Cultivated sugarcane is one of the 37 species that make up the Sugarcane genus (Potaceae family). This plant is the world's main “supplier” of sugar.

The homeland of the species is the Pacific Islands. From there it first reached Asia, and then spread across the globe. It grows mainly in tropical zones, but has adapted to some regions in the subtropics.

Attempts to grow it in our country were made during the reign of Peter I. During the era of the Soviet Union, plantations appeared in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Cultivated sugar cane is a perennial whose roots are located in the upper layers of the soil. The plant has powerful stems: up to 6 m in height with a diameter of 5 cm. The color can be green, brown, purple, and variegated. Internodes are smooth, matte. Growth rings are narrow. Juice is extracted from the stems, which is used to obtain sugar.

Green leaves are long, wide, lanceolate. The leaf blades have finely toothed edges and a sharp tip and are very tough. The inflorescence is a spreading panicle with spikelets arranged in pairs. There are fine hairs around the spikelets. Thanks to these long silky “threads” the inflorescence appears fluffy.

Plants are pollinated by the wind. After some time, fruits are formed - small single-seeded grains. Despite the fact that there are tens of thousands of flowers in each inflorescence, very few seeds are set.

Growing

Growing Sugarcane on an industrial scale is considered inappropriate for our country. Nevertheless, enthusiastic gardeners do not abandon the plant. As a rule, it is used as an annual. More often, 1–2 specimens are planted as a curiosity. But getting your own sugar is also quite possible if you have the desire and the garden space allows.

This plant should be given the most illuminated place. In the fall, you should dig up the area, remove weeds, and apply complex mineral fertilizers or rotted manure. In the spring, the soil is dug up again, nitroammophos is added and leveled.

Cultivated sugar cane seeds are on sale. Only after the soil has warmed up to +10–15°C, 2 seeds are placed in a hole (about 1.5 cm deep), sprinkled with earth and carefully watered. Shoots appear after 10 days.

ON THE PICTURE: Sugarcane seeds.

If climatic conditions are not the most favorable, it is recommended to grow seedlings. The seeds are placed in peat pots, and the grown seedlings are transferred to open ground.

ON THE PICTURE: Sugarcane can be sown through seedlings.

Cultivated sugar cane rarely produces seeds. Although it’s worth trying to get your own planting material. Of the panicles that appear, only the largest ones should be left, all the rest should be removed. When the inflorescences darken, they are cut off. Until spring comes, they are stored in a suspended state, then threshed.

Cuttings are also used to propagate plants. In autumn, the strongest, well-ripened stems are selected. Having removed the apical part and foliage, they are placed in a trench. An earthen mound 0.5 m high is poured on top. In the spring, it is taken out of the shelter and cut into pieces of 25–30 cm with 2–3 buds on each. They are transferred to open ground, just like seeds, when the soil warms up to +15°C. The cuttings are laid horizontally in moistened grooves and covered with a thin layer of earth.

ON THE PICTURE:Sugar cane cuttings.

Diseases and pests

Stem moth, mole cricket.

Reproduction

Seeds, cuttings.

Secrets of success

Cultivated Sugarcane seedlings cannot resist weeds. Weeding should be done regularly, being careful not to damage the roots of the plant.

Intensive growth begins after 2 months, and then harmful neighbors are no longer scary. At this time, it is necessary to ensure access of air and moisture to the roots.

Water the plant so that the soil is moist but not wet. It is advisable to use water that has been warmed under the sun. It is recommended to carry out evening sprinkling from time to time. Active growth fertilizing contributes. These can be complex mineral fertilizers or organic matter - mullein, chicken droppings.

In Sugarcane, additional stems grow from the root collar. If the plant has a decorative function, they are not touched. To obtain sugar, “extra” shoots must be removed with pruning shears so that the main one accumulates more juice. Harvesting can begin immediately after the inflorescence appears.

Possible difficulties

In cultivation, the plant practically does not get sick. At proper care a pest attack is also unlikely. Regarding some of the nuances of growing this cereal, I would like to note the following:

• If the leaves change color from green to red, the Sugarcane is deficient in phosphorus. In this case, it is urgent to apply appropriate fertilizer.
• When growing a plant, it must be taken into account that lowering the air temperature to +20°C stops growth.
• After winter storage, cuttings sometimes dry out or wither. In this case, they need to be soaked in water for a day (above +15°C).
• Processing of stems should be carried out immediately after cutting. Delay will result in a decrease in the amount of sugar.

It is difficult to imagine life without sugar today. Of course, you can live without it, but most people would have to dramatically change their diet. Sugar has become so firmly established in the diet that the sugar industry is now one of the most important sectors of the world economy.

Growing, harvesting and processing sugar cane employs tens of millions of people around the world. There was a time when sugar production was the most profitable and largest industrial sector of the entire world economy. Very few plants can match the impact on the world of sugar cane.

Travel to Australia

To learn more about this plant, you need to go to Australia, namely to the state of Queensland. Sugar cane is grown here. Today there are not very many plantations of this plant, but effective methods Sugarcane growing and processing have made Queensland one of the world's leading exporters of unrefined sugar.

Sugar cane is harvested using cane harvesters. They cut the plant stems and then dump them into a nearby trailer. After some time, sweet sugar juice begins to ooze from the reed and gradually the surrounding air begins to fill with sweet and pleasant aroma. So from the field begins the path of this sweet juice to the sugar bowls on the tables of the inhabitants of the whole Earth.

Until recently, sugar cane in Australia was harvested by hand, as is done in most countries of the world today. This work is very difficult. Today, there is still a general global trend towards mechanization of sugar cane harvesting.

Sugar cane is grown in Australia mainly in a narrow coastal strip about 2,100 kilometers long. A significant part of this strip runs along the Great Barrier Reef. It is very humid and warm here throughout the year. For sugarcane it is ideal conditions. It is home to about 6,500 owners of small family cane fields that are scattered along the Queensland coast.

The sugar town of Bundaberg is located near the coast in central Queensland. Thousands of hectares of reed of varying degrees of maturity grow around it, so the plantations seem to shimmer different colors and shades - from golden and green to chocolate brown.

Here in this area, July is the coldest month. During this period, sugar cane harvesting begins. It lasts until December, as the harvest ripens gradually. There is a research facility nearby experimental station to create new varieties of this unique herb. Here scientists conduct various experiments to develop new, more productive and resistant varieties reed

If we go back a little into the history of sugar cane, it was first found in the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and Southeast Asia. This plant is considered a kind of “king” in its family of grasses, which also includes woody bamboo, lawn grass and cereals. The leaves of all these plants produce sugar through the process of photosynthesis. But sugar cane differs from other plants in its much higher sugar content, which accumulates in its stems in the form of sweet juice.

