Maharashtra cane crop reels under white grub pest attack

Sugarcane crop in South and Central Maharashtra, the key growing regions, has suffered extensive damage due to pest attacks, and yields could dip by 10-15 per cent in the twin regions, causing extensive loss to farmers.

The Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), which is a premier R&D institution for sugarcane in the country, is tracking the damage. A senior officer at VSI said that crop damage is extensive because of the white grub pest, which attacks the roots of sugarcane.

A research paper prepared by VSI and shared with BusinessLine says that in South and Central Maharashtra, more than 16.85 per cent and 41.25 per cent area has been affected in 2016-17 due to the pest attack.

An average 30 to 35 per cent area is affected, which could result in a 10 to 15 per cent loss in sugarcane yield. In Maharashtra, sugarcane has been planted in about 9.5-lakh hectares for the 2016-17 season, higher than the 6.33-lakh hectares in the previous year. VSI, assuming an yield of 80 tonnes per hectares, had initially estimated cane availability of 760-lakh tonnes for crushing season starting October this year. However, due to the pest infestation, about 114-lakh tonnes of sugarcane is likely to be lost, it said.

Erratic rainfall Pandurang Mohite, Professor of Entomology at College of Agriculture, Kolhapur, said that the pest attacks happen because of erratic rainfall pattern in the cane-growing areas of the State.

These pests remain in the ground and surface during the dry spells, and farmers need to be more vigilant. The current attack could lead to a 15 per cent yield loss.

This infestation happens at two levels – it affects the sugarcane-growing fields located in the inland and those in the vicinity of rivers.

Sanjeev Babar, Managing Director, Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation Ltd, said that there have been many reports about pest attacks in the State, but the actual quantum of loss has not been worked out by the federation, he said.

Co 205 variety turns 100

The Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI) is organising an international symposium – SucroSym 2017 – from September 18 to 21 in Coimbatore.

The symposium is to commemorate the 100th year of release of Co 205, the first inter-specific commercial cane hybrid variety, which according to Bakshi Ram, Director, Sugarcane Breeding Institute, revolutionised cane cultivation in the country. At present, Co and Co-allied sugarcane varieties occupy more than 98 per cent of the area under cane in the country.

Co 86032 and Co 0238 are the two wonder varieties that have been evolved at this institute, and these two together occupy 40 per cent of the cane area, the SBI Director said.

The four-day symposium is being organised in association with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, South India Sugar Mills Association - TN (SISMA) and the Society for Sugarcane Research and Development, Coimbatore.

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