New Director Assumes Charge

New Director assumes charge at Sugarcane Breeding Institute

Dr.Bakshi Ram, a distinguished Plant Breeder, assumed charge as the Director of Sugarcane Breeding Institute (SBI), Coimbatore on 28.10.2014. He was serving as the Director of Uttar Pradesh Council of Sugarcane Research (UPCSR), prior to this assignment.

Dr.Bakshi Ram graduated from CCS Haryana Agricultural University in 1981 and went on to obtain his Post graduation and doctorate from the same University.

Belonging to the 1985 batch of ARS (Agricultural Research Service), he started his career as a scientist at SBI, and subsequently served as Head of SBI-Research Centre in Karnal, Haryana and as Director of UPCSR, Shahjahanpur, UP. He has also served as the member secretary of Uttar Pradesh State Varietal Release Committee.

 With over 30 years of experience in Plant Breeding, Dr.Bakshi Ram has so far developed 12 sugarcane varieties, one wheat variety and has registered four sugarcane genetic stocks. Among these, the cane varieties viz., Co 98014, Co 0118, Co 0238, Co 0239 and Co 05011 are popular in sub-tropical India. Variety Co 0238 in particular, occupies over 2-lakh hectares in the North-Indian states.

Specialized in Sugarcane germplasm evaluation & utilization and in development of varieties for various abiotic stresses, Dr Bakshi Ram is a recipient of several National – level awards and has over 200 scientific publications to his credit.

Sugarcane and Janaki Ammal

Making sugar a success - The Hindu

Making sugar a success - The Hindu

Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore bags Sardar Patel Award

Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore has been awarded the prestigious Sardar Patel Outstanding Institution Award of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for the Year 2013. The award was received by Dr. N V. Nair, Director of the Institute from the Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi during the ICAR Foundation Day held in New Delhi on 29^th of July. The award instituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) carries cash reward of Rs. 10 lakhs and a citation. This National award is presented to the best performing Institute of ICAR based on its contribution to agricultural research.

Sugarcane Breeding Institute, one of the oldest Institutes under the ICAR fold with a history of over 100 years, had been in the forefront of sugarcane research in the country. The varieties developed by the Institute are being cultivated throughout the country and also in many Asian and African countries. Co 86032, the most popular sugarcane variety in tropical India occupying more than 1.2 million hectares, was developed by the Institute. This variety occupies nearly 90% of the area in Tamil Nadu and was responsible for improved cane production in the state. The other varieties from the Institute like Co- 89003, Co-0238 and Co-118 have predominant position in north India. The Institute has also developed various crop production technologies widely adopted by the farmers. The Institute maintains the largest germplasm collection of sugarcane in the world.

The institute is also engaged in frontier areas of research including molecular breeding, genomics and proteomics, gene discovery, sugarcane transgenics and geo-spatial technologies. The Institute is also into biofuel research and has developed energy-canes suited for biofuel applications. The research at the Institute is conducted by a team of nearly 70 scientists in different disciplines supported by an equal number of technical, administrative and support staff.

The Institute has one regional centre at Karnal, Haryana and two research centres in Kannur and Agali in Kerala to take care of the specific research needs.   

Call for Papers - 16th Meeting of Sugarcane R&D Workers of Northern Karnataka

Call for Papers - 16th Meeting of Sugarcane R&D Workers of Northern Karnataka

Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore in collaboration with University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, S.Nijalingappa Sugar Institute, Belgaum and the sugar industries of Northern Karnataka would be organizing the 16th meeting of Sugarcane Research and Development workers of Northern Karnataka during July, 2014 to discuss the following topics:

• Review of action taken on the recommendations of the previous meeting
• Mechanization in sugarcane farming: Status and issue
• Intercropping in Sugarcane
• Varietal position in sugar factories
• Performance of new sugarcane varieties &  AICRP (S) Varietal trials
• Sugarcane seed nursery programme

                                 

          The Ugar Sugar Works Ltd., would be hosting the meeting. The exact dates and venue will be informed shortly.

     You are cordially invited to attend this meeting along with your colleagues and participate in the deliberations. Manuscripts of the papers covering these topics may please be prepared as per the guidelines enclosed and sent to the undersigned by June 13, 2014. Alternatively, the guidelines can be downloaded from www.sugarcane.res.in or www.caneinfo.nic.in .

     As we are planning to bring out the papers presented at the meeting in printed form (Compendium of Research Articles & Status Papers; ISSN: 0973-8185), your papers may be prepared in a precise manner and sent to the undersigned in time. All the papers may be sent as printout along with a CD. Alternatively, the papers can be sent by email to sbiextension@yahoo.com. The papers may be prepared using MS Word (2003. Presentations, created in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003/2007 format (.ppt/.pptx), should fit within the allotted time in the Technical sessions.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

Sd/-

 (N.VIJAYAN NAIR)

   

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING PAPERS

Topic  i : Review of action taken on the recommendations of the previous meeting

           

            Sugar factories/Department of Sugar/Department of Agriculture and research institutions are requested to furnish the details of action taken on the recommendations made in the previous meeting as per the details given hereunder:

