AKSUM UNIVERSITY, SHIRE CAMPUS

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCE

COURSE TITLE: Industrial Crops Production and Processing (PlSc441)

By: Derar Gebremedhin(MSc in Agronomy)

December, 2024

Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview of industrial crops

❖Crops are commonly categorized as food (Seed, Grain, Fruitlets, etc.),feed, or industrial, based
on their use.

➢ Wheat, rice, sugarcane, sugar beet, peanut, beans, and peas are food crops since their primary
use for human consumption.

➢ Crops like maize, sorghum, oats, barley, hay, and silage are labeled as feed crops since they are
grown mainly for animal consumption.

➢ Although the group of industrial crops like cotton, flax, and tobacco are grown commercially
for products of economic value, they have limited value for food or feed.
1.1 Overview of industrial crops---------
❖ The above definition is very narrow and does not reflect the current and potential utilization of different
crops correctly.
➢ Maize is considered a feed crop, but it is the human staple food in Central America as well as in our
case.

➢ Maize is also an essential feedstock for several industrial products, including bio plastic and biofuel.
➢ The classification of Sorghum is ironic(un expected) as a feed crop, but it is considering as the millions
in African food for their survival.
➢ Tobacco, a crop growing in the past only for the manufacturing of cigarettes, holds the promise of
becoming a factory of made-to-order drugs.
➢ The utilization of Sugarcane has expanded from being mainly from sugar to Buffalo and a host of co-
products.

➢ The industry is defined as the production of goods and services.

➢ Therefore, the term 'industrial crops' has been used to describe goods that can be produced from plants.
1.2. Definition and Significance of industrial crops
❖ Industrial Crop Definitions

➢ The industrial crop is a crop grown to produce goods for manufacturing

✓ For example, flax is grown for fiber for clothing, rather than food for consumption.

➢ The industrial crop is a crop grown to use the seeds, leaves, stems or roots for industrial
purpose

✓ For example, Sunflower seeds for oil extraction, tobacco, sugar cane, and sugar beet.

➢ Industrial crops are plants which are classified primarily as industry crops because of their
industrial uses,

✓ But they may also have secondary domestic applications.

✓ These crops require industrial processing before consumers can utilize them.
1.2. Definition and Significance of industrial crops--------------
❖ The difference between industrial and cereal crops?

➢ Industrial crops are crops which grown for industrial purpose as a raw material.

✓ They are classified primarily as industrial crop because of their industrial uses,

✓ But they also have secondary domestic applications.

✓ These crops require industrial processing before they can be utilized by consumers.

✓ These crops play paramount importance in earning foreign currency in Ethiopia;

including sesame and other oil crops.

➢ These cereal crops are categorized as food or feed crops.

✓ They are not need farther processing before they can be utilized by consumers.
1.3. Types of Industrial crops
❖ Most of the field crops are industrial crops; there are a few crops which it doesn't account as industrial
crops.
➢ In general, industrial crops are those which they have a large amount of raw material and used in
industrial, if compared with the other field crops.

A. Sugar crops: crops grown for sugar production.

➢ Sugar beet: A form of the common beet (Beta vulgaris).

✓ It is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and it is grown commercially for sugar
production.

➢ Sugar cane: A tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Saccharum officinarum) having a thick, solid, tough
stem that is a chief commercial source of sugar.

✓ E.g. Sugar cane which covers 80% of the total production of sugar and sugar beet (20%).
1.3. Types of Industrial crops ------
B. Fiber crops: grown for supplying fibres

➢ These crops are grown for their fibers which they come from

✓ The seed hairs (cotton plant),

✓ The stem or baste fibers (flax/linseed, jute, enset),

✓ The leaf fibers (sisal plant), and

✓ The husk fibers (coconut husk).

C. Drug crops: grown for supplying drugs (smoked/chewed)

✓ E.g. Tobacco, cannabis

1.3. Types of Industrial crops ------
D. Oil seed crops: grown for their edible and non edible oil.

➢ These crops are grown for the extraction of the oil in its seed including Sunflower oil for
cooking, sesame, soybean, safflower, rapeseed, ...etc.
✓Highland oil crops: Niger, linseed, rapeseed, sunflower
✓Lowland oil crops: sesame, groundnut, safflower, castor bean

E. Beverage crops: grown for source of drinking/stimulants/

✓ E.g. Coffee, tea ,chat and Gesho?.

F. Aromatic Crops:

➢ These crop which have an aroma, fragrant, or sweet-smelling.

✓ Aromatic herbs such as Tobacco and Tembec.

1.4. Importance of Industrial Crops
1.4. Importance of Industrial Crops

➢ Supplying raw material for industries.