Sugar cane began to be grown in ancient India. When Alexander the Great came to these lands with his army, his scribes noticed and then wrote that local residents“they chewed some wonderful cane that gave sweet honey without the help of bees.” In the 15th century, along with the exploration and rapid development of the world, active cultivation of sugar cane began. Today there are several thousand varieties of this unique plant. Reed is grown in 80 countries around the world, and the total world harvest is about a billion tons.

In most countries, planting sugarcane is a very labor-intensive process. The stems of already mature reeds are cut into small cuttings about 40 centimeters in length and planted in prepared furrows about 1.5 meters apart. Over time, each seedling grows into a bush with a number of stems from 8 to 12. Reed ripening lasts from 12 to 16 months. It is quite difficult to get through its thickets. The reed grows up to 4 meters in height, and its leaves become massive and thick.

Today, the fight against diseases and pests of sugar cane is very important. Many of these efforts were successful, but not all. For example, to combat insects, the aga toad was brought from the Hawaiian Islands. Contrary to all expectations, this toad found more delicious food than insects harmful to reeds. Over time, it multiplied greatly and spread throughout north-eastern Australia and soon became a pest itself.

To make it easier to harvest, planters begin to set fire to ripe sugar cane closer to night. The fire engulfs the entire plantation in a few seconds and soon all that remains is just bare stems. This is done to make it convenient to harvest. But today, more and more often, reeds are harvested without such a grandiose burning. This type of cleaning is called green cleaning. This method allows you to increase the amount of cane sugar and at the same time maintain a protective layer of mulch on the ground. This is very helpful in controlling weeds and soil erosion.

Today, in many countries where sugar cane is grown, the crop is still harvested by hand. First, the tops and all leaves are cut off, then the stems are cut into small pieces for ease of processing with a press. In one day, a worker can remove up to 5 tons of reed, and this work is far from easy. With one harvester per day you can easily collect up to 300 tons of stems. The harvest from one field can be harvested for several years in a row. Every year the amount of sugar produced by the cane will decrease, and soon the plant in this field will need to be changed.

After cutting the cane, it is very important to process it quickly, otherwise the sugar in the cut stalk begins to deteriorate after some time. To speed up the delivery of cane to processing sites in Queensland, about 4 thousand kilometers of narrow gauge railways were laid railways. Small locomotives run along them, diligently pulling dozens of carriages filled to the top with reed stalks. The spectacle is quite exciting and interesting.

When the train has arrived at its unloading point, the stalks begin to be crushed using huge stalk cutters and drums, which squeeze the sweet, sugary juice out of the cane fibers. The remaining fibers are dried and used as fuel for the presses. All surplus is sold to manufacturers of building materials and paper.

All impurities are then carefully removed from this sugar juice, leaving only pure liquid. Impurities isolated from the juice are widely used in the fertilizer industry. Molasses, another by-product from cane processing, is used as livestock feed and as a raw material for the distillation of industrial alcohol and rum.

All the water evaporates from the purified liquid and what remains is a concentrated syrup containing small sugar crystals. They are allowed to grow until they reach required size. They are then removed from this liquid and dried. The result is unrefined granulated sugar. In the process of subsequent purification, it turns into that refined sugar familiar to everyone.

The world's sugar production primarily uses two crops: sugar cane and sugar beets. Reed grows mainly in tropical zones, less often in subtropical ones. Its share in world sugar production is about 65%. The share of sugar beets will accordingly be about 35%. It grows in colder regions of the planet, mainly in Europe, the USA and Canada. Cane sugar is no different in composition from beet sugar.

SUGARCANE - SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM

Usage. Sugar cane - oldest from cultivated plants and the only plant from which sugar is produced in tropical Africa, Oceania, and many countries in Latin America and Asia. In Europe, only Spain and Portugal (Madeira Island) produce sugar from sugar cane.

When used rationally, sugar cane is practically does not produce waste. Refined sugar, raw sugar, uncentrifuged sugar, sugarcane juice, molasses and sugar products, rum and soft drinks are all in high demand in the market.

Origin. Homeland Sugarcane crops are considered to be India (the states of West Bengal and Bihar) and China. Various types of sugar cane have been cultivated in these countries for a long time. When Alexander the Great in 327 BC. e. reached India, his warriors became acquainted with beautiful reeds, which “produced honey without the help of bees.”

Russian word " sugar“goes back to the Sanskrit “sarkara” (sarcara), “sakkara” (sakkara). These names refer to condensed juice, unrefined sugar crystals that have become a traded item. The basis of this name for sugar has entered many languages ​​of the world.

Columbus delivered sugar cane to America during a second voyage to Santo Domingo, from where the cane was brought to Cuba in 1493. The development of the sugar industry in Latin American countries is closely related to the development of slavery. In 1516, Spanish colonialists brought the first slaves from Africa to Cuba.

Sugar in Europe appeared during the Crusades. The Arabs introduced the crusaders to sugar from sugar cane. In Russia, the first sugar was produced from imported raw sugar from sugar cane. On March 14, 1718, Peter I granted the merchant Pavel Vestov the privilege to produce refined sugar. In the 18th century In Russia, 7 refineries operated for processing raw sugar from sugar cane.

First attempts cultivation sugar cane in southern Russia dates back to the end of the 18th century. Later they were repeated many times, but were unsuccessful, since sugar cane is a tropical and subtropical crop. The area under reed plantings in the world is more than 15 million hectares, the yield of industrial stems is approximately 60 t/ha.

Spreading. Reed from India and China spread to Persia and Egypt, later to Spain in the Andalusia region (1150) and to the islands off the west coast of Africa. Sugar cane penetrated deep into Africa slowly. Sugar refining was invented by the Arabs in the 8th-10th centuries.

Nowadays leading countries by planting area sugar cane - India, China, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Madagascar, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Australia. In recent years, some developing countries, for example Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Tanzania , Sri Lanka, began to successfully cultivate sugar cane and reduced or stopped importing sugar.

Sugar cane growing areas:

Usage of sugar cane grown varies from country to country. Thus, in India, only 30% of cane stalks are processed to produce white sugar, 51% is used to produce gur and the rest is used as planting material and for other purposes.

Taxonomy. Sugar cane belongs to the genus Saccharum L, family Poaceae - Poaceae (syn. Cereals - Gramineae)- one of 15 types genus Saccharum.

The birthplace of the species is considered to be the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea and some islands of Polynesia. Modern sugar cane is a polyhybrid group. The type of sugar cane that was originally cultivated lost resistance to disease and was subjected to artificial interspecific crosses. The offspring of these hybrids are currently the main production assortment of reed.