S.No	Recommendation/Action point	Action taken
1.	Factories should be more responsive in sending the Action Taken Reports of the Sugarcane R&D workers’ meetings
2.	Area under wide row planting needs to be increased in North Karnataka region
3.	Seed production needs to be enhanced in North Karnataka region
4.	Surveillance and monitoring of YLD (Yellow Leaf Disease) incidence need to be taken up at all factories
5.	Sugar factories should adopt and recommend soil test based integrated nutrient management practices by including inorganic fertilizers for NPK , micro nutrients, organic manures, green manures and bio-fertilizers, right time and methods of application to all the cane growers and monitor the adoption.
6.	Sugar factories should maintain a record of yields obtained under INM practices.
7.	Sugar factories should Initiate soil testing programme by availing the existing STLs (Soil Testing Labs) and test the soils at least once in a cropping cycle.
8.	Factories should explore the feasibility of establishing an STL or a mini STL in each factory.
9.	Factories should advocate deep ploughing and sub soiling once in a cropping cycle.
10.	Demonstrations on trash shredding, trash composting green manuring, intercropping and incorporation may be arranged in farmers’ fields by the sugar mills
11.	Research institutions should generate information through trials, on cultural operations like earthing-up, gap-filling, irrigation method (especially initial stages of the crop) for different wider row spacings as the yield of cane under wider row depends on these critical agronomic practices. It is also required to generate information on seed requirements and placement of setts while planting.
12.	In Northern Karnataka, mechanization- particularly for harvesting – has been introduced only recently. The present soil physical properties may be documented so that the problems like soil compaction that arise following mechanization could be properly addressed.
13.	Factories have to ensure proper and timely and  ratoon management practices viz., stubble shaving, off- barring, trash mulching, gap filling, early application of 25% additional N at the time of ratoon operations, pocket manuring, micro nutrient fertilization, clean cultivation and timely harvest of plant crop.
14.	Private entrepreneurs should be encouraged to raise bud chip nurseries to be used for gap filling in rations by factories and the Dept. of Agriculture
15.	Area of planting under CoM 0265 should not exceed 30% and should be harvested only after 15 month to sustain sugar recovery.
16.	New varieties must be evaluated thoroughly in the factory area before accepting or rejecting them .A new variety with many desirable characters but lacking in one or few characters need not be rejected immediately. Instead, other technological interventions can be tried to rectify the defect.
17.	Varieties such as Co 2001-15, Co 2001-13, and Co 99004. Promising clones such as, Snk 03632, Co 0403, Co Snk  05104 and MS 0301 may be considered for release in the state.
18.	The seed nursery programme is not taken up at the required level by the most of the sugar factories in this region. A strong sugarcane seed nursery programme is to be taken up by each factory.
19.	Cane development personnel with the factories are to be trained for proper identification of varieties, removal of admixture, removal of disease or pest attacked plants.
20.	Seed replacement to be periodically done to sustain the productivity.
21.	Tissue culture plants may be used by the factories to have quality seed production of established varieties and fast multiplication of new varieties.

Topic ii: Mechanization in sugarcane farming: Status & issues

Usage of implements in sugarcane cultivation – sugarcane planter – intercultivator – earthing up ridger – stubble shaver - offbarrer- combined ratoon manager - weeder – rotovator trash shredder – harvester etc., - Extent of mechanization in farmers’ fields (area & %) across different soil types – saving in labour, time and cost - merits and demerits in mechanization – scope for mechanization in farmers’ fields – cost effectiveness in mechanized and non-mechanized cane farms - perception of farmers towards mechanization – mechanized harvesting – pros and cons of mechanized harvesting in sugarcane – steps initiated to popularize mechanization in sugarcane – constraints in adoption of sugarcane mechanization.

Topic  iii:  Intercropping in Sugarcane

Percentage of area under Intercropping – Intercrops commonly being used – selection criteria used for intercrops –Package of practices - Planting methods including spacing – effect of intercropping on tillering - Water management measures - labour requirement – Input use-Plant protection measures used – Time of harvest & harvesting techniques -  ease of mechanization - average cane yield levels and net returns obtained with different intercrops – best combination observed in your factory area - advantages of intercropping perceived by cane development personnel and farmers – demerits/problems in adopting intercropping - constraints in adoption – promotional efforts taken up (like demonstrations) for increasing area under intercropping- cases of successful farmers who had taken up intercropping.

S.No.	System	Coverage (ha.)	Average cane yield (t/ha)	Duration  of Intercrop in the field (eg. Up to three months)	Average intercrop yield (t/ha)
	Sole sugarcane			-	-
	Sugarcane + Intercrop - 1
	Sugarcane + Intercrop - 2
	Sugarcane + Intercrop - 3

Topic iv: Varietal position in sugar factories

Sugar factory personnel to provide the following details:

2010-11

S.No	Variety	Area covered	Percentage	Average yield t/ha	Highest yield t/ ha	Yield at the time of introduction (t/ha) (Mention year)	Yield, at present (t/ha)

2011-12

S.No	Variety	Area covered	Percentage	Average yield t/ha	Highest yield t/ ha	Yield at the time of introduction (t/ha) (Mention year)	Yield, at present (t/ha)

2012-13

S.No	Variety	Area covered	Percentage	Average yield t/ha	Highest yield t/ ha	Yield at the time of introduction (t/ha) (Mention year)	Yield, at present (t/ha)

2013-14

S.No	Variety	Area covered	Percentage	Average yield t/ha	Highest yield t/ ha	Yield at the time of introduction (t/ha) (Mention year)	Yield, at present (t/ha)

Topic v:  Performance of new sugarcane varieties &  AICRP (S) Varietal trials

            Scientists from Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore and Research Stations of Northern Karnataka would be presenting the characteristics of new sugarcane variety and their performance in Northern Karnataka.  All the participants may give their observations on the performance of new varieties especially with reference to cane yield (average and highest yield recorded) quality (including SMT and BMT results), performance in different soil types and months of planting &optimum age at harvest.  Incidence of pest and diseases, tolerance to abiotic constraints such as drought, water-logging etc. may also be indicated.

            The results of AICRP trials conducted in Northern Karnataka would be presented.

Topic vi:         Seed Nursery Programme

            Breeder seed production programme of the Research stations of Northern Karnataka would be discussed.  Sugar factories will present their seed nursery programmes and indicate breeder seed requirements.