➢ Creating foreign exchange:

✓ Coffee-exporting supply 60% of total foreign currency of Ethiopia.

➢ Satisfying domestic requirements.

➢ Provide employment opportunities

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING
❖ Comparison of Sugarcane and sugar beet
➢ Sugarcane
✓ Provides 80% of sugar product
✓ Sugar is extracted from stalk
✓ Mainly tropical crop
✓ Belongs to family Poaceae (grass)
➢ Sugar beet
✓ Provides 20% of sugar product
✓ Sugar is extracted from root
✓ Mainly temperate crop
✓ Belongs to family Chenopodaceae
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❖ The genus Saccharum includes 6-speicies (4+2=6)
➢ The four are domesticated species
➢ The remain two are wild species.
❖ The cultivated species
➢ S. officinarum
➢ S. edule
➢ S. barberi
➢ S. sinense
❖ The wild species
➢ S. Spontaneum
➢ S. robustum

❖ Generally, Cultivated species are grown for sugar and fruit cane (chewing cane) while
Wild species are used as breeding material.
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❖ Cultivated species includes
1. S. officinarum
➢ Called as noble canes because of their thick stalk
➢ High sucrose content with low fiber and soft rind(bark)
➢ It has 3-5 meters in height with few tillers
➢ Largely grown in world wide as well as in Ethiopia
➢Problem: susceptible to most of the major Sugarcane diseases
2. S. edule
➢ Appears to be restricted to Malaysia & Indonesia
➢ Considered to be a mutant of S. robustem (Healthy strong)
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3. S. barberi

➢ Its canes are short and medium in thickness

➢ High in fiber content and poor yields

➢ High tillers numbers

➢ Believed to be hybrid of S. spontaneum and S. officinarum

4. S. sinense
➢ Tall, hardy & vigorous with wide adaptation and early maturity
➢ Believed to be originated from natural hybridization of S. spontaneum and S. officinarum
➢ It has poor juice quality
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❖ Wild species includes
5. S. spontaneum
➢ It is a perennial grass with free-tillering occurring in wild form in Africa & Asia
➢ Used in hybridization form as it provides vigour, hardiness and resistance to most of the major
diseases.
6. S. robustum
➢ It is large robust which is a bamboo-like plant often reaching 10m in height
➢ It is used for house and fence posts
➢ Its use for breeding is limited because of its complete susceptibility to diseases
➢ Today almost all commercial varieties of sugarcane are hybrids derived from breeding
between the species of commercial importance.
➢ Generally, Cultivated species are grown for sugar and fruit cane (chewing cane) while Wild
species are used as breeding material.
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❖Sugarcane morphology

➢ Morphology of the sugarcane is similar to maize

✓ However, sugarcane is vegetatively propagated.

➢ It is a tall-growing, tropical and perennial grass requiring usually 8-24 months to

reach maturity.

➢ Sugarcane has the capacity to tiller rapidly.

➢ Mature plant consists of root, stem, leaf and inflorescence or flower.

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❖ Which part of sugar cane is economically important?

1. Stem/stalk

➢ It is the economically important part

➢ It is called cane or stalk consisting of a node & internodes.

➢ At harvest time, there are 20-30 internodes on a single stem

➢ Each internodes being 10-20cm long depending on variety, climate and nutrition.

➢ It is unbranched except for tillers at the base

➢ Top portion of the stem is low in sucrose content and is usually removed before processing.

➢ Stem consists of a hard rind

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2. Root

➢ The root system is mostly fibrous and concentrated in the top 30 to 60 cm of soil.

➢ It develops mainly 2-types of roots:

a. Sett roots: thin branched temporary roots and succeeded by permanent roots.
✓ Provide nutrients and moisture for the plant during the early stages.

b. Shoot- roots: permanent roots developed after a third month from emergence.
✓Provide nutrients & moisture as well as physical support .

➢ The distribution of roots in the soil is strongly dependent on soil characteristics,

cultivars, and soil water content
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3. Leaves
➢ They bear alternately on either side of the stem at nodes.
➢ They are important for photosynthesis and transpiration.
➢ They have leaf blade (expanded portion) and the sheath (which cover the stem).
➢ The blade is 2-10cm wide and 60-180cm long.
4. Inflorescence
➢ Flowering is an undesirable character as it results in a loss of sugar which is used up in the
process.
➢ It also terminates further internodes development and increases fiber content.
➢ the flowers rarely set seeds and even if set the seeds soon loose viability within only a few
hours
➢ As the production of flowers reduces the sucrose content of the stem, efforts are often use to
avoid or delay flowering by:
✓ Use of non- flowering varieties with application of N- fertilizers because N- deficiency
increase flowering
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2.2. Importance and Classification of Sugarcane

❖ Useful Products of Sugarcane

1. Sucrose
➢ Sugarcane is the most important member of plant kingdom with a metabolism leading to the
accumulation of sucrose.
➢Thus, it provides the cheapest form of energy.

