In India Sugarcane is grown in varied agro-ecological zones extending from moist sub-humid to arid under irrigated agro-environment.The trend analysis of yield indicated that there is a rise in sugarcane productivity from 1950 to 1990 and thereafter it is fluctuating around 68 t/ha (mean cane yield).Despite having new hybrid,adoption of modern agro-technologies and incentives to the farmers,the yield has reached a plateau.This calls for in-depth investigation of agro-environment related to optimum climate and soil characteristics conducive for good sugarcane growth.The yield data from 29 benchmark sugarcane growing soils occurring in different agro-ecological sub-regions and its correlation with soil and climatic parameters indicate that a rainfall of 600 to 1000 mm,PET 1600-2000 mm,moisture index of -52 to -72 (semi-arid dry to arid transitional climate) and soil with clay content of 25-40%,pH 6.5 to 9.5,organic carbon 0.4 to 0.7%,CaCO_3 <5%,base saturation 40-100% are suitable for good sugarcane yield.The optimum range of Zn (0.2 to 1.0 mg kg~(-1)),Fe (5-18 mg kg~(-1)),Mn (5-17 mg kg~(-1)) is found to be conducive for high sugarcane production.It is,therefore,imperative to test and develop sugarcane agro-technologies to those soils which are similar to the soils with above properties in order to achieve high returns by the farmers in the era of free trade and globalisation.
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