Ecological Requirement for Sugarcane Cultivation
Ecological Requirement for Sugarcane Cultivation
A) Climatic Requirement for Sugarcane Cultivation:
1. Sugarcane is a tropical crop.
2. It requires warm and humid climate for growth while cool, sunny and dry climate for ripening.
3. The temperature requirement is 20 0 C to 26 0 C.
4. Germination does not take place when temperature goes below 7 0 C.
5. Both the extremes of temperature is harmful.
6. Severe cold arrests the growth, while attack of stem borer increases in hot weather.
7. It requires more than 1,375 mm annual rainfall when grown as rainfed crop.
8. Rainfall deficiency produces a fibrous cane, whereas too heavy rainfall reduces sugar content.
B) Soil for Sugarcane Cultivation:
1. Sugarcane can be grown on wise range of soils.
2. But it grows best on well drained, fertile medium to heavy soils.
3. Soils rich in organic matter and leveled are most suitable.
4. It is heavy feeder crop so, should not be grown on light soils.