2. Molasses
➢ It is dark brown viscous liquid discharged after more sugar can be separated.
➢ It is one of the most important by products from the manufacture of cane sugar.
➢ It is used to produce an alcoholic drink called rum by fermentation where 2-3 liters of molasses
produces 1 liter of rum.

➢ Industrial ethyl alcohol is manufactured from molasses and it is also used for fattening of animals.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
3. Bagasse
➢ The fibrous residue left after extraction of the juice from the Sugarcane.
➢ Usually, it is the main source of fuel (steam) in sugar factories and used in manufacture of paper.

4. Filter mud
➢ Residue which settles out during clarification of the juice
➢ It is used as organic fertilizer

❖ Cultivation of Sugar cane

➢ Sugarcane is a perennial crop.

➢ There are two types of sugar crops.

➢ The first crop after planting is called the plant crop.

➢ After the plant crop has been harvested, the old stools regenerate rapidly, producing a ratoon crop.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢The first ratoon crop usually yields only two-thirds of the plant crop.

➢ The yield almost always decreases steadily with successive ratoons.

➢ Therefore, it may harvest only two to three ratoon crops.

❖ Advantages of ratoon crops

➢ Takes shorter time to mature

➢ It does not require cost of establishment

➢ It requires less water irrigation and fertilizer

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❖ Disadvantage of ratoon crops

➢ Low yield

➢ Canes are very thin and short internodes

➢ Build up of diseases and insects

➢ Soil compactness because no sub soil

❖ Usually, Sugarcane can grow in the same land for long period.

➢ So, it needs

✓Crop rotation

✓ Fallow period between the crop cycle

✓ Grow green manure

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❖ Planting of Sugarcane
➢ Sugarcane is propagated vegetatively using stem cutting of immature canes
➢ A seed cane from 25-30 cm long With 2-3 buds.
➢ When we use the stem, the top portion(slat=thin & narrow part ) should be removed a week
before planting (to encourage quick sprouting of the bud).

➢Cuttings(billets) should not be taken from the tip or from the very basal portion.

✓ This is because the tip is watery and the base is fibrous and cannot support the growth of the
seedlings and may result in decay.

➢The canes to be used for setts should be free from diseases and pests.
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❖ The process of setts cutting includes:-

➢Select healthy seeding material.

➢ Stripping (removing the cover) off the canes.

➢ Cutting the cans into 2 or 3 budded setts carefully without any damage to the buds or
eyes.

➢Soak the sett cutting in running fresh water:

✓ If it is just harvested for fresh canes then soak it into water for 8- 10 hours
✓ If it is harvested for a long time, then soak it in water for16-24 hours

➢ The appropriate age of cutting: it is around 8 months

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❖ Planting method

➢ Mainly there are two types of planting methods

a. Planting in the hole:

➢ Practiced for small scale farming

b. Planting in the furrow

➢ Practiced for large scale farming

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❖ Planting pattern:

➢ Generally, three types of furrow plantings:

1. Single line planting: only a single seed piece is put on a point at spacing of 1.5 m (between
furrows) x 0.6 m (between seed canes) with out overlapping(end to end)

2. Double line planting: two seed pieces are put at a given point to ensure good germination rate at
the recommendation spacing either with out overlapping (end to end) or with overlapping (ear to
ear).

3. Single line planting with the edges of the seed canes overlapping by 5 to 10 cm(ear to ear).
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖Sugarcane planting recommendations for sugarcane producers

➢ The success of a sugarcane farming operation depends on

✓ The ability to produce good stands of plant cane and

✓ The ability to maintain suitable stands for stubble crops.

➢ This provides an information to help growers make good management decisions about planting
practices for excellent plant cane stands.

➢ Keeping good records is an essential part of wise decision making and management of a
sugarcane production operation.

✓ Growers are encouraged to keep good records of all planting practices as well as pest
management practices.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢These recommendations should be based primarily on research results.

➢But, when research results are not available or are inconclusive,

✓ Current farming practices are considered in making suggestions.

➢The planting information does not include land preparation recommendations.

✓Land preparation is essential that it can be carried out properly

✓These rows are built up and ready for furrow opening.

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➢Recommendations are made depend on

✓The variety selection &furrow width

✓The planting rate & dates of planting,

✓The depth of cover & depth of planting

✓The succession planting

✓The use of starter fertilizers.

✓The level of controls for weed, soil insect & disease

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ The variety selections
1. Healthy seed cane

➢ To maximize yield potential for all sugarcane varieties, it is essential that plantings be made
with seed-cane that is free or nearly free of diseases.

