explain sugarcane crop in india ?
Answers
In India, Sugarcane is grown as a Kharif Crop. It needs hot and humid climate with an average temperature of 21°C to 27°C. 75-150 cm rainfall is favorable for sugar cane cultivation. Irrigation needed for areas with lesser rainfall. Sugarcane can grow in any soil which can retain moisture. Ideal soil for sugarcane is deep rich loamy soil. The soil needs to be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus but neither it should be neither too acidic nor too alkaline.
Answer:
DESCRIBE SUGARCANE - DEFINITION
Sugarcane is a tropical as well as a subtropical crop. It grows well in hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21oC−27oC and an annual rainfall between 75 cm and 100 cm. It can be grown in a variety of soils and needs manual labour from sowing to harvesting. India is the second largest producer of sugarcane only after Brazil. It is the main source of sugar, gur (jaggery), khandsari and molasses. The major sugarcane producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND SOIL REQUIRED FOR SUGARCANE PRODUCTION - DEFINITION
Sugarcane matures in 10 to 18 months depending on the climate. Sugarcane grows best in areas with 21oCto27oC temperature. Sugarcane grows well in tropical regions with 100-150 cm of rainfall well distributed throughout the year. This crop is grown well in drained rich alluvial, heavy loams or lava soils. It is largely grown on loams and clayey loams of the Great Plains and on black soil, brown or reddish loams and laterites in the Peninsular India.
METHODS OF SUGARCANE CULTIVATION - DEFINITION
Sugarcane is a labour intensive crop. The crop is kept weed-free and irrigated frequently if there are no timely rains. Most of the crop is planted just before the hot season, a little earlier in the southern and eastern parts. Sugarcane is planted by following two methods:
(i) Sett Method
(ii) Ratooning
DISTRIBUTION OF SUGARCANE PRODCUTION - DEFINITION
Sugarcane is cultivated throughout India. There are three main areas of sugarcane production in India: (a) Sutlej-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar; (b) Black soil area from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu; and (c) Coastal Andhra Pradesh and the Krishna valley. Uttar Pradesh occupies first place both in respect of area and production of sugarcane followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF RATOONING - DEFINITION
Advantages of Ratooning:
1. Crop need not be planted again, it saves labour.
2. The ratoon matures early.
3. This method is cheaper as it does not involve any extra inputs.
Disadvantages of Ratooning:
1. The yield is of thinner canes with lower sucrose content.
2. There is more risk of pests and diseases.
PROBLEMS OF SUGARCANE CULTIVATORS - DEFINITION
Problems of sugarcane cultivators are as follows:
(1) Sugarcane is a soil exhausting crop and therefore the cost of fertilisers increases the cost of production.
(2) The farms are far from the mills and a delay of more than 24 hours between harvesting and crushing reduces the sugar content.
(3) The cost of transport increases the cost of production.
(4) The crop is annual crop and therefore, the farmers are unable to cultivate any other crop, thereby, limiting their income.
(5) It requires high input of irrigation means.
(6) The price is fixed by the government which is most of the times not profitable for the farmers.