Intercropping with Sugarcane: Know from progressive farmer Raj Bahadur how intercropping with sugarcane doubles the profit

Intercropping with Sugarcane: Progressive farmer Raj Bahadur is earning additional income by intercropping with sugarcane and making his agriculture profitable.

Sugarcane is a crop that takes a lot of time to grow and costs a lot, due to which small farmers often have to face financial crisis. In such a situation, if farmers adopt scientific methods and sow sugarcane in lines and also start growing co-crops according to the season, then not only will their financial condition improve, but it will also increase the production of sugarcane.

Progressive farmer Raj Bahadur, who lives in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, is also earning well by growing co-crops with sugarcane. In a conversation with Kisan of India correspondent Akshay Dubey, he told about some improved varieties of sugarcane and also how intercropping with sugarcane is beneficial for farmers.

Improved sugarcane varieties and benefits of intercropping with sugarcane

A progressive farmer Raj Bahadur of Ayodhya district grows crops as well as horticulture and vegetable crops, his agricultural scope is very wide. He told that 27 varieties of sugarcane are planted in his field. Among these, 16202 is a variety which was released only last year and its price is also high, but it does not matter much to him because his additional cost is recovered by intercropping with sugarcane. He has planted gram with sugarcane, so his cost is easily recovered and he gets profit from the yield of sugarcane.

He has planted some more improved varieties of sugarcane, which include – 13235, 3102, 14201, Super 118, Super 238, 8005 etc. A lot of the sugarcane that they grow goes into seeds, which saves the cost of harvesting. So, sugarcane farming is proving to be a profitable deal for them. Raj Bahadur says that intercropping with sugarcane easily covers the cost of farming for the farmers, so they will never suffer a loss from the sugarcane crop.

When is sugarcane sown?

Raj Bahadur says that sugarcane is sown twice a year in spring and autumn. Spring means February-March and autumn sugarcane is sown in October-November. The sugarcane planted at this time should be sown with a co-crop according to the season, like he has cultivated gram-peas as intercropping with sugarcane. Whereas in the spring, he grows black gram and maize as co-crops. He says that farmers should choose co-crops keeping in mind the weather, so that intercropping with sugarcane can give more benefits and the cost of farming is also reduced.

How is mixed crop farming and intercropping with sugarcane beneficial?

Raj Bahadur says that co-cropping is a boon for sugarcane. For example, if peas are planted, rhizobium culture is formed in peas, which is good for sugarcane. Similarly, when black gram is cultivated, it goes to the roots of sugarcane, which makes the crop better. Intercropping with sugarcane also prevents weeds and diseases, which increases the yield of sugarcane. Raj Bahadur says that by farming in this way, his income has increased three times.

Which diseases need to be prevented? (From which diseases is prevention necessary?)

Although there are not many diseases in sugarcane crop, but Raj Bahadur tells that when sugarcane comes out in the beginning, after 30 days stem borer disease can occur, which damages the sugarcane shoots, due to which the growth of the crop stops. Apart from this, red rot disease can also occur in some old varieties. He says that because he keeps changing the variety of sugarcane from time to time, he does not face such problems, but he advises other farmers that it is necessary to keep changing the variety of sugarcane gradually.

When is harvesting done?

Jaggery and sugar are made from sugarcane. In such a situation, sugarcane is harvested and sent to the mill. Raj Bahadur tells that when the mill starts in November, the sugarcane harvesting starts which continues till May. Although the mill runs only till March-April, but Raj Bahadur’s sugarcane is also used for seeds, so its harvesting continues till May. 

Selection of improved varieties of mango and intercropping with sugarcane

Raj Bahadur is not only doing intercropping with sugarcane, but he has also developed orchards of many varieties of mango. He says that initially he used to have only local mangoes, then came varieties like Dussehri, Chaunsa, Langra etc. Once he went to a farm in his area and came to know about some special varieties of mango there and also that good profit can be earned from it, so he brought saplings from there. He says that Gulab Khas and Dussehri varieties of mango are good for early crop. While in late variety he has planted Arunima, Arunika, Mallika, Sensation.

He says that although mango crop does not get diseases, but some medicine etc. has to be applied in between to protect from fungus etc., and he has also installed net to protect from Nilgai. Intercropping with sugarcane and growing mango also helps them in getting additional income.

Advice to farmers and benefits of intercropping with sugarcane

Raj Bahadur advises farmers not to depend on a single crop. Along with traditional crops, grow gardening and vegetable crops as well, so that even if one crop fails, income continues. For example, he has planted vegetables and pulses with sugarcane and has also planted cabbage with mango. He says that the benefit of multiply farming will be that suppose the corn does not bear grains, then the cost will be recovered from the crop planted with it and farmers will not suffer any loss.

Intercropping with sugarcane is very beneficial for small farmers who do not have much land. In such a situation, they can earn good profits by growing many crops in a scientific way in less land, just for this, proper distance and drainage should be taken care of between the main crops. Also, care has to be taken that the companion crop they are planting should not harm the main crop.