➢ To accomplish this, healthy seed-cane nurseries should be established with seed-cane of

recommended varieties either

✓ From a heat treatment program or

✓ From seed-cane that has been produced by tissue culture

➢ Seed-cane nurseries of all varieties expected to be grown should be planted with cane obtained
from one of these sources every year.
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➢ Special care should then be taken to minimize infection of seed-cane by sugarcane pathogens.

➢ Ratoon stunting disease (RSD) will cause substantial yield losses in all of the varieties
recommended for major planting.

✓ This disease can be controlled only by the continuous planting of RSD-free seed-cane.

✓ Equipment should be carefully cleaned before handling seed-cane due to RSD is spread
mechanically.

✓ Since RSD has little or no visible symptoms, seed-cane fields should be tested at the Sugarcane
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

✓ Seed-cane should be propagated as few times as it is economically feasible.

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ A common mistake made by growers is to assume that cane grown from heat-treated or
certified seed-cane has been cut repeatedly is still disease free.

✓ Cane of any variety containing more than 2% smut-infected shoots should be avoided as a seed-
cane source.

✓ Where practical, smut-infected plants should be rogued early in the season prior to the
emergence of whips (sori).

✓ Avoid planting seed-cane nurseries of smut-susceptible varieties next to smut-infected cane.

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ Some recommended varieties are susceptible or moderately susceptible to leaf scald.
➢ Leaf scald is transmitted through infected seed-cane, mechanically on equipment and, to some
extent, in wind-blown rain.

➢ Care should be taken to plant healthy seed-cane.

➢ The heat treatment used to control RSD does not cure stalks of leaf scald.
➢ Planting healthy seed-cane also means using cane for seed that has low levels of damage
caused by the sugarcane borer.

➢ Good sugarcane borer control helps

✓ To reduce damage by stalk rots following planting

✓ To increase stands.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ Seed-cane nurseries of highly susceptible varieties, such as HoCP 00-950 and L 03-371, should
not be planted

➢ When insecticides cannot be applied, the cane to be used for seed should be monitored closely
for borer presence.

2. Variety recommendations for planting

➢ Variety recommendations are based on results from research provided by the following
organizations:

✓ LSU AgCenter(in Louisiana )

✓ USDA-ARS

✓ Sugarcane Research Unit; and the long-standing American Sugar Cane League.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ Variety development has been a long-standing cooperative effort governed by the Three-way Agreement of 2007.

✓ E.g. Seven varieties, HoCP 96-540, L 99-226, HoCP 00-950, L 01-283, L 01-299, L 03-371, and HoCP 04-838,
are recommended for general planting in Louisiana.

✓ Other varieties such as LCP 85-384, HoCP 85-845, and CP 89-2143 have been successful in some situations.

✓ It must be stressed that growers should plant a variety only if a disease-free seed source is available.

3. Variety performance

➢ The means of multi-year outfield tests from plant cane through third-stubble crops provide relative yield
information about the recommended varieties (Tables 1).

➢ Actual yields and the relative performance of the varieties on your farm may vary from those reported.

➢ Traits other than yield such as harvestability, insect and disease resistance must also be considered in choosing a
variety.
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4. Varieties recommended for planting

❖ HoCP 96-540 was selected from a cross of LCP 86-454 x LCP 85-384 and released in 2003.

➢ It responds extremely well to ripeners and has excellent post-freeze processing qualities.

➢ It is an erect variety that has withstood hurricane force winds well and is often a choice for
planting after such events.

➢ It is resistant to smut and leaf scald but is susceptible to RSD and brown rust.

➢ Research shows that HoCP 96-540 is moderately resistant to the sugarcane borer.

➢ It has excellent yield potential and has been the leading sugarcane variety in Louisiana since
2008.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ L 99-226 was selected from a cross of HoCP 89-846 x LCP 81-30 and was released in 2006.

➢ It is a high yielding, excellent stubbling variety.

➢ It produces a lower population of large diameter stalks and has high sugar per ton of cane.

➢ It frequently lodges and is difficult to plant.

➢ It is susceptible to brown rust and is moderately susceptible to smut.

➢ It deteriorates quickly after being subjected to freezing temperatures.

➢ It is moderately resistant to the sugarcane borer and

➢ It is a good choice in areas where insecticides cannot be applied.

➢ It responds well to the ripener glyphosate.

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ HoCP 00-950 was selected from the cross HoCP 93-750 x HoCP 92-676 and was released in 2007.

➢ It has the highest sugar per ton of any variety released by the Louisiana sugarcane breeding program.

➢ Its sugar per acre yield in plant-cane is very good

➢ But there can be a decrease in stubble cane yields that cannot always be offset by high sugar per ton.

