Irrigation, derocking and mechanization for sustainable sugarcane production
| MSI03P3915 | |
| Ramasamy, S. Jhