Production technology developed:

To address low productivity of sugarcane in wheat – sugarcane sequential system, two innovative technologies were developed at ICAR-IISR, Lucknow.

1. Wheat + sugarcane overlapping cropping under Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) system.

Wheat, the reference crop is sown on raised beds (three rows at 17 cm row spacing on each raised bed, 48-50 cm top width) in the month of November/December. Germination, tillering and growth of wheat are much better on raised beds than its sowing on flat beds due to improved soil tilth on raised beds. Sugarcane is planted manually in furrows (30-32 cm top width and 20-22 cm depth) spaced at 80 cm by wet planting method in the month of February/march (optimum time of sugarcane planting) in the standing wheat crop. Thus, sugarcane planting is advanced by 50-60 days which otherwise is done in late April or May in wheat – sugarcane sequential system. Sugarcane productivity is enhanced by 30-35% in addition to saving in inputs.

2. FIRB method for sugarcane + wheat simultaneous cropping system.

Sugarcane is planted manually in 80 cm spaced furrows (30-32 cm top width and 20-22 cm depth) by wet planting method in the month of November just after sowing of wheat with irrigation. Sugarcane setts (50000 three budded setts/ha) are placed in the overlapping fashion (bud to bud placement) in the irrigated furrows and pressed down in muddy soil by feet for its proper placement.

These technologies were tested under AICRP (Sugarcane) at different centres.

Popularization of the technology:

Front Line Demonstration: FLDs on wheat + sugarcane under FIRB system (Raised bed seeder cum planter) were conducted at farmers’ field in Biswan and Ramgarh Sugar Mill Zone of Sitapur, Barabanki, Unnao, Lucknow, Bareilly district in U.P and NSI, Kanpur.

Kisan Mela & Exhibition: The technology on wheat + sugarcane under FIRB system and Raised bed Maker cum Seeder (RBS) were exhibited in Kisan Mela organized at Beniganj, Mohanlalganj and at Institute ICAR-IISR campus.

Field visits & Demonstration: Shown the technology to farmers, foreign delegates, dignitaries from ICAR and SAU’s during their visit to ‘Demonstration of IISR Technologies at Technology Park’ at ICAR-IISR, Lucknow.

Literature & Trainings: Published Technical bulletin and folder/leaflets. The technology is also published in DARE report, Books chapters, IISR NEWSLETTERS, Ekshu Samachar, Profile IISR, Lucknow, IISR at a glance, IISR Ek Prichaya, Technorama IISR, Souvenir and 6 decades of Research at IISR…..towards Excellence. Delivered lecture on the technology to farmers, students, sugarcane development personnel and technical staff of ICAR.

Commercialization of the technology:

Licensing Agreement signed with M/S Shubham Agricultural Implements Pvt. Ltd., Sandila on November 20, 2012, M/S Punjab Engineers, Meerut on January 15, 2013 and M/S Gobind Industries (P) Ltd., Barabanki on January 15, 2013 for manufacturing of Raised Bed Seeder for wheat + sugarcane intercropping under FIRB.

Impact of the technology developed:

The technology is being published on ICAR-IISR Lucknow website: https://iisr.icar.gov.in/iisr/pages/technologies.jsp

Package of Practices for Crops of Punjab Kharif published by PAU, Ludhiana

Package of Practices for Crops of Punjab Rabi published by PAU, Ludhiana

खरीफ फसलों की समग्र सिफ़ारिशें published by CCS HAU, Hisar.

3. Optimization of irrigation regime in wheat + sugarcane overlapping cropping under FIRBS for enhancing water use efficiency

4. Nutrient use efficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum) + sugarcane (Saccharum sp. hybrids) cropping systems under Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed System (FIRBS)

5. Weed management strategy in wheat + sugarcane overlapping cropping under FIRB system

6. Feasibility and profitability of maize intercropping in spring planted sugarcane.

7. Evaluation of trap intercrops (maize and sorghum) for containing insect pest complex in sugarcane.

8. Participatory appraisal of sugarcane based cropping systems for exploring need based technological interventions.
9. Introduction of planting geometry in sugarcane by introducing intra-row spacing to ensure higher population and productivity.

10. Introduction of autumn sugarcane as a relay intercrop in skipped row planted rice-potato cropping system for enhanced productivity and profitability.

11. Optimization of irrigation schedule in sugarcane under different planting methods in sub-tropical India.

12. FIRB method for sugarcane + potato intercropping system.

13. Use of organic fertilizers for sugarcane + potato intercropping under FIRB system

14. Irrigation scheduling in sugarcane + potato intercropping under FIRB system

15. Use of Pusa Hydrogel in sugarcane cultivation

16. Assessment of nutrient interaction for sustaining sugarcane productivity and soil health

17. Use of seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria eludis) biostimulant in sugarcane cultivation.

18. Agronomic evaluation of promising genotypes of sugarcane under different NPK levels

19. Agronomic evaluation of promising genotypes of sugarcane under different planting seasons.

20. Performance evaluation of different indigenous potassic fertilizers in sugarcane

21. Evaluation of high protein wheat germplasm under different fertility levels.

22. Feasibility of Fababean intercropping in sugarcane to increase acreage of fababean – a under utilized crop.

23. Agro-morphological evaluation of medicinal and aromatic plant germplasms.

24. Agro-morphological evaluation of maize germplasms.

25. Screening of soybean germplasms in spring season for its adaptability and suitability as intercrop for early maturity.