➢ Its best fit is on well drained sandier land and

➢ It is a good choice when growers run out of ripened cane on rainy days.

➢ This variety has a good disease package and has performed well after freezes.

➢ But the variety can have some top breakage in high winds.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ L 01-283 was selected from the cross between L 93-365 x LCP 85-384.

➢ When L 01-283 was released in 2008,the new variety held much promise with
✓ Good sugar per acre & Erect
✓ Excellent stubbing ability and Cold tolerance.
➢ However, its off-types began appearing in the variety soon after release.

➢ Yield trials have determined with high levels of off-types

✓ The off-types can decrease sugar per acre in L 01-283.
✓ The off-types are stress induced and normally begin to appear in July.
✓ The variety stubbles extremely well and early spring growth is impressive.
✓ At harvest, many fields sugar yields have been good.
✓ But it is susceptible to brown rust and the sugarcane borer.
✓ L 01-283 should be planted on your better land to decrease stress induced off-types.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ L 01-299 was selected from the cross between L 93-365 x LCP 85-384.

➢ This variety has a very erect growth habit

➢ It is an extremely good stumbling variety.

➢ It has excellent sugar yields, especially in older stubble crops.

➢ Its sugar per ton levels is similar to HoCP 96-540.

➢ It is resistant to brown rust, but susceptible to brown stripe disease.

➢ It is susceptible to smut and has resistance to the sugarcane borer and leaf scald.

➢ Because of its stubbling ability, the variety should be a good fit on heavy land.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ L 03-371 is an offspring from the cross of CP 83-644 x LCP 82-89.

➢ It is early a maturing variety with high sugar per ton of cane.

➢ It is not erect and should be planted early before lodging.

➢ It is resistant to smut and leaf scald and moderately susceptible to brown rust.

➢ L 03-371 has a poor rating for post-freeze deterioration of the stalk.

➢ Research shows that L 03-371 produces good sugar per acre yields, but is susceptible to the
sugarcane borer.

➢ This variety should not be planted where insecticides cannot be applied.

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❖ HoCP 04-838 was selected from the cross HoCP 85-845 and LCP 85-384.

➢ This variety was released to growers in 2011.

➢ HoCP 04-838 has a very good disease package in addition to good harvesting characteristics

➢ The variety is also rated as resistant to the sugarcane borer, making it a good choice to plant
where insecticide applications may be limited.

➢ HoCP 04-838 has very good sugar yield potential.

➢ This new variety is most impressive in regard to freeze tolerance.

➢ Position the variety for late harvest to take advantage of HoCP 04-838’s ability to withstand
freezing temperatures.
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.
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❖New variety release
➢Ho 05-961 was released in 2012.

➢ Because of low levels of sugarcane mosaic disease and newly identified orange
rust disease, the new variety was released

➢But it is not distributed to growers.

➢The disease situation in Ho 05-961 is being closely observed

➢But this variety is not recommended for further expansion due to susceptible to
different diseases .
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ General Planting recommendations and suggestions
➢ Selection of seed-cane:
✓ Growers should plant seed-cane that is as close to disease free as possible.
✓ Healthy seed-cane will provide the best possible stands if adverse environmental
conditions such as drought, water logging or freezes occur.
✓ Mechanical planters should be operating so as to minimize stalk damage.
✓ Stalk cold tolerance should be considered when selecting varieties, especially in the
northern parishes.
✓ HoCP 96-540, L 01-283, L 01-299, and HoCP 04-838 have shown better stalk cold
tolerance than other varieties.
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➢ Billet planting:

✓ The whole stalk planting will continue to be a recommended practice because research has shown that, over time,
the highest yields will be obtained with the least risk by planting whole stalks.

✓ However, when seed-cane is badly lodged, one option will likely be to cut and plant billets.

✓ Current varieties vary in tolerance of billet planting.

✓ Stand problems in billet plantings have been encountered most frequently with HoCP 96-540, L 99-226 & L 03-
371.

✓ Plantings of whole stalks have out-yielded to billet plantings in the plant-cane crop and some stubble crops in the
majority of experiments.

✓ The impact of stalk rots is greater in billets because of their shorter length and the wounding that occurs during
cutting and planting.
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✓ Billet plantings suffer greater damage if there is any kind of planting problem or environmental stress, and the
risk of stand reduction is, therefore, greater.

✓ Because of greater stalk rot damage, billets possess less energy reserves than whole stalks by spring, and few
buds remain to germinate and replace shoots killed by disease and adverse weather conditions.

