Zahra Ajribzadeh, Salim Farzaneh, Mahmoud Shomeili, Hamidreza Balouchi, Raouf Seyed Sharifi, Aziz Karmollachaab,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (9-2025)
Abstract
Objective: The commercial cultivation of sugarcane is often associated with high production costs due to the extensive use of planting material and waste of energy, long cultivation periods, rapid deterioration of cuttings after bud establishment, labor-intensive operations, frequent machinery use, and heavy applications of fertilizers and pesticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of pelleting lateral buds of sugarcane stalks to produce single-bud seed pieces suitable for mechanized cultivation at the Sugarcane Development, Research, and Training Institute Khuzestan, Iran.
Methods: A split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in 2021 at SDRTI, Khuzestan, Iran. The considered factors were different planting dates: 16 August (D1), 16 September (D2) and 17 October (D3) as main plots, and the pellet types (A1 (starch + peat + micro-combi fertilizer), A2 (starch + peat + nutritional compounds + Potassium silicate + carbendazim fungicide), A3 (single-bud without pellet), and A4 (50 setts without pellet- control)) as subplots.
Results: Pelleting single-bud seeds, particularly treatment A2 planted in September, significantly enhanced crop establishment, increasing emergence percentage by 56% and emergence rate to 2.85 sprouts per day compared to the control. Pelleting also improved growth and quality indices more effectively than other treatments.
Conclusions: Pelleting single-bud sugarcane seeds with nutrient-enriched coatings improves emergence, supports early crop growth, and facilitates mechanized cultivation. This technique supports mechanized planting by improving nutrient delivery and moisture retention at the bud level, contributing to more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective sugarcane cultivation.
Highlights:
- Pelleting with treatment A2 significantly enhanced emergence percentage and rate of sugarcane single buds by delivering essential nutrients.
- September planting, combined with pelleting, improved early growth and establishment of sugarcane plants.
