later work reduces.
From Gujarat Bio Organics
We manufacture in our own plant at GIDC Shihor, Bhavnagar (100 KL liquid and 2,500 tonnes solid a month). Soil care is not completed by any one product; returning trash to the soil is something the field itself gives you. For ratoon, the Immunity Program dose is decided according to field conditions; read Ratoon crop care.
Questions and answers
Does keeping trash on the ratoon row reduce sprouting?
Do not heap it on the row. The TNAU guide says to spread trash between the rows, so that the space for ratoon sprouting stays open.
If we do not burn trash, will pests increase?
In a diseased field, fungus can survive in the trash, so do not keep trash there. In a healthy field, spread trash between the rows, and if pests appear, take an agriculture officer's advice.
Sources: Nagargade, Shukla, Pathak (ICAR-IISR): Cash the trash, Indian Farming 71(06), 2021 · Shanthy et al.: Constraints and opportunities in sugarcane ratoon management, Journal of Sugarcane Research 2014 · TNAU Expert System for Sugarcane: Ratoon management · Viswanathan R. (ICAR-SBI): Red rot of sugarcane, CAB Reviews 2021 · Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds: Sugarcane red rot
*Farmers' results are their own experience, not a guarantee. Results change with soil, water, weather and care.
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