➢ If you do choose to plant billets follow these practices:

1. Plant longer (20-24 inch) billets,

2. Remove every other slat in the elevator chain to accommodate longer billets,

3. Run the primary extractor fan but do not run the secondary extractor fan,

4. Use a planting rate averaging at least six billets running in the planting furrow,

5. Use good planting practices (good soil preparation and proper depth of cover), and providing good drainage and
careful weed control.
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➢ Planting furrow width:

✓ As research has shown both cane yield and sugar yield increase good when the planted row was widened from the
V-furrow to the 18–24-inch furrow (u-furrow).

✓ Based on this research, it is suggested that growers use an 18–24-inch furrow or 45.7-61cm for planting.

✓ It is also suggested that the furrow opener be constructed to leave a wide bottom with a slight indentation on each
side of the furrow and a slight ridge of loose soil in the middle of the furrow bottom to accommodate wider
plantings.

➢ Planting rate:

✓ Based on research results and field observations, the planting rate recommendation is three to four stalks with a
lap of at least two mature joints.

✓ Where sufficient seed-cane is not available for optimum planting rates, growers may be able to obtain acceptable
stands by planting two stalks with a lap of at least two mature joints.
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✓ These recommendations are based on using high quality disease-free seed-cane.

✓ Additional seed-cane should be used to compensate for poor quality seed-cane. Planted cane stalks
should be spread to cover the entire width of the planting furrow.

➢ Date of planting:

✓ Planting date trials from early August to mid-October have been conducted across numerous years.

✓ Results have shown the greatest advantage of August over mid-October planting; in some trials August
planting produced higher sugar yields than mid-September plantings.

➢ Amount of soil cover over seed-cane

✓ Research on depth of soil cover over seed-cane indicates that soil cover in excess of 4 inches can cause
yield losses even if the excess is removed in the spring following planting.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
✓ Although limited in acreages planted, heat-treated cane should be covered with 2 inches of packed soil.

✓ After the heat-treated cane is up to a good stand and before freezing weather occurs, add an additional 2
inches of soil to protect from freeze damage.

✓ Do not cover heat-treated cane with more than 2 inches of packed soil at planting.

✓ For August, September and October planting, cover with 3 to 4 inches of packed soil at planting time.

✓ Farmers in the southern part of the belt can normally get by with 3 inches of packed soil covering.

✓ On farms in the northern part of the sugarcane belt, 4 inches of packed soil is recommended for
additional freeze protection.

✓ Growers should use a fluke on the covering tool to keep from covering with more than 4 inches of
packed soil.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
✓ Growers who cover with much more than 4 inches of packed soil should be prepared to remove
the additional soil early in the spring.

✓ Varieties such as L 01-299 and HoCP 96-540 have poor vigor when germinating after planting.

✓ Soil cover for these varieties should be no more than 3 inches of packed soil.

✓ Growers should use a covering tool that will cover the cane without pushing the cane closer
than the width it was planted.

✓ Packing of rows should be done immediately after covering to minimize air pockets.

✓ Clean quarter drains before spraying herbicides. Where soil washing occurs in the fall before a
hard freeze, it is suggested that the middles be sunk and rows rebuilt for winter protection.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢Depth of planting with relation to water furrow

✓To avoid water damage, seed-cane should be placed at least 3 to 4 inches above
the final water furrow or row middle.

✓In soils with poor internal drainage, the seed-cane should be placed even higher
above the final water furrow when possible.

✓Growers should be aware of the need to keep the seed-cane above the area where
water levels will hurt cane stands. Low row height at planting time could be a
problem, especially with billet planting.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ Succession planting sugarcane (cane planted without fallow)

✓ Succession planting is an alternative planting system that has been investigated for several years and is used on a
limited basis by some growers.

✓ It has the advantages of allowing growers to maintain more of their cane land in production and

✓ It is beneficial in adjusting the cane rotation for growers who do not have a good balance of their acreage in each
year of the crop cycle.

✓ Because of its limitations, succession planting should be considered only on better drained soils that do not have
serious infestations of johnsongrass or bermudagrass.

✓ Weather often becomes unsuitable for planting during the harvest season, and some varieties are not tolerant of late
planting.

✓ Observation indicates that varieties that tolerate billet planting tend to perform better when planted in succession.

✓ Therefore, L 01-283 and L 01-299 may be good choices for succession planting.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
✓ Research has shown that fall fertilization at planting time has increased yields of succession planted
cane.

✓ In most cases succession planted cane that received 15-45-45 of fall-applied N-P2O5-K2O fertilizer
produced yields similar to cane planted conventionally after a fallow period.

➢ Growers who plan to use succession planting of sugarcane should follow the procedure suggested below.

