Multi-ratooning in sugarcane - Future prospects and strategies

Abstract

Sugarcane occupies major agriculture land and cultivated almost by all categories of farmers as cash crop in India. However, with the increasing cost of input resources for field preparation operations, the small and marginal farmers are forced to alter their existing cropping system. Under such scenario, sugarcane ratooning could be best possible alternative to restrained farmers to change cropping system, so that the intended sugar demand of different sectors can be met. Sugarcane ratooning offers several tangible and intangible benefits to maintain a sustainable crop production system. Some researchers have exploited scope of sugarcane ratooning along with intercropping and have reported better production and profit compared to sole planting sugarcane farming. So, sugarcane ratooning with intercrops is the scope of future of sugarcane farmers and this system could be helpful in increasing farmer's income by two folds in future.