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'Ring Pit Method' of Sugarcane Cultivation For more details, click here
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‘Ring
Pit Method’. The method, in farm trials, proved not only cost-effective but
also demonstrated that the yields can be increased to two or three times
compared to the conventional ‘Row-to-Row’ planting technique. This
technology, thus, has the potential of raising the present average
productivity of about 70 MT/ha by three fold. Government of Haryana zeroed
on this system of sugarcane cultivation as the best among the presently
available techniques of cultivation for promoting the same for adoption in
the State.
Under
the conventional system, the Setts (Stem cuttings or sections of sugarcane
stalks usually having three buds used for planting sugarcane) are grown in
rows of 90 cm spacing and are arranged in a series without adequate
spacing. This makes germinated Setts very thin in appearance ultimately
affecting the number of canes in each Sett and its development. In the
‘ring pit’ method, sugarcane Setts are planted and raised in round ‘pits’
at the spacing of 180 cm between rows and 150 cm between individual pits in
a row.
The
pits are dug using specially designed tractor drawn power tillers. The pits
are then filled with top soil, 5 kg of farm yard manure (FYM), 100 Gms
gypsum and 125 Gms super phosphate and are watered well before planting.
Pit depth is kept at 1.25 ft. to 1.5 ft. Under this ‘ring pit’ system,
around 2700 pits are thus made per acre. After planting Setts in this
method, care is taken to see that only thirty mother shoots are allowed to
develop which then leads to development of robust and healthy millable
canes of 1.25-1.75 kg each. This technology can give a yield of 800-1100 quintals/acre
(or around three times of conventional method) if the recommended package
of practices is fully adopted.
The
ring pit method of sugarcane cultivation is more water and nutrients
efficient as well. This method, not only reduces water use, but also
enhances nutrient use efficiency. Further, no ploughing and lodging is
required, which save labour and machining cost.
Intervention
Haryana
has taken up several programmes for sugarcane development in the state,
which includes production of sugarcane seed and promotion of sugarcane
cultivation. However, this innovative programme of promoting ‘ring pit’
method of cultivation was taken as a ‘demonstration programme’ to
demonstrate to the farmers the method and also the productivity gains
possible by its adoption. The state Government provided assistance of only
Rs 6,000 per acre under RKVY for hiring of pit digging machine and paying
labour charges etc.
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