Excerpts from the Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida
Sugarcane - Planting
Site Selection
Avoid
planting sugarcane along the edges of high-traffic sidewalks or
pathways. Sharp-edged sugarcane leaves can injure pedestrians. Keep in
mind, too, that some sugarcane varieties are prone to fall over (lodge)
when mature and can, as a result, block sidewalks and pathways.
A
well-drained, sunny location is desirable; the more sun the better.
Sugarcane planted in partially shaded areas (such as near buildings,
walls, or tall trees) will have reduced growth potential. Additionally,
periods of stress - such as too much or too little moisture, extended
periods with temperatures below 70°F, and soil fertility and pH
extremes (optimum range being pH 5.5-6.5) - will result in shorter
inter-nodes and reduced growth.
Sugarcane produces an extensive
root system. For this reason, soil should be thoroughly tilled and well
worked in the area under as well as surrounding the seed-piece planting
site. During the first three weeks after planting, flooded conditions
can kill germinating buds and new shoots, so make sure good drainage is
available if conditions require it.
Sugarcane can be planted to
form natural windbreaks that surround your garden as a protective
barrier. In many countries, vegetable and/or nitrogen-fixing leguminous
crops are planted between the rows of newly planted sugarcane. Due to
their shorter growing season, these intercrops can be grown and
harvested before the sugarcane gets tall enough to shade them out.
Planting Material
In
laboratory settings, tissue culturing is used to produce plants
genetically similar to a mother plant. In a field scenario, mature
sugarcane stalks (with viable buds) are obtained from a variety/clone
of interest. When this seed stalk is planted, the emerging plants will
be genetically identical to the mother plant. Backyard sugarcane
hobbyists generally obtain cane stalks from desirable clones they
already have, or they get the stalks from another willing grower who
has the desirable variety/clone. Sugarcane that is vegetatively
propagated will retain the characteristics of the mother plant and
likely will not alter (in any genetic sense) over time.
At
planting, cut each stalk into 2 - 3 foot sections (“seed-pieces” or
“billets”). To ensure that a few buds survive the stresses of the
planting environment, aim for seed-pieces that have around six buds.
Keep in mind that cutting long stalks into shorter seed-pieces actually
improves bud germination along the shorter seed-piece. Planting whole
stalks is not recommended because of “apical dominance,” a process in
which buds closest to the cut ends tend to get activated while interior
buds might not get activated. Thus, cutting longer stalks into shorter,
6-bud seed pieces will improve overall plant populations.
Single-node pieces, which contain a single bud, can be planted in pots or trays and later transplanted at the target site.
Planting
To
ensure adequate development of underground portions of the sugarcane
plant prior to a killing frost, planting in North Florida should occur
in the period from mid-August through mid-September. Another option in
this region is to plant after mid-November, so buds remain dormant
during the winter, followed by germination in the spring.
Sugarcane
can be planted as a single row (a typical configuration for windbreaks)
or in multiple, parallel rows with a distance of from 4 -10 feet
between the rows. (Keep in mind, however, that when crop rows are
spaced widely apart, the likelihood of weed growth increases as shade
decreases between the rows of sugarcane plants.)
In loam or
clay-loam soils, dig a furrow 3 - 7 inches in depth. Dig a slightly
deeper furrow in sand or in highly organic soils. The amount of
fertilizer to use for optimum growth will vary, depending on soil type,
rainfall, sunshine, crop history, etc. To obtain reliable fertilizer
recommendations appropriate for your growing environment, submit soil
samples to a soil-testing lab that offers a calibrated soil-test.
A
common practice for small plots is to loosely spread 1 pound of 8-8-8
fertilizer (or its equivalent) per ten feet of furrow. [Check for
current recommendations with your local Cooperative Extension Service.]
Ideally, cover the fertilizer with 1-to-2 inches of soil and then lay
the sugarcane seed pieces down lengthwise in the furrow.
To
prevent vacant areas - “skips,” which are caused by uneven bud
germination, a single row should be planted with two pieces of cane
placed side by side, lapping the end of one piece with the middle of
the neighboring piece. Cover the seed cane with loosely packed soil to
a depth of 2 - 5 inches. It does not matter whether buds along the
stalk are positioned downwards; the emerging shoot will naturally make
its way to the surface.
Early Care
Keep
the soil slightly moist, but not wet. The early growth period of
sugarcane is particularly sensitive to excessive moisture. Within
1-to-3 weeks, depending on soil temperatures, new shoots should emerge
through the soil. The sugarcane crop that grows from the planted
seed-cane during the first year is called the plant-cane crop.
As
the shoots elongate, gradually add soil to the furrow until the furrow
becomes slightly elevated. Hoeing or tilling the inter-row spaces for
weed control will naturally build-up the furrow. A built-up furrow
encourages earlier shoot growth and provides a method of early weed
control directly around the emerging shoots. New leaves emerging from
the soil are susceptible to frost damage. However, it takes several
weeks for the most vulnerable part of the shoot, the meristem (or
growing point), to emerge from the soil. This normally occurring delay
in meristem emergence means that early frost damage is usually not
fatal since the buried and undamaged meristem will continue to produce
new leaf tissue.
Meristems are probably emerged by the time the
leaves are 18 - 36 inches tall, at which time the vulnerable meristem
can be severely injured by a frost. Once the shoots are 6 - 8 inches
tall, they can tolerate standing water for short periods of time.
Formation of the Stool
As
the new shoot grows, buds form at each stalk joint (node), with buds on
adjacent nodes located on opposite sides of the stalks. After several
weeks, these newly formed buds (still located 3 - 7 inches underground)
will sprout, forming secondary shoots. These shoots in turn will form
buds that produce tertiary shoots. These secondary and tertiary shoots
are called tillers, and the primary shoot plus all of the tillers are
called the stool.
The tendency to form tillers is variety
specific and varies from few to many tillers. However, many growers
believe that scratching or cultivating the soil around the young
tillers will lead to increased tillering. Although anecdotal evidence
supports this assertion, this practice will not likely have the same
outcome across all varieties and growing environments.
Sugarcane
is a multi-year crop, and the harvested stool is the site for next
year's re-growth. New primary shoots emerge each year from the basal
(bottom or lower) buds on stools that remain from last year's growth.
Over time, this growth and re-growth pattern gradually elevates the
crown of the stool and expands the stool's circumference.
While
the stool typically gets bigger over time, the combined effects of
winter and mechanical damage lead to declining basal-bud viability.
Eventually, stalk production declines, so expect to replant every 5 -
10 years for good ratooning varieties. Keep in mind, however, that some
sugarcane varieties are infamous for their inability to “ratoon;” such
varieties have to be replanted more often.
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