News Excerpt:
Red rot, a major concern for sugarcane growers in UP, especially in the Terai region, impacts the 'CO 0238 variety' yield, leading to widespread panic among farmers.
About red rot disease:
- It is known as cancer of sugarcane which usually spreads in the rainy season.
- It is caused by a fungus Colletotrichum falcatum and requires immediate action to prevent further crop damage.
- The fungus mainly infects the '0238' variety of cane which is known as' wonder cane’.
- According to officials, the disease occurs when a particular variety is sown for a long time and not changed.
- The disease also grows and spreads when farmers don't treat seeds and soil properly.
- Notably, 50% of 46 lakh cane farmers in the state cultivate the 'CO 0238 variety' which is most sought after as its yield is 2.5 times more than regular ones.
Measures to avoid it:
The Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, has given exhaustive measures to be followed during cropping the cane of 0238 variety to ensure a successful harvest. Those includes:
- The mills have to focus on immediate seed replacement in large areas.
- The sugar mill is further advised to restrain from increasing the acreage of a variety beyond 40% in the command area and should have a judicious blend of varieties to realize the productivity and profitability in a sustainable manner.
- A comprehensive disease monitoring should be taken forth to take up plant protection measures immediately after noticing the disease.
- A regular surveillance of the apparently healthy sugarcane crop of other varieties adjoining the affected fields to detect red rot, especially during the summer months (up to July).
- Once an infected clump is detected, the rest of the crop is to be sprayed with a systemic fungicide like Thiophanate methyl at an interval of three weeks.
- The affected fields along with surrounding fields should (due to the presence of incipient infections) be harvested immediately.
- The affected fields must be sanitized with application of fungicides, so that remaining soil borne inocula and the inocula dislodged during the removal of affected clumps be killed.
- A robust and dedicated seed replacement programme has to be taken especially in the red rot affected areas and the farmers have to be educated adequately to use quality and healthy seed.