Barbera sugar cane (S. bagberi Jesw.), Chinese sugar cane (S. sinense Roxb.), giant sugar cane (S. robustum Grassl.), wild sugar cane (S. spontaneum L.) are found in cultivated and wild states . They do not have much production value, but are used together with noble sugarcane in crossing to obtain new forms.

Description of the plant. This is a perennial herbaceous plant 4-6 m high, stem diameter up to 5 cm. Stem weight from 2 to 7 kg. Stem consists of nodes and internodes ranging from 5 to 30 cm in length; the stems are sometimes colored with anthocyanin. Inflorescence- pyramidal large spreading panicle 50-80 cm long. Leaves wide and long, alternate, opposite, similar in shape to corn. The stem accumulates 12-15, sometimes up to 20% sucrose.

The plant has a heterotic appearance. Chemical composition sugar cane: fiber 14-17% (average 16), water - 63-75 (average 65), juice dry matter - 17-22, reducing sugars - 0.1-1.0, soluble impurities - 1.5-2 .5, sucrose - 12-20% (average 15.5).

The sugar cane stalk is economic part harvest and at the same time planting material for cane cultivation. The upper part of the stem contains little sucrose and is not used for processing in sugar factories. The color of the stem serves as a varietal characteristic; most often the stem is yellow, green, red and purple.
The average weight of the stem is 1.5-2 kg, which depends on the variety and age of the reed being harvested.

Surface internodes, as a rule, smooth, covered with a waxy coating, with the exception of the growth ring.

Ring of Growth- a narrow zone with the ability to grow. The fallen reed bends the stem upward under the influence of one-sided elongation of the growth ring. In all cultivated varieties it is narrow, but in wild species- wide.

Bud located in the root girdle zone, above the stem node directly on the leaf scar or slightly higher (in the leaf sheath axil). Usually there is 1 bud on each internode, sometimes a bud is absent on several internodes or on the entire stem, while at the same time there are 2 or more buds on one internode. The bud is an embryonic shoot. There are buds that are round, oblong, with different venation patterns.

Landed into the soil, the sugarcane cutting forms temporary (primary) roots that emerge from the root belt during the initial period of growth. Their number varies among different varieties. Permanent (secondary) roots appear from the root belts of the lower internodes of the shoots.

Air roots sometimes grow from the root belts of internodes above the surface and serve to strengthen plants in the soil, as well as to supply them nutrients. The root system of the cutting provides the growing shoots with water and nutrients during the period from planting to the formation of permanent roots. About 80% of sugarcane roots are located at a depth of 60 cm and at a radius of 0.5-1.0 m from the plant.

After cutting the stems, the roots of the reed remain active for a long time and then die off as new shoots form their root system.

Inflorescence sugar cane - a spreading panicle with a straight cylindrical axis up to 50-80 cm long and branches of the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th orders. The spikelets are arranged in pairs. One is sessile, the other is on a leg. The spikelet is surrounded at the base by a ring of long silky hairs. There are 2 flowers in a spikelet. One flower is bisexual, has a separate stigma and 3 stamens, the second is reduced to scales. The panicle forms up to 20-30 thousand flowers, but much fewer seeds are set. Reed is a wind-pollinated plant.

Fetus reed - a grain, very small in size. When sowing seeds in the selection process, the completed grain cannot be separated from the unfulfilled ones, and sowing is carried out with the entire mass of spikelets collected from the inflorescence.

As the reed grows, old leaves lose physiological activity, die and often fall off. The degree of leaf fall is a varietal characteristic and determines the cleanliness of the stems during mechanized harvesting.

Soil requirements. Sugarcane grows well on soils slightly acidic and slightly alkaline, but the best soils for it are those with a neutral reaction. It is successfully cultivated on red soils and yellow soils in tropical countries. In India, extensive sugarcane plantations are located on black, gray tropical, alluvial, red-brown and red-yellow lateritic soils.

Soil moisture of 70-80% of the MPV is considered optimal. The optimal relative air humidity for reed is 70%, but by the time of harvesting it is desirable to lower it slightly.

Features of the growing season. Sugar cane belongs to tropical plants with a C 4 photosynthetic cycle. In terms of its response to photoperiodism, sugarcane is a short-day plant and light-loving. As we move into northern latitudes plants do not bloom, their growing season lengthens and the nature of sugar accumulation changes. Light is a determining factor in obtaining maximum sugar yield per unit area. In cloudy weather, the accumulation of sugar in the stems is reduced.

Sugarcane can grow and produce high yields of technical stalks in various climatic and soil regions of the world. Sugar cane rises quite high in the mountains. On the island of Java, reed plantations are found at an altitude of 1000 m, in Mexico - up to 1900, and in Bolivia - up to 3150 m. The optimal altitude above sea level for reed is determined to be 500-700 m.

The optimal temperature for sugarcane growth and nutrient consumption is 25-30°C. Temperatures below 20°C limit the development of the root system, and temperatures below 10°C cause a sharp retardation of plant growth. A decrease in temperature to 0°C causes the death of the upper leaves and buds of the stem. The minimum temperature for bud germination is 9-12°C. In general, such a thermal regime is favorable, in which during the period intensive growth the temperature is increased and slightly decreased during ripening. A decrease in temperature during the ripening period with reduced soil moisture promotes the process of converting monosaccharides into sucrose.

Sugar cane - moisture-loving plant, transpiration coefficient 400-500. It can be cultivated without irrigation when the annual rainfall is more than 1200-1500 mm and is evenly distributed over the growing season. When precipitation is below 1000 mm, the reed must be irrigated. In the humid tropics, where 1500-2000 mm of precipitation falls, there is also a need for irrigation. This is due to the fact that the yield is influenced not so much by the total amount of precipitation as by its distribution throughout the year.

Life cycle Sugarcane production is divided into a growth period and a ripening period, which differ sharply in the plant's need for water. The water supply should ensure continuous plant growth for 6-8 months. Then a dry period is necessary as a factor that inhibits growth and thereby stimulates the accumulation of sucrose, but the amount of water must be reduced gradually. After the rainy period, at least 60 days must pass before reed harvesting begins.

Peculiarities nutrition sugarcane plants are determined by their age. In most parts of the world, cane plantations are harvested annually by cutting down the plants 12 months after planting. In these areas, it is advisable to apply complete fertilizer as early as possible and diagnose the state of mineral nutrition of plants.
Nutrients are most actively absorbed during the period of tillering and intensive growth. Phosphorus plays a significant role in the formation of roots and the development of seedlings. At the age of 6 months, the reed absorbs more than 50% of this element. Phosphorus absorption increases with increased soil acidity (pH 4.5-5), and decreases on alkaline soils. Potassium is most heavily consumed in the first 6 months of the cane growing season and before harvesting, when sucrose is intensively formed.

