Sustainable Sugarcane and Sugar Production:Major Constraints in U.P.

India occupies better position in the world in area and production after Brazil but the cane yield/ha is generally lower (70 t/ha) than several other countries like Peru (120 t/ha), Australia (100 t/ha), and Brazil (80 t/ha) etc. Uttar Pradesh rank first in the country with regards to cane area (2.3 mha) and also in sugar production (8.75 mt). Therefore, the northern states particularly Uttar Pradeshplays important role in improving national sugarcane productivity is obvious. Sugarcane is cultivated under exceptional and wide range of climatic viz., hot weather during summer and very low temperature during winter. Now days stagnation in crop yield (72.37 t/ha) and sugar recovery (10.61%) in U.P. with decline in the factor productivity have raised a question mark over sustainability of crop yield level reached during green revolution period. In order to maintain crop sustainability, applied researches are being conducted in different disciplines and research finding’s as well as exercises such as crop rotation, integrated nutrients management strategy and green cane harvesting have been resulted to increase irrigation and drainage efficiency, improvement in organic matter and its better effect on soil properties and sugarcane nutrition. In this aspect an experimental result at sugarcane Research Institute of U.P. Council of Sugarcane Research Shahjahanpur (U.P.) showed that integration of 10 t/ha Farm Yard manure+inorganic fertilizer N, P₂O5 and K₂O on soil test basis+biofertilizers [Azotobactor and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB)] each @ 10 kg/ha gave significantly better cane yield of plant and also in their sub-sequent ratoons with trash mulching at the starting of ratoon management.