Why is sugarcane in Tan Ky so productive?

High-yield sugarcane growing areas are produced from new sugarcane varieties, while complying with technical processes. The high-yield sugarcane growing process that Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company is implementing.

1. Sugarcane growing land:The soil should have a deep, loose, nutritious, neutral pH, good drainage, and a slope < 100, the better.

Planting sugarcane by machine in Tan Ky district has been applied by Song Con Sugarcane Joint Stock Company for many years on converted lands. Photo: Xuan Hoang

2. Land preparation:Because the weather in Nghe An is often hot in June, July and August, at this time sugarcane needs a lot of water to grow. If the soil is shallow, the sugarcane's drought resistance will be reduced, leading to low productivity and poor quality.

Therefore, the land must be plowed 30 - 35 cm deep. It is best to plow the land 30 - 40 days before planting to expose it to the elements and eliminate pests. Use a 7-pan plow and a milling machine to break up the soil, the proportion of soil particles with a diameter of more than 5 cm is less than 15%. Make furrows more than 30 cm deep, it is best if sugarcane is planted and fertilized by machine.
It is necessary to design an irrigation system to promptly drain water during the rainy season and provide additional irrigation during drought.

3. Sugarcane varieties:

In Tan Ky area, there are currently 6 new sugarcane varieties.

Sugarcane variety Viet Duong 93 - 159: Strong growth and development ability, strong germination, early and concentrated tillering, good regeneration. Agricultural yield 80 - 110 tons/ha, high sugar content over 12 CCS. Well adapted to moist or medium moist soil and sandy soil.
Viet Duong 00 - 236 sugarcane variety: Germinates quickly, strongly, tillers well, retains roots relatively well, suitable for light to medium loam soil with good humidity, drought tolerant, moderately drought tolerant. Agricultural yield 80 - 120 tons/ha, high sugar content over 12 CCS. Adaptable to soil with average humidity and sandy soil.

Farmers in Thong Nhat hamlet, Tan Phu commune, Tan Ky district take care of sugarcane fields focusing on applying science and technology. Photo: Quang An

ROC 10 sugarcane variety: Fast growth rate, many tillers, good root retention, susceptible to bacterial leaf blight, high yield 80 - 120 tons/ha, maximum sugar content of 10 - 12 CCS. Suitable for land converted from rice land; riverside alluvial land.

Khonkean 3 sugarcane variety: Good growth ability from the beginning, strong germination, strong tillering, less lodging, no flowering, good root regeneration, no infection with dangerous diseases (grass shoots, smut...), maximum sugar content from 10 - 13 CCS. Suitable for non-flooded land.
Sugarcane variety LK 92 - 11: Grows quickly in the later stages, germinates well, tillers well, rarely falls over, regenerates roots very well, has high effective plant density, does not flower, and is resistant to many diseases. High yield from 100-120 tons/ha, maximum sugar content from 10-12 CCS. Suitable for planting on sandy clay soil, rich in humus.
Sugarcane variety K2000: Fast growing, strong germination, good tillering, less lodging, good root regeneration, high effective plant density, no flagging, resistant to many diseases. High yield from 100-130 tons/ha, maximum sugar content from 10-12 CCS. Suitable for loam, light loam, moist, nutritious soil.

4. How to grow

Season: From October 1 to April 30 of the following year.
Density: Depending on soil conditions and sugarcane varieties, the amount of cuttings needed is from 40,000 - 45,000 cuttings/ha (each cutting has 3 eyes), equivalent to 10 - 12 tons of seeds/ha.
Row spacing: Depending on manual or machine cultivation, the spacing is usually 1.0 - 1.2m between rows, or 1.3 - 1.5m x 0.4m between rows.
Manual planting: Place the cuttings along the furrows, cover with 3 - 10 cm of soil (depending on the crop and weather). Dry soil needs to be compacted so that the cuttings are in contact with the soil. During the main crop, if possible, water after planting.
Planting and fertilizing by machine: Requires the person planting the seeds to be steady.

5. Care
For young sugarcane: About 15 - 25 days after planting, when the sugarcane has 1 - 2 real leaves or after harvesting the previous crop, if you see that > ​​0.5 m has been lost, you must replant. Replanting should be done in the afternoon or when the weather is cool. It is best to use germinated cuttings placed at the beginning of the row or cuttings that have been incubated in previously prepared soil.
Dig a trench as deep as the bottom of the trench when planting, place the transplanted tree and cover the base. When transplanting, the soil must be moist enough, the leaves of the transplanted tree must be cut to limit evaporation, and the soil must be compacted to the base of the transplanted tree. If possible, water immediately after transplanting.
Fertilization
Basal fertilization: Lime powder should be applied before the last plowing, at a rate of 1.0 - 1.5 tons/ha.
Organic fertilizer: 10 - 20 tons (manure, garbage, sludge, ash, etc.).
NPK 11.6.8 fertilizer: 1.0 ton/ha.
Top dressing: NPK 11.3.8 fertilizer: 1.5 tons/ha, divided equally into 2 times for fertilization (when sugarcane has 4-5 leaves) and fertilization (when sugarcane has 1-2 real internodes). Apply fertilization about 20-25 cm from the base of the sugarcane, at a depth of 25 cm. To be effective, use a plow to plow underground, apply fertilizer, and loosen the soil between the 2 rows of sugarcane.

Water irrigation
Provide additional water for sugarcane during prolonged dry periods, especially during the sprouting, tillering and shoot growth stages.
Sugarcane needs a lot of water but is very intolerant to waterlogging, especially during the seedling and shoot growth stages. To avoid waterlogging, sugarcane fields must be flat, and a drainage system must be designed immediately after planting. There must be ditches and drainage ditches around the fields.
Pest control is very important.
Sugarcane is often affected by grass shoot disease and smut: If grass shoot disease or smut is detected, promptly dig up and destroy the diseased plants.
White cotton mealybug: White cotton mealybug often causes damage year-round, often causing severe damage from July to February of the following year.
When sugarcane is found to be infected with aphids (just appearing in a few clumps), farmers must strip leaves, clean the fields and use Anbom 48 EC to spray. In case of aphids appearing on a large scale, spraying must be done simultaneously in the entire area.

Regularly check for pests on sugarcane for timely prevention. Photo: Xuan Hoang

6. For sugarcane with stumps

After harvesting, the field must be cleaned immediately, using a hoe or sharp knife to cut high roots close to the ground (do not burn leaves after harvesting).
After removing the roots, it is necessary to patch up the areas where the roots or buds are lost.
care process
Within 15 days of harvest, apply 1.0 ton of NPK 11.6.8 fertilizer per hectare, 20 to 25 cm apart from the sugarcane rows, at a depth of 25 cm. To be effective, use a plow to plow underground, apply fertilizer, loosen the soil between the two sugarcane rows, and cut dry sugarcane leaves on the field surface.
If the weather is dry, within 15 days of applying base fertilizer, irrigate with 800 to 1,000 m3/ha/watering.
Top dressing: When the sugarcane has 9 to 12 leaves (1 to 2 real internodes), apply 1.5 tons of NPK 11.3.8 fertilizer per hectare, 20 - 25 cm apart from the sugarcane rows, at a depth of 25 cm. To be effective, a plow must be used to plow underground, apply fertilizer, and loosen the soil between the two sugarcane rows./.