100 years of sugarcane research in India 

  
Sugarcane Breeding Institute Coimbatore, internationally recognised as the world Leader in sugarcane breeding, has the credit of being the first Institute in the world to initiate interspecific hybridization between Saccharum Officinarum and Saccharum Spontaneum .
species in the begining of the 20th century resulting in the development of CO 205-an epoch making hybrid distinctly superior in yield and sucrose content to the indigenous low yielding then 
canes belonging to S Sinense and s. Barberi species then cultivated in in North India. This was the begining of a sweet revolution in the world. The credit for interspecific breeding goes to Dr C. A. Barber and Sir T.S Venkatramn who then headed the Coimbatore Sugarcane research 
station. Further breeding work on these lines yielded varities CO-213, CO 223, CO 312 and CO 313 in the thirtees for North India 
and CO 419 for tropical cane growing states. Out of these, CO 312 
and CO 419 proved to be the most outstanding varieties and continued to occupy large area in the country and helped in the development 
of sugar industry After CO 312 went out of cultivation in sixtees due to red rot disease. CO 1148 developed by SBI Coimbatore proved to be the most outstanding variety and, became the single dominant variety in the fields of farmers of North India in mid sixtees and 
is being cultivated even now in certain pockets. CO 740 an outstanding variety became the major variety in tropical India during this period. Another important mid late variety developed by Sugarcane Research Station Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh in seventies which now occupies large area in North India is COS 767 but this variety has high 
fibre content and low sugar recovery potential

In mid seventies, there was another break-through in sugarcane breeding, the PAU Sugarcane Research Station, Jalandhar having developed an outstanding early maturing high Sugar variety which brought about a sweet revolution in North India, the variety occupying large area in Punjab, Haryana and Western U.P. The sugar recovery in Punjab traditionally a low sugar recovery state, increased from 8.5 percent to 10.5 percent, some factories recording as high sugar recovery as 11.3 percent due to cultivation of this variety. Similarly COC67-1 an early high sugar variety developed by Sugarcane Research Station Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu increased the sugar recovery in some factories of Tamil Nadu from 8.5 to 10.0 percent ,again  considered to be a low sugar recovery area These two varieties have now become susceptible to red rot disease and need replacement through COJ 64 still continues to the main variety in North India and efforts are being made to maintain productivity of this variety.

During eighties , anumber of new varieties were developed which are becoming popular with the cane growers .These varieties are:-
Co 89003(early), Co86032, Co 775, Co7219, Co86249(mid late):- SBI COIMBATORE
CoS 8436,Co 88230,and CoS8432:-  SRS SHAHJAHANPUR
CoP84212:-             PANT NAGAR UNIVERSITY (U.P)
CoJ 83, CoJ85:-     SRS JALANDHAR (Punjab)
Co H119:--               SRS KARNAL(Haryana)

Out of these ,Co 86032 and CoS86249 are  now becoming the most popular varieties in tropical cane growing states of the country .CO 89003 CoJ85 and COJ 83 are early maturing high sugar varieties for North India and are substitutes of COJ 64,COS 8436,COS88230 and COP84212  mid  late varieties are showing good performance in U>P> Punjab and Haryana states.

Co98105, Co Pant 94211, CoS 96268 are the new promising early maturing , high sugar variety developed for North-India.

SEED CANE TECHNOLOGY -MHAT

The most outstanding research finding of the I.I.S.R Lucknow in seventies was the development of MHAT of seed cane which effectively controls RSD and GSD diseases ,responsible for gradual decline of productivity varieties particularly the ratoon crop .Based onthis technology ,a three tier seed programme was developed which helped in producing disease free seed and prolonging the life span of importantvarieties under cultivation .This technology has proved effective in maintaining and improving cane yield and sugar recovery in the country.

POLYTHENE BAG TRANSPLANTING 
This technique involves transplanting of single bud pregerminated shoots raised in soil filled polythene bags which has helped in fast multiplication of seed caneof new promising varieties and improvement in cane yield of the late planted crop after wheat .While in the case of vegetative seed cane planting 75-80 qlis of cane seed is required to plant one hectare area with this technology ,only 20 qlts seed cane is sufficient ,there being significant reduction in tne quantity and cost of seed cane The technology is becoming popular both in tropical and sub-tropical cane growing states of the country


Tissue culture
Micropropagation of seed cane seed through Tissue culture using apical meristem tissue has been developed recently which will go along way in  fast multiplication of new promising varieties and rejuvenating and prolonging the life span of outstanding varieties under cultivation .Tissue Culture laboratories have been set up in the Research Institutes and also by the sugar industry in different states and the technology is being used vigorously to  improve cane yield and sugar recovery.

MECHANISM- CANE PLANTER 
The ISSR Lucknow and Khalsa Farm Equipment Works ,Meerut has developed a sugarcane planter which cuts the seed cane stalks into pieces, places the cuttings into the furrows ,covers the seed sets with soil ,does seed and soil and seed treatment and applies fertilizers simultaneously .It can plant two hectares area in eight hours with only four men and as such there is significant reduction in the cost of planting as compared to manual planting which requires larger manpower 


Inter-croping and interrow spacing
To improve the economics of sugarcane crop ,intercropping technology was developed in North India which helps in growing intercrop summer moong ,mash,mentha in spring cane and wheat ,potatoes ,brassica rabi oil seed crops ,toria ,raya,gobhi sarson, successfully ;these inter crops fetching additional income to the farmers ,in addition to that from sugarcane.Experiments conducted at PAUsugarcane Research station Jalandharand some of the sugar factories in Punjab & Tamilnadu  have shown that wider interrow spacing 135-150cm can be used without any adverse effect on cane yield and that the ratoon yield is higher with wider spacing as compared to 75 and 90 cm spacing and cane quality better.this will further help in growing intercrops more successfully .With spacing of 135-150 cm ,sunflower can also be grown as intercrop in spring cane without any adverse effect of sugarcane
.Previous experiments of growing sunflower with 75 -90 cm interrow spacing had shown that sunflower affects the cane crop very adversely .The technology of intercropping has been adopted considerably in North Indian cane growing states and could become more popular if wider inter-row spacing of 135-150 cm is adopted

Integrated Nutrient Management
Recently there has been emphasis on integrated nutrient management including micro-nutrients .Experiments conducted have shown that besides press mud (sulphitation),Biofertilizers ,vermicompost and bio-compost can play an important role in the integrated nutrient management rather than the use of inorganic fertilizers alonre .A combination of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients can  help in building up of soil fertility and improving cane yield and quatity

Ratoon Management
For mainting and improving the yields of rations ,recommendations of gap filling ,stubble shaving ,trash burning ,integrated nutrient management ,use plasticulture ,fungicides and growth regulators to improve rations of crop harvested during low temperature period in North India and integrated insect pest and disease managemenrt,particularly the control of RSD through MHAT were developed and adopted in the field

Insect Control
The most outstanding research finding of the PAU SRS Jalandhar was the control of top borer-a serious insect pest of sugarcane responsible for failure of varieties through the use of systemic insecticides like  Carbofuran (Furadan 3G) and Phorate (Thimet 10G) The recommendation has been widely adopted in the country. This findings has made it possible to grow highly top borer susceptible high sugar varieties like COJ 640.

Dr. R.S. Kanwar