Moga, September 7
The state government has begun encouraging farmers to cultivate sugarcane in widely spaced rows, giving room for intercropping. Experts said this would increase profit and save water. Officials are demonstrating the new technique on a 10-acre plot at the government seed farm in Raonta village in the district.

Agriculture Development Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, in charge of this 50-acre seed farm, said the seedlings of sugarcane were being planted in rows at a distance of 8 feet with 4 feet distance between the plants.

He said in the traditional cropping method, 35 to 40 quintals of seedlings were required to plant sugarcane on an acre against the 2 quintals of seedlings in the wide space row cultivation method. As many as 1,200 to 1,300 seedlings were planted on an acre in the new technique, he said.

Dr Brar claimed the production of sugarcane was not affected in the widely spaced row cultivation method despite using lesser number of seedlings. He said that the total production of sugarcane in the traditional and the new method was 350 to 400 quintals.

He said apart from this, the space between the rows and plants provided the farmers a chance for intercropping of other crops such as vegetables, maize, potatoes, onions, garlic, pulses and mustard. He said farmers could also grow fodder for cattle and increase financial returns. Dr Brar further said farmers could save 80 per cent water with this technique.

He said in the new technique, the consumption of pesticides and chemical fertilisers would also be less and labour cost would come down. “This technique can motivate farmers to grow crops other than paddy and wheat,” he added.