IN ORDER to make the sugarcane crop less water intensive and drought-resistant, Pune-based Vasantdada Sugar Institute has developed a new cane variety Co VSI 8005. Shivajiarao Deshmukh, director general of the institute, said the new variety has been planted over 10,000 hectares and would go for crushing for the first time in the season of 2017-18.
Cane crop has faced criticism because of its increased usage of water. Although the crop occupies only 10 per cent of the farmland, around 70 per cent of water resources are used by it. The cane crop of Maharashtra has been criticised as a water guzzler by both environmentalist and agricultural scientists. Even the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Pricing (CACP) has criticised the state’s cane crop for its over usage of water.
Deshmukh, talking about the new variety, said it uses less water than the more prevalent Co 86032 one. “The standing crop can withstand without water for as much as 45 days and thus, it is suitable for drought-prone area,” he said. The new variety also has higher sugar content and its stubble can be re-used for three seasons. “This variety will help in increasing the overall recovery of Maharashtra,” he said. Three mills- one each in Ahmednagar, Kolhapur and Nanded have gone for cultivation of the cane VSI had earlier introduced various cane varieties many of which remain in use. Some of the varieties while having excellent sugar recovery had faced pest infestation which had curtailed its cultivation.
In some cases, the presence of thorns had made a water efficient variety. The present crushing season saw Uttar Pradesh stealing the march over Maharashtra in sugar production. Uttar Pradesh’s success was mainly due to the introduction of a new variety of cane Co 0238, which has increased the over all sugar recovery of the state.
On Tuesday, Deshmukh also announced the winners of the the special prizes for both individual farmers as well as sugar mills which VSI confers annually. This year, the Shree Vighnahar cooperative sugar mill in Junnar taluka of Pune district has been judged as the best overall performer. Also, accolades were in store for the Nanded-based Bhaurao Chavan cooperative mill that won four awards. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be distributing the awards on the occasion of the annual day of the institute on Monday.