1. Burn any remaining crop residues.

2. Lightly disk row top to break up the cane stubbles into smaller, more manageable pieces.

3. Roto-till rows.

4. Do not subsoil because seed-cane can sink and have too much soil cover.

5. Rebuild rows with disk chopper.

6. Culti-pack and then open planting furrow as recommended.

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
7. Apply fertilizer in planting furrow at 15-45-45 of N-P2O5-K2O before planting
succession cane in addition to the normal recommended N-P2O5-K2O rates that
applied in the spring of each crop year, depending on soil type and soil test results.

8. Plant seed-cane of a variety that tolerates late planting and cover as

recommended.

9. Pack rows after planting.

10. Apply pre-emergence herbicides as recommended.

✓ Use the higher end of recommended rates

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Land Preparation for Sugarcane Production

➢ It depends on the

✓ Topography,

✓ Irrigation type and

✓ Amount of water in the area.

➢ For bushy, first the bush should be burn then plow disk harrowing

➢ Leveling and making furrow

➢ In all cases, the land has to be prepared thoroughly by repeated disking and harrowing, and by
burying all the waste and weeds in the soil.

➢ Finally, the land should be leveled.

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Managing Sugarcane plantation

➢ Irrigation methods includes

a. Furrow:- commonly used – surface (high loss);

b. Drip:- applying slowly (drop by drop) below surface (small loss)

c. Sprinkler:- above the ground –directly on the plants (medium loss)

➢ Fertilizer application as starter fertilizer application

✓ Both Organic (compost, manures, green manure) and Inorganic as fertilizer starters (NPK etc. )

✓ Recent fertilization trials have shown sporadic yield responses to starter fertilizers applied in
the planting furrow for cane planted after a fallow year.

✓ Another research has shown better response to starter fertilizer for succession planted cane.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
✓ Where yield responses have been obtained, the rate was an application of 15-45-45 lbs/A of N-P2O5-
K2O.

✓ Based on these recent findings and high fertilizer prices, it is suggested that growers not apply starter
fertilizer at planting.

✓ Where sugarcane is succession planted, a starter fertilizer should be applied at a rate of 15-45-45.

✓ Applying nitrogen at rates exceeding 15 lbs./A is not recommended.

✓ Rotational soybean crops are becoming more common in fallow fields.

✓ Although a nitrogen fertilizer credit has not yet been established, the organic nitrogen from soybeans
should be sufficient to get the planted cane off to a good start in the fall.

✓ No starter fertilizer application is recommended for cane planted after a soybean crop.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ Hill up the plant

✓ Hilling up is a practical process in which the roots or basal stems of sugarcane plants are
covered with earth, and then the row space become furrow.

➢ Purposes of hilling up

✓ To develop root properly

✓ To facilitate drainage

✓ To promote early and effective tillers

✓ To control late and ineffective tillers

✓ To suppress weeds
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖Time of hilling up

➢ Usually, two to three times of hilling up are done.

➢ First hilling up is done at the beginning stage of tillering.

✓ Firstly, have inter-tillage, and then return some dug soil into the planting furrow.

➢ Second time of hilling up is done at the end of tillering stage,

✓ Firstly, have inter-tillage then apply some fertilizer, then hill up the plant to a
height of 25-30 cm above the ground level.
❖ Difference between sweet potato and sugar beet?

➢ Which one is a sugar crop?

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Crop Protection

1. Weeds

➢ Crop-weed competition in the sugarcane plantation cause a significant yield loss.

➢ Is finger millet grown in sugar cane as weed?

➢ Methods of Weed Management/Controlling mechanisms

✓ Mechanical.. Hand weeding, tillage

✓ Chemical… Can be applied before or after emergence

✓ 2,4-D, simagine, Dalaphon and silvex to spray the field after planting,
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
2. Diseases
➢ The four types of pathogens are mainly cause sugarcane diseases among these six serious diseases in
sugarcane.

✓ They are fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes

A. Leaf scald:

✓ Cause to be elongated, narrow, white to yellowish-white stripes on the leaf blades.

B. Smut: causes a sudden wilting of the leaves

✓ A loss of normal green color

✓ A premature drying of the older and in extreme cases death of the top.
✓ Upon maturity it ruptures and millions of tiny black spores are liberated and disseminated
by wind.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
C. red rot: The disease attacks the stalks and leaf midribs of the sugarcane plant.
✓ It is recognized by longitudinal reddening of the normally white internal tissue of the
internodes, and a discoloration of joints of the stalk.
D. mosaic disease: Mottling of the leaves is the principal symptom. and caused by
stunting in sugarcane.
E. ratoon stunting disease(RSD): cause thin canes, orange-red vascular bundles at the
nodes, and pink discoloration of the growing point.
F. root rot: deficient tillering, yellowing of the leaves,
severe wilting, and even occasional death of young plants
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Diseases controlling mechanism

➢ Resistant varieties

➢ Cultural: Rouging, hot water treatment

➢ Chemical :Some fungicides

3. Insects

a. Stalk borer

➢ It is the most serious insect attacking sugarcane.

➢ Borings in the stalk reduce the sugar yield and contribute to the decay of seed cane.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
b. White scale
➢ It causes severe wilting during drought.
➢ No economic control measures are currently available.
c. Termites
➢ Termites or white ants start damaging the setts in the soil
and later in the season they attack the cane shoots.
➢ 60% of the buds of the setts are killed by termites, resulting in gaps in the stand.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Harvesting
➢ Harvesting refers to removal of entire plant or economic portion of plant after maturity from
the field.
❖ Time of harvesting
➢ It has profound influence on yield and quality of the crop produced.
➢ If it is harvested early, both yield and quality are reduced.
➢ Time of harvesting for sugarcane should be decided according to external and internal
maturity symptom i.e. Leaves Turn yellow& Sucrose content>10%
➢ Sugarcane should be harvested when it reaches the stage of maturity with the highest sucrose
content.
➢ Sucrose content vs maturity period
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢ In under ripe cane the juice is watery and the sucrose content is low
➢Matured cane has 13-16% sucrose content
➢How to determine the physiological maturity?
✓ By Visual observation and field history
✓ Laboratory tests:
➢ By taking random samples and analyze
✓ Brix: Percentage of total soluble solutes in the juice and determined by using hand
refractometer or hydrometer.
✓ For proper maturity brix content should be  20%.
✓ Brix includes sugars and non-sugars
➢ Pol: Percentage of sucrose in the juice and for proper maturity it should be about
16%.
➢ Purity: Percentage of sucrose in total soluble solids:
➢ Purity= pol/brix x 100 and Purity should be > 80%
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Sugarcane harvesting involves the following series of operations:

➢ Pre-harvest burning

➢ Cutting

➢ Topping

➢ Stacking

➢ Loading

➢ Transporting to factory
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Purpose of pre-harvest burning :

➢To facilitate the movement of the workers in the field

➢ To reduce injury on cane cutters by cane leaves

➢ To avoid trashes

➢ To clear fields from animals and insects those are sheltering in the plantation

➢ To expose obstacles that may cause damage to the machines when mechanical harvester is used

➢Burning is usually done at night before cutting, when there is no strong wind.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Processing of Post Harvest Operations:

1. Milling

2. Clarification (filtration)

3. Evaporation and crystallization

4. Centrifugation:

5. Discoloration
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
1. Milling

➢Cane is cut with rotating knives and shredders

➢It reaches the 1st mill in the form of a coarse fibrous blanket.

➢Extraction and expression:

✓ Heavy revolving mill is applied to separate the juice and fiber (bagasse)

✓ Water is applied during crushing

2. Clarification (filtration)

➢ Juice contains some suspended matter and soluble sugars.

➢ Inert materials and soluble materials are separated through filtrations and the filter mud is part of the by
product.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
3. Evaporation and crystallization
➢ Boiled at low pressure to form thick syrup.
➢ The juice is heated,
✓ Milk of lime is added to clarify it and
✓ It is filtered to remove the suspended matter and various materials
➢ At end, heavy viscous liquid containing sucrose crystals and molasses (massecuite ) produced.
4. Centrifugation
➢ Separation of different items of particles of varying density by using centrifugal force.
➢The sucrose crystal is separated from the molasses and pure sucrose crystal is obtained.
5. Discoloration
➢ The resulting sugar, known as raw sugar is brownish in color and contains 96-98.5% sucrose.
➢Decoloring is done with carbon black.
❖Recovery percent = Sucrose yield in cane/Raw sugar yield x 100
➢Commercial cane sugar yield = Cane yield per ha x recovery percent.
CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
➢The most efficient factories recover up to 87% of the sucrose that was originally present on the
cane when it entered the factory

➢The total stalks taken to the sugar mill constitute cane yield.

➢Sucrose yield in average accounts about 10% of the cane yield.

➢Average yield of milleable cane per ha:

✓ 90-120 tons/ha (plant crop)

✓ 45-90 tons/ha ratoon crop

➢ Di gram to display

✓ The annual consumption of sugar in Ethiopia is estimated at 7.74 kg/head (2021)

✓ But, in World (America)….126.4 gram

CHAPTER 2: SUGAR CANE PRODUCTION &PROCESSING---
❖ Juice quality parameters
➢Brix
➢Pol
➢Purity
➢Fiber content
❖ Factors affecting juice quality
➢ Age the plant
➢ Portion of cane used for milling
➢ Length of time from cutting to milling
➢ Pre harvest burning
➢ Flowering
➢ Fertilizer application
➢ Irrigation
➢ Diseases and insects