After landings In cuttings, primary roots (up to 40-50 pcs.) appear from the root belt zone, and then the bud begins to grow. The time between planting and germination (formation of the first 2 leaves) is 10-12 days at the optimal germination temperature.

The germination rate of sugar cane buds in field conditions averages 45-60%. The planting - germination period lasts 15-18, sometimes up to 40 days.

The formation of lateral shoots from the lower underground buds begins 10-15 days after emergence and lasts 4.0-4.5 months. The main stem (1st order shoot) appears from the primary bud, 2nd order shoots are formed from the buds of the 1st order shoot, etc. The number of shoots on one plant ranges from 8 to 40. Late shoots turn yellow and die as covering the rows with leaves and stopping lighting. During the tillering phase, the root system of the reed is formed.

After the leaves close between the rows, a period of intensive plant growth begins. In the tropics, it lasts 6-8 months or more, the daily growth of the stem in length is 1-2 cm, and the monthly growth is more than 50 cm. The growth of green mass and the yield of technical stems depend on the amount of precipitation falling during this period. The period of intensive reed growth can be extended by irrigation and nitrogen fertilization during the dry season.

The onset of dry and cool seasons causes a decrease in growth processes in reed plants, they lose some leaves and move into the next phase of development - maturation. This phase is characterized by the suspension of growth processes and the accumulation of sucrose in the stems. Their technical ripeness corresponds to the maximum content of sucrose and its uniform distribution along the stem. By harvest time, the cane has reduced the number of active green leaves at the top.

Technical maturation reed stalks occurs at the beginning of the appearance of the panicle. In practice, to control the maturity of stems, hand-held refractometers are used, which determine the concentration of soluble solids in a drop of juice. The ratio of the refractometric readings of the juice of the upper and lower internodes (according to the accepted method of 3rd from above and 3rd from below) is 0.95-0.98 and is considered a sign of good technical ripeness of the stems.

In the tropics, reed as a short-day plant blooms during the dry season. When a reed plant reaches a certain stage of development, its apical bud forms an inflorescence. A sign of the onset of flowering is the formation of the last leaf with a very elongated sheath and a short leaf blade, which is usually located horizontally and is called a “flag”.

In production conditions, reed flowering is undesirable, since it and the further formation of seeds consume part of the previously accumulated sucrose. With the help of a number of agrotechnical techniques (fertilizers, watering), it can be delayed. Chemical control of sugarcane flowering is also used.

The development of sugarcane of the 2nd and subsequent years (ratun, retoño) begins with the regrowth phase after cutting. The duration of cultivation of a sugarcane plantation is very different: from an annual crop in the USA to 5 cuttings in 7 years in Cuba.

Selected varieties reeds were obtained mainly by crossing the most productive plants selected from populations with the participation of immune species. Vegetative propagation of reeds makes it possible to quickly spread the most productive varieties and use the phenomenon of heterosis for a long time.
The main goals pursued by breeders when developing new varieties of sugar cane are high yield and a high percentage of sucrose in the juice, resistance against diseases and pests, certain period technical maturation that would suit production, resistance to drought, evenness of stems, adaptability to local soil and climatic conditions, good responsiveness to high agricultural technology. In recent years, the variety has also been evaluated for its suitability for mechanized harvesting.

Common in production hundreds of varieties sugar cane, differing in morphology and economic characteristics. The choice of variety depends on the purpose of cultivation: for sugar, syrup, juice and non-centrifuged sugar.

In Argentina structure of reed plantations includes 30% early-ripening (harvesting in June-July), 30% mid-ripening (harvesting in July-August) and 40% late-ripening varieties (harvesting in September-October). With appropriate agricultural technology, the new Argentine varieties Tuc.56-19 and N.A.56-30 form the yield of technical stems up to 110-120 t/ha with a sugar yield of up to 10-11 t/ha.

In Cuba, sugarcane varieties are divided into industrial, advanced and limited cultivation. Industrial varieties occupy more than 1% of the total reed area in the country. Among them are S. 87-51, P. R. 980, Ja. 60-5. In addition, the country is evaluating varieties for their adaptability to short (12-14 months) and long (17-20 months) harvest cycles.

Planting material sugar cane are parts of the stem - cuttings. Most often, cuttings are used, which are cut from the upper and middle parts of the stem. Cuttings must have at least 2 buds (in practice 3-4), their length is 25-30 cm.

Landing reed with whole stems does not ensure uniform germination, since the buds of the upper part of the stem germinate much earlier. The plantings turn out to be uneven in terms of the degree of plant development and sparse. To take cuttings, use plants that are 7-8 months old, healthy, and well developed.

It is recommended to cut stems into cuttings with a sharp knife (machete) so that the cut is smooth and vertical (straight). To disinfect the knife, periodically treat it with Lysol. The distance from the cut site to the bud should be at least 2-3 cm.

In the case of transporting planting material, the stems are transported with leaves and they are removed before planting, during the preparation of cuttings. It is recommended to soak the cuttings in water at 50°C for 2 hours before planting. Harvesting is done manually. The application of fertilizers of the formula 10-3.5-20 to the reed in seed plots 4-6 weeks before cutting it for planting promotes rapid germination and further more intensive growth.

The biological property of sugar cane to regrow after cutting and harvesting allows it to be cultivated for several years without new landing. In Cuba, there are often cane plantations cultivated for 10-12 years. In Brazil, the period of use of reed plantings is usually 5-6 years, in Peru - 6-8.

Features of crop rotation. In the tropics, reed is grown both as a perennial (permanent) crop and as a crop rotation; in the subtropics, as a rule, only in crop rotation. In some countries, sugarcane monoculture predominates. In Brazil, after plowing the cane, the plantations are sown with alfalfa for 1 year or left fallow, after which they are occupied again with cane.

The opinion that with prolonged use the productivity of a plantation decreases as a result of soil depletion and the spread of pests and diseases has recently been revised. Fertilizers and plant protection products slow down the decline in yield when perennial culture reed It is noted that, subject to sufficient fertilizer application, the highest cane yield occurs not in the 1st year, but in the 3-5th year after planting.

Fertilizers. In India, greenery is widely used for sugar cane. fertilizers. Good predecessors for cane are fertilized row crops (corn, sesame, sweet potato) and rice. In Northern India, crop rotation with cane includes wheat, cotton, legumes, rapeseed, corn, sorghum, and in Eastern India - rice. In this country, cane is grown in one place for 3-4 years.

Pre-sowing activities. When preparing the soil for sugar cane, it should be taken into account that its main processing can be carried out only once every 3-4 years (sometimes every 5-8 years) depending on the plantation cultivation cycle.

The general technology for preparing soil for reed includes the following operations: basic plowing with a disc plow, cultivation and chopping of the remaining stems and roots, cultivation using a cutter, sowing legumes.

