Lucknow: Commissioner, Cane and Sugar Shri Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy issued advisory to all Sugarcane regions for prevention /effective control of outbreaks of Red Rot disease known as cancer of sugarcane. The field officers have been asked to prepare and implement a micro plan for seed replacement in disease affected areas.
Giving detailed information in this regard, the Cane Commissioner said that in rainy season, there is a possibility of outbreak of Red-Rot disease in sugarcane crop. The disease spreads through seed in sugarcane. The possibility of getting infected by Red Rot disease is more in the verities, which are being sown by farmers from a long time, as with the time, the immunity of such verities decrease due to genetic degradation. This disease causes a lot of damage in the Sugarcane crop. To avoid this loss, there are scientific recommendation that at least 40% of Sugarcane area of verities CO-0238 should be replaced by new early maturing cane verities i.e. co-0118, cos-08272 and co-98014 etc. In the fields, where sugarcane crop is affected by this disease, then by adopting cropping system other crops should be sown in that field in place of Sugarcane.
By highlighting measures to control this disease Shri Sanjay R. Bhoosreddy said that, In the coming year, Ratoon of affected cane plant by Red Rot should not be taken by Cane farmers and after crushing of this affected plant they should adopt the crop rotation. In the crop rotation, in first step deep plowing of the affected sugarcane field should be done in the summer season, followed by planting rice in the rainy season. In the autumn season onion intercropping with sugarcane should be done, by doing this the average yield of sugarcane will also increase. The smell of alic propyl dye sulfide present in onions acts as an insecticide, Thereby it controls of early shoot borer and root borers. Cultivation of garlic along with sugarcane is also beneficial during the autumn.
Only autumn planting of Sugarcane should be done in the areas affected by Red Rot and other crops should be cultivated in place of Sugarcane between the period of winter and rainy season. In areas where the effect of Red Rot disease is more than 20%, the sugarcane crop should be harvested immediately. After deep ploughing of these plots the residues of stems and roots of cane should be burnt. Sugarcane sowing has been recommended only after taking sugarcane seed of healthy single buds and after dipping them in 2 gram per liter solution of Carbendazim for half an hour before sowing, as well as Trichoderma culture fortified with organic measure should be used to prevent this disease. In the areas where Moist Hot Air Seed Treatment Plant is available, instructions have been given for sowing by treating 100 percent seed through MHAT. In the process of purification, through MHAT plant, whole sugarcane or two or three eye sets are treated by placing them in a mesh tray. The temperature in the plant is 54 °C by steam and heater and the cane is treated for two and a half hours by keeping the humidity at 99 percent. Chemical treatment of sugarcane is also necessary after heat treatment.
The Sugarcane crop standing around the disease affected areas should be rigorously monitored till months of September and if the tillers are found infected by Red Rot, then they should be immediately destroyed after uprooting and the rest of the crop should be sprayed with systemic fungicide such as Corbendazim, Theophanatemethanol etc. at a month interval.
Through advisory, all field officers have been instructed by the Commissioner to make sugarcane farmers aware of the prevention measures of Red Rot by extensive publicity through pamphlets, newspapers, fairs, wall painting and seminars etc. The Cane farmers should be made aware that if again sugarcane is sown in the red rot affected fields next year also, then it will not be considered for their bonding purpose. To use certified seeds for sowing, production and distribution of healthy Sugarcane seeds should also be encouraged among farmers.
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