Land area needed to raise settlings for transplanting in 1 ha through spaced transplanting method of sugarcane
Show Hint
- Conventional Sugarcane Seed Rate: 6-8 tonnes/ha.
- STP Sugarcane Seed Rate: 1-5 tonnes of single-bud setts.
- Required Nursery Area: Only 50-100 m\(^2\) (or about 1% of the final field area).
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Spaced Transplanting Method (STP) is an innovative sugarcane cultivation technique developed to reduce seed costs and ensure a uniform crop stand.
Traditionally, sugarcane is planted using heavy, bulky stem cuttings (setts), which requires a high seed rate of 6 to 8 tonnes per hectare. Detailed Explanation:
The STP method significantly improves seed efficiency:
- Instead of planting full setts directly in the field, single-bud setts (eyebuds) are carved out of the cane.
- These single buds are planted closely in a small, controlled nursery bed or in biodegradable polybags.
- They are raised in the nursery for about 4 to 6 weeks until they develop into healthy, rooted sugarcane seedlings (settlings).
- Because the eyebuds are planted very closely in the nursery, the required nursery area is extremely small.
- Only 50 to 100 m\(^2\) of nursery space is needed to raise enough healthy seedlings to plant one full hectare of sugarcane.
- This method reduces the required seed weight from 8 tonnes down to only 1 to 5 tonnes per hectare, making seed transport and handling much easier. Step 2: Final Answer:
The land area needed to raise sugarcane seedlings for transplanting one hectare using the STP method is 50-100 m\(^2\).