In all cases, when cultivating the soil, attention is paid to preserving moisture in it, and during basic tillage - to the duration and depth. On soils of heavy mechanical composition, treatment is carried out with a subsoiler in the direction of the planting rows. In conditions of irrigation and mechanized reed cultivation, the layout of the fields is of great importance, and in areas with excess water, the arrangement of drainage.

The soil preparation cycle for planting is 50-60 days for old arable areas and more than 60 days when developing new lands. The intervals between individual types of work during the cycle remain large (5-10 days) during the first treatments and are reduced (4-5 days) during subsequent treatments. The main plowing is carried out with a disk plow to the depth of the arable layer (30-35 cm), repeated plowing (plowing) is carried out with the same plow in a transverse direction to the main plowing. Subsoiler cultivation is used to reduce soil density in mechanized cane cultivation and harvesting areas or in soils with poor drainage. On soils that are light in mechanical composition, old arable soils, as well as clean and cultivated soils, reed can be planted between the old rows only when planting furrows are cut.

Basic tillage start 2-3 months before planting. In all cases, when cultivating the soil, it is important not to dry it out and retain moisture. Manure and compost are applied during the main tillage, and green fertilizers (green manure) are plowed in a month before planting. Of interest is the technology for preparing plantations for sugar cane in African countries, where it is being introduced as a new crop. Thus, in Côte d'Ivoire, preparation of a plantation involves cutting down forests, uprooting stumps and bushes, which are collected in windrows at a distance of up to 200 m from each other and burned. Then the field is leveled and plantation plowing is carried out to a depth of 50 cm, while the distance between the teeth of the subsoiler should not exceed 50 cm. Finally, the field is cleared of large stones with a diameter of more than 10 cm. Direct tillage consists of double plowing with disc plows to a depth of 25 cm, followed by harrowing.

Planting furrows are cut to a depth of 20 cm, with a distance between furrows of 150 cm. After every 11 furrows (rows of reeds), 2 m are left for subsequent laying of irrigation pipes.

When cultivating soil for planting sugar cane in Cuba, they distinguish between preparing the soil for new (developed) areas and cultivating old arable areas, including old sugar cane plantings. The period of the year when planting sugar cane is also important (dry autumn and rainy spring) in conditions of pronounced seasonality of precipitation, the duration of the general soil preparation cycle and the intervals between individual treatments of the general cycle.

In Cuban conditions, the involvement of new areas (development areas) is associated with the development of lands under forests and areas occupied by pastures. In this case, the full cycle of soil preparation for reed planting takes a long time.

When plowing old plantations and preparing them for new plantings (especially in sugarcane monoculture), these plantations should be harvested in the first safra period (November-December) to ensure cane planting in March (under irrigated conditions). When cultivating cane without irrigation, soil preparation work should be completed in March-April.

When planting sugarcane, the most common practice is to place the cuttings or stems at the bottom of the furrow and then cover them. But sometimes (on waterlogged soils) vertical planting of cuttings in holes is used, while the upper bud remains above the soil surface and is not covered.

Sowing/planting. Landing reed production is the least mechanized in the entire technology of its cultivation. The cuttings are laid out in furrows in 1 or 2 rows. The depth of the furrow up to 25-30 cm is determined by the type of soil, but the cover of the cuttings in all cases is minimal - from 2.5 to 15 cm.

The consumption rate of planting material by weight is from 2.5 to 10 t/ha, by quantity - from 25 to 50 thousand cuttings with 3 buds. To start seed nurseries, it is also possible to use seedlings: a cutting with 1 bud is planted in a nest in a tray, where it is grown for up to 3 months. With a field planting pattern of 1.4 x 0.5 m per 1 ha, 14,285 plants are required. Reed consumption is about 2 t/ha with 80% bud germination.

Planting depth and thickness of the cover layer are of great importance. For loose developed soils with good drainage, it is advisable to cut furrows to a depth of 25-40 cm, taking into account irrigation along the furrows. When cultivating sugarcane without irrigation or with irrigation by sprinklers, the furrow depth is 15-30 cm.

In tropical countries, planting dates most often coincide with the rainy season. The most optimal planting times in non-irrigated areas are spring (before the rains begin) or autumn (when the rains stop).

Caring for crops/plantings. Care includes control over the formation of stems and replanting (repair), weed control, hilling, irrigation, fertilizing, etc. The maintenance period takes 5-8 months from the time of planting until the reed leaves close between the rows.

Caring for plantings of the 1st year of culture is relatively simple, but labor-intensive. It consists of manual or chemical weeding, loosening rows, hilling plants, fertilizing and irrigation.

Mechanized cultivation plantations differ according to the years of planting and the use of cane. At spring planting on red ferrallite soils, the most optimal period for hilling is 80-90 days after planting, which ensures weed control and forms a row for combine harvesting.

The cultivation of sugar cane rows in subsequent years, in turn, has features that are associated with the harvesting method: whether the cane is harvested with or without preliminary burning of the leaves.

Our experiments in studying the influence of mechanized processing of row spacing and a set of processing machines during combine harvesting of reed with preliminary burning of leaves showed the effectiveness of using a milling cutter for cutting stubble (cane stems) after harvesting with a combine at the soil surface level. The best results in the fight against monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds in reed plantations are obtained by applying Gesaprim-80 before germination and after germination of the herbicide Gesapax-80.

Various methods of application are common in practice. herbicides. When re-applying the herbicide, a mixture of Gesaprim and Gesapax at a dose of 6+3 kg/ha is possible. For newly planted reeds, a mixture of Gesapax with diuron at a dose of 5+5 kg/ha on red ferrallite soils is effective.

To form 1 ton of technical stems, 12.24 mm of precipitation is required. To form 1 ton of sugar, 1376 tons of moisture are consumed, 1 ton of dry matter - 150-400 tons (on average 200-400 tons).

To set deadlines glaze Great importance is attached to determining the lower limit of soil moisture before watering. On the red ferrallitic soils of Cuba, it is recommended to irrigate sugar cane at a maximum humidity of at least 80% of the full field moisture capacity.

The depth of the active layer when calculating irrigation rates is taken to be in the range of 0.6-0.8, less often - 1.0 m. Irrigation rates of more than 1000 m 3 /ha lead to water losses due to filtration. Frequent watering with small rates promotes the development of the root system in the surface layers of the soil, therefore it is recommended to increase watering rates and inter-irrigation periods. It is believed that on average the inter-irrigation periods should be 15 days with an irrigation rate of 762 m 3 /ha.

The first watering is carried out after planting the reed cuttings in the furrows. For subsequent irrigation, a temporary network of furrows and sprinklers is cut. For the red ferrallitic soils of Cuba, the irrigation rate is 1650 mm, the inter-irrigation periods are 15-16 days. As the reed matures, irrigation rates are reduced and inter-irrigation periods are increased. During the growing season, on average, they give from 8 to 15 waterings. Inter-irrigation periods in the absence of rain are 15-20 days, and irrigation norms are 500-870 mm.

Sugarcane is a perennial, fairly tall herbaceous plant Grown in subtropical and tropical regions for the production of sucrose and other by-products of sugar production.

Description of culture

Sugarcane resembles bamboo in appearance. Its stems grow in small bunches, are cylindrical in shape and reach a height of up to seven meters with a thickness of one to eight centimeters. It is from the juice of the stems that sugar is obtained. At the nodes of each stem there are buds (eyes), which subsequently develop into small side shoots. They are used to propagate sugar cane using cuttings. Seeds are formed in the upper part of the inflorescences (in panicles). They are mainly used for breeding new types of reeds and only in rare cases - in the form seed material.

Sugarcane requires fertile soil, plenty of sun and water. That is why it is cultivated only in areas with a humid and hot climate. To obtain the maximum amount of sucrose from the stems (17 percent by weight), the crop is harvested immediately after the plant stops growing in height.

Production of sugar from cane

Sugarcane is the oldest cultivated crop and the only one from which sugar is produced in Africa, Oceania, Latin America and Asia. In Europe, sugar from sugar cane is obtained only in Portugal and Spain.

Traditionally, even today, in almost all countries where sugar cane grows, it is raw sugar that is processed and produced, and not the finished product. Basically, the purity of raw sugar reaches 98 percent. It is exported to Russia and other countries in the form of raw materials, from which granulated sugar is obtained.

Due to the significant difference in chemical composition and structure technological process Sugar cane processing differs significantly from sugar cane production

To obtain sugar from cane, its stems are cut before flowering. At this moment they contain up to 12 percent fiber, up to 21 percent sugar and up to 73 percent water, as well as proteins and salts.

Next, the cut stems are squeezed out and the juice is squeezed out of them using an iron fork. It contains about 0.03 percent protein, 0.1 percent starch, 0.22 percent nitrogen-containing substances, 0.29 percent salts (mostly organic acids), 18.36 percent sucrose, 81 percent water and a small percentage of aromatic components, which give the juice its special smell. To separate the proteins, freshly slaked lime is added to the raw juice and heated to 70 degrees. This mass is filtered and then brought to sugar crystallization by evaporation.

Sucrose: application

Sucrose (ordinary sugar) is a monoclinic, colorless crystal, highly soluble in water. It is found in large quantities in beets and cane, from which it is obtained through technical processing.

Sucrose is used directly as food product or as part of various confectionery products. In high concentrations it is used as a preservative. In addition, sucrose is used in chemical industry for the production of butanol, glycerin, dextran, ethanol and citric acid.

Sucrose is also a fairly valuable raw material in the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of drugs.

In conclusion, I would like to note that sugar cane is the main raw material in the production of sucrose. It accounts for two-thirds of sugar produced worldwide.

The work of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Dry Subtropics (VNIISS), carried out in the period 1938-1939. the possibility of industrial cultivation of sugar cane in the southern regions of the Tajik SSR and the southeastern regions of the Uzbek SSR has been proven.

Initially, experiments in growing sugar cane in the southern regions of the USSR were aimed at producing sugar from it. However, it later became clear that for economic reasons this was not practical. Subsequently, the production of rum from sugar cane juice was adopted. If this turns out to be profitable, then the possibility of growing sugar cane for the production of sugar using the resulting cane molasses to produce rum cannot be ruled out.

Considering that wild sugar cane (S. spontanewn) grows in the floodplains of the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Pyanj, Kafirnigan and other rivers, the Institute of Dry Subtropics (VNIISS) launched experiments on growing varietal sugar cane in these places: first near Shartuz , and then in Parhar, Termez and Denau.

Sugar cane is cultivated in the northern hemisphere up to 37° north. latitude and in rare cases reaches 39° north. latitude. In the southern hemisphere - up to 30° south latitude.

In Europe, sugar cane is currently cultivated only on the Mediterranean coast from Cadiz to Almeria at 37° north. latitude.

Our southern regions of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan according to climatic indicators for the summer growing season in general can be equated to the northern European regions of the zone of industrial sugarcane cultivation. The significant difference is that the regions of Central Asia have very low humidity air in summer period and only some of them, like Parkhar, surrounded on all sides by the Pyanj and Kzyl-Su rivers with lush tugai vegetation, have higher relative air humidity, due to which sugar cane develops much better here.

Observations have shown that sugar cane dies when the temperature drops to - 3.5-4.5°.

It develops well in a humid, warm climate, but cannot tolerate excess ground moisture. On soil rich in humus, reed develops well, but less sugar accumulates in it. On the contrary, on sandy soils the plant develops worse, but its sugar content is higher. Dense and marshy soils are not suitable for sugarcane. Suitable soil for this crop should be considered well-drained clay soil or clay-containing humus, that is, soil of alluvial origin.

By chemical composition the soil must contain at least 1% lime. Soils poor in lime produce a lot of acids, and the best soil reaction for sugarcane cultivation is neutral or slightly alkaline. Sugarcane tolerates soil salinity, but this causes a deterioration in the quality of its juice.

The formation of one gram of sugar cane dry matter requires 900 g of water, since the evaporation rate of this plant is very high. Therefore, in the absence of rain, frequent and abundant watering is needed.

Sugar cane - perennial, but in Central Asia it is cultivated as an annual, due to the fact that it cannot withstand low winter temperatures.

In our conditions, sugar cane does not bloom or produce seeds, so it is planted from stem cuttings every year in the spring.

VNIISS tested the following varieties of sugar cane: Yuba, Agaul LVS, SO-281, SR-807, ROU-36. The experiments were carried out in Farkhar and Termez.

The abundance of tugai vegetation in the floodplain of the Pyanj River creates a microclimate in Parkhar with relatively high relative humidity, which, in combination with high temperature, is most suitable for sugarcane crop.

For comparison, we note that from 1 hectare of sowing sugar beets on irrigated lands, 90 centners of sugar are obtained, on non-irrigated lands - 45 centners.

As can be seen from the above figures, sugar cane in Central Asia produces approximately the same amount of sugar as sugar beets grown without irrigation.

After three years of experimental work on the cultivation of sugar cane, VNIISS developed agrotechnical instructions for the cultivation of sugar cane for the southern regions of the Tajik and Uzbek SSR.

These agricultural instructions boil down to the following.

Sugar cane growing areas. Sugar cane is a very demanding crop in terms of heat, soil and high humidity air during the growing season. Therefore, the southern regions of the Tajik SSR (Parkhar, Mikoyanabad, Shartuz, Voroshilovabad, Molotovabad, etc.), regions of the southeastern part of the Uzbek SSR (Termez, Jar-Kurgan, Denau, etc.) and, possibly, are promising for sugar cane culture in the USSR. ; some regions of the Azerbaijani and Georgian SSR.

Sugarcane varieties recommended foraboutproduction. As a result of variety testing of a number promising varieties sugar cane, taken from the world collection of the best industrial varieties, tested at the VNIISS strongholds: Termez, Farkhar, Mikoyanabad and Denau, two varieties are recommended for industrial crops in the southern regions of the Tajik and Uzbek SSR: SR-807 and SR-28/19. Let's give a brief description of them.

CP-807 - has a powerful bush, the stems of which touch each other at the base, and diverge at the top.

The leaves are spreading, wide, dark green in color. The color of the ripened internodes of the stem is light purple with a brown tint and matte, due to a continuous waxy coating. Variety CP-807 belongs to the thick-stemmed type. The stems have a diameter of 30-40 mm. The length of internodes is 150-180 mm. At the base of the stem: internodes are shorter. The leaf blades are curved in the middle part. Drying out lower leaves by the time of harvesting it reaches 40-50%. During the tillering period, the variety has a spreading appearance and requires careful inter-row cultivation. At the end of the growing season, occasionally: cracking of the stems is observed. Variety SR-807 is productive, mid-season. In Parkhar, he gave a harvest of 1100-1200 technical stems per 1 hectare (calculated from experimental plots). The sugar content is low - 10% by weight of the juice, but the sugar yield per unit is high, thanks to the powerful development of the plants. The variety is damaged by stem pests.

SR-28/19 - has a loose bush. The stems and leaves are almost erect, which makes it possible to carry out mechanized inter-row cultivation throughout the entire growth period. Drying of leaves by the end of the growing season is about 30%. Variety SR-28/19 belongs to the medium-stem varieties. Stem diameter 25-36 mm. The length of internodes is 150-200 mm. The outer color of the stem is green-yellow. The stem is slightly covered with a waxy coating. The variety is productive, early ripening, experimental sowings gave up to 750 quintals of technical stems per 1 ha (Parkhar).

The SR-28/19 variety is the most sugary among the varieties tested in Central Asia. The sugar content in juice reaches 15%. Slightly damaged by stem pests.

Both varieties described are hybrid varieties. VNIISS continues to work to identify high-yielding, early-ripening and sugary varieties of sugar cane suitable for cultivation in Central Asia.

Crop rotation. For our conditions, we can outline the following crop rotation: 3 years of alfalfa, 2-3 years of sugar cane, again alfalfa, etc. In areas of large infestation with rhizomatous weeds, it may be necessary to include black fallow in the crop rotation.

Selecting a site for sowing sugar cane. The soil for sowing sugar cane should be culturally irrigated, with low groundwater (not higher than 1-4.5 m), light or medium in mechanical composition (sandy loam or loamy). The plots should be well supplied with irrigation water and have a flat topography. In uneven areas, due to uneven irrigation during watering, variegated development of plants is observed, which leads to a decrease in yield.

The soil of the site must be fertile, not depleted, loose and cleared of perennial rhizomatous weeds (gumai, kylkia, licorice, adopiric, etc.). Cuttings of sugar cane planted in the spring do not grow for a long time (about three weeks), so when shoots appear, weeds can choke out the young plants. If the soil is clogged, then in the spring it is difficult to distinguish sugarcane seedlings from cereal weeds. During spring weeding, young sugarcane shoots are often pulled out along with weeds.

When preparing areas for sugar cane, it is useful to keep heavily weeded soils in a dry year-long fallow. The treatment of such steam consists of uprooting the rhizomes of perennial weeds, drying them in the sun and burning them.

Areas for sugar cane are selected in the fall to ensure the opportunity to produce everything preparatory work, that is, plan, plow and fertilize.

Sugar cane is a light-loving plant and does not tolerate shade. That's why land plot underneath it should be completely open, away from tree plantings.

Soil preparation. After harvesting the plants of the previous sowing, tractor plowing of the area is carried out to a depth of 25-30 cm.

On weedy soils (fallow lands, alfalfa), two autumn plowings are carried out. The first is shallower, 15-18 cm, and the second is deeper, 25-30 cm. Before the second plowing, fertilizers are applied.

There should be a break of at least one month between the first and second plowings. After each plowing, weeds are carefully selected. Autumn plowing, in addition to loosening the soil and clearing it of the rhizomes of perennial weeds, contributes to the accumulation of moisture in the soil and the fight against certain agricultural pests and plant diseases. In order to additionally accumulate moisture in the soil, one winter watering can also be recommended in December or January.

After the second autumn plowing, the field is left unharrowed for the winter. Dry remains of weeds are collected from the field and intercroppings into heaps, and then burned. If there are dry bushes and dry grass in the intervening areas nearby, then they also need to be burned, since one of the sugar cane pests, the stem borer, overwinters here.

In the spring, as the soil dries out on the site, double spring plowing is carried out to a depth of 20-25 cm, followed by harrowing and sampling of weed rhizomes.

For soft and loose soils, one spring plowing is sufficient. After this, the area is harrowed with horse-drawn or tractor harrows "zig-zag" in 3-4 tracks to make the soil surface even and smooth.

Before the last plowing, mineral fertilizers are applied per 1 hectare:

nitrogen (N) - 60 kg

phosphoric acid (P 2 O 5) - 20

potassium oxide (K 2 O) - 30-40

Soil preparation for sowing sugar cane should be completely completed by March 15-20.

Procurement, storage and preparation for planting of sugarcane planting material. Planting material is prepared in the fall. The best, most ripened sugar cane crops are selected for it. Sugarcane intended for planting is harvested in late October or early November. It is very important that it is not exposed to frost, since frosts below 4° kill the buds of this delicate plant.

Cut sugarcane stalks are carefully sorted.

After sorting and cleaning the leaves, the sugar cane stalks are stored strictly according to variety. Trenches for storing planting material are dug 1.5-2 m deep, 2 m wide and of arbitrary length depending on the amount of stored material.

Sugarcane stalks are laid in trenches in layers. Each layer (one stem thick) is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. When the trench is filled in this way, a layer of earth 500-600 mm thick is poured on top with slopes on both sides of the trench to drain water. Grooves are installed around the trench to drain water.

In spring, the stems are dug up and sorted again. Only the best, healthiest planting material is left for planting. All stems that are not ripe, with damaged or questionable buds, are discarded. Before planting, the stems are cut into separate cuttings with two healthy buds. When cutting stems into cuttings, the internode is cut in half so that the cut is not close to the bud.

The cuttings are delivered to the field, where they are immediately planted to avoid drying out.

If during winter storage the planting stems have somewhat dried out or wilted, then before cutting them into cuttings they should be immersed for a day in water with a temperature of at least 15-18°. In this case, the stems are cut into cuttings after soaking. This event promotes better rooting and regrowth of cuttings. To some extent, the lock is also one of the ways to combat the pest - the reed borer.

It should also be borne in mind that before laying the stems on winter storage it is necessary to cut off the apical, immature parts of the stem, since decay always begins precisely from them.

Sugar cane planting. Before planting sugarcane cuttings, the field is marked with a horse marker. The direction of the rows is set in such a way as to ensure in the future proper watering sowing along furrows. The marker is made in 4 teeth with a distance between teeth of 1.2 m.

After marking the fields, they begin to make furrows with a double-furrow horse-drawn plow with a device that fills the bottom of the furrow with loose soil.

Sugarcane cuttings are placed in a furrow at a distance of 50-60 cm for the SR-28/19 variety and 80 cm for SR-807, so that the plant density per 1 hectare is: for the SR-28/19-13 thousand variety, for SR- 807-40 thousand. By moving the plow in reverse, the furrow with the cuttings is filled up, and the other one remains as an irrigation furrow. The plow is installed so that the cuttings are buried to a depth of 6-8 cm.

At the end of planting, post-planting watering is carried out with a shallow stream of water to avoid erosion of the still loose furrow.

In the first years of sugarcane cultivation, in order to save planting material and guarantee the correct number of plants planted per 1 hectare, sugarcane is planted with pre-germinated cuttings. Germination is carried out by planting cuttings in a semi-warm greenhouse 20-30 days before planting. Sprouts from such germinated cuttings quickly appear on the soil surface, grow better and more vigorously, reducing and facilitating the initial care of the crop. To avoid frost damage, germinated cuttings should be planted not too early, namely between April 10-25, depending on local meteorological conditions.

Depending on the type of sugar cane, the amount of planting material is 20-25 centners per 1 hectare.

Watering sugarcane crops during the growing season. Watering of sugarcane crops is carried out along the furrows with a small stream (infiltration irrigation), preventing flooding of the ridges. The soil should be well moistened by horizontal and vertical infiltration until the furrow crest turns black.

Irrigation by flooding and flooding is not recommended. The best time days for watering should be considered the second half of the day and night. The most advanced method of irrigation is tube irrigation.

At the beginning of the growing season, at lower temperatures, watering is carried out every 10-12 days, and starting from June, more often - every 8-10 days. The frequency of watering and the amount of water depend, in addition to meteorological conditions, also on the structure of the soil. On light and less moisture-intensive soils, watering is carried out more often, but less water is given. Overdrying of the soil, as well as excessive moisture, is not allowed. The soil should be moist, but not wet, throughout the growing season, since sugar cane does not tolerate swampy conditions.

Inter-row cultivation of sugar cane crops. Loosening the rows is usually done with horse-drawn cultivators, and in the rows the soil is loosened manually with ketmen. Loosening the soil should begin as it dries. Drying out of the soil after watering is not allowed." During the growing season of sugar cane, it is necessary to give 10-12 loosenings with a horse-drawn cultivator to a depth of 10 cm.

Simultaneously with loosening, all weeds are removed. By the end of the growing season (August, September), loosening, especially in rows, should be carried out more superficially so as not to damage the root system, which in sugar cane comes close to the surface, spreading in the horizontal direction.

In addition, during the growing season you should give at least 2-3 additional fertilizers, which include:

nitrogen (N) - 90 kg

phosphorus (P 2 O 5) - 40 kg

potassium (K 2 O) - 30 kg

During the last feeding, mainly potassium and a little nitrogen are added.

Harvest. The duration of the growing season within the active average temperatures (+15°) for sugar cane in our country is 180-200 days. In areas of wide distribution (India, Java), sugar cane has a much longer growing season, which better ensures its high yield. Therefore, we should strive to extend the growing season as much as possible, taking advantage of all the favorable meteorological conditions of a given year.

First of all, sugar cane is harvested, intended as planting material for the next year; later, sugar cane is harvested for factory processing.

Usually from October 20-30 before the onset of the first autumn frosts or after the first small matinees, sugar cane is harvested for planting; Harvesting of sugar cane intended for processing takes place in early November and can continue throughout November and even a little later.

Harvesting is carried out by a team: two cut off the tops with panicles with a sickle to hard internodes, two workers following them chop the stems with special heavy knives (chops); followed by the remaining 7-8 people who clear the stems of leaves. Such harvesting is very labor-intensive work, and during industrial reed plantings it must be replaced by mechanized harvesting.

Cleaned sugarcane stalks are sent to the factory to be processed into sugar, fresh leaves are used for ensiling or directly fed to livestock, and dry leaves and other cane residues in the field are piled up and burned for pest control purposes.

It is advisable to immediately process the stems sent to the plant on the same day to avoid sugar losses.

Control of pests and diseases of sugar cane. The main pest of sugar cane is the cane stem borer. This is followed by the mole cricket and the fall armyworm. The reed is also partially damaged by beetleworm (larva) and locusts.

Borers are a group of insects whose larvae (caterpillars) cause damage to sugar cane by boring passages in its stems. In spring, on young reed shoots, stem moth butterflies lay eggs on the underside of the leaf or in the vagina. After a few days, young caterpillars hatch, which feed on the surface of the plant for 1-2 days, and then penetrate the stem and completely drill it, causing the stem to die.

The fight against stem moths involves filing the plant with arsenic preparations, and it is very important not to miss the moment the caterpillars hatch, that is, the moment when they are still on the surface and have not penetrated into the interior of the stem. The stem moth produces several generations over the summer, so treatment of plants with arsenic preparations should be carried out several times, timing them to coincide with the hatching of the caterpillars.

A preventative method of combating stem moths is to keep the area and surrounding intersecting areas free of weeds. Especially in the fall, all dry remains of eriangus, gumai, wild sugar cane, reeds and other weeds damaged by common pests with sugar cane should be burned in the intergrowths and near the site. Soaking planting material for 24 hours is also useful in the fight against stem moths.

Ordinary poisoned baits made from corn are used against mole crickets.

Fall armyworm and wireworm can be controlled by introducing black fallow into sugarcane areas.

It should be noted that grade SR-28/19 is not damaged by the driller.

In tropical countries, sugar cane is affected by a number of diseases, namely: mosaic, rust, black rot, red rot, yellow spot, etc. In our conditions, these diseases do not exist. Only sporadic reed blight damage was observed in Denau, and some rust damage was noted in Termez.