The ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow, has released the first-year report of a study on “Improving Water Use Efficiency and Economising Water Use in Sugarcane Cultivation in India,” which challenges the myth that sugarcane is a water-intensive crop. Initiated by the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) in collaboration with ICAR-IISR in March 2023, the report establishes sugarcane’s phenomenal superiority in using water efficiently, making it the most water-efficient crop amongst all major staples grown across India.
Major objectives of the two-year project are: estimation of irrigation water requirements of different crops; assessment of yearly irrigation water use in sugarcane crops by different methods; evaluation of water-saving agro-techniques; comparison of water requirement of sugarcane with other crops. The findings of the first-year report have further confirmed that sugarcane consumes water much more efficiently than crops like maize, rice, and wheat.
The study is being conducted at the following six centers across India:
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow (U.P.)
- ICAR-SBI Regional Research Center, Karnal, Haryana
- ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- AICRP Research Station, Belagavi, Karnataka
- ICAR-IISR-Biological Control Center, Pravaranagar, Maharashtra
- Zonal Agriculture Research Station, JNKVV, Powarkherda, M.P.
Mr. Deepak Ballani, Director General of the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), stated, “The preliminary results of this study clearly highlight the efficiency of sugarcane in water utilisation and ethanol production. These findings are instrumental in demonstrating the benefits of sugarcane cultivation in terms of water conservation and productivity.”
The two-year project involves analysing two plant crops and one ratoon crop of sugarcane at each center. The first-year report includes a comparison of water productivity among sugarcane, rice, wheat, and maize.
Key Highlights of the Study:
- Sugarcane demonstrates exceptional water utilisation efficiency, producing approximately 7.14 kg of cane per cubic meter of water. This is significantly higher than the productivity of maize, rice, and wheat.
- The water required to produce 1 liter of ethanol from sugarcane is about 2 kiloliters (KL), compared to 3 KL for other crops. This underscores sugarcane’s efficiency in converting water into economic value.
- With a total water use of 1313 cubic meters per hectare per month, sugarcane requires less water than competing crops like maize and rice, which exceed 1600 cubic meters.
Comparative Analysis of Total Water Requirement and Water Productivity of Sugarcane and Competing Crops and Its Correlation with Ethanol Production (2023-24)
| Water consumption/ Productivity | Crops | |||
| Maize | Wheat | Rice | Sugarcane | |
| Total water used (ha mm) | 676.25 | 300 | 1019 | 1576.1 |
| Sugarcane and yield of other component crops (t/ha) | 5.34 | 3.64 | 8.29 | 112.55 |
| Total water productivity
(kg produce/ cubic meter water /ha) |
0.79 | 1.21 | 0.81 | 7.14 |
| Quantity of Total water used in litres for producing 1 kg economic product | 1266 | 824 | 1229 | 140 |
| Total amount of water (litres) used for 1 litre of ethanol production | 3518 | 2289 | 3414 | 2001 |
| Total water productivity (Litre ethanol produced/cubic meter water) | 0.28 | 0.45 | 0.37 | 0.50 |
| Total water used in cubic meters
(m3) / hectare /month |
1691 | 750 | 2548 | 1313 |
*Cane yield of sugarcane and grain of wheat and rice (Ethanol @ 70 lit/ton from sugarcane & 370 lit/ton from wheat grain, and 450 lit/ton from rice)
The study serves to reiterate what the sugar sector has been advancing over the years: sugarcane is a resource-efficient and sustainable crop for farmers and the environment. The crop helps bring down the overall water footprint of agriculture through enhanced water use efficiency and contributes to the national and global goals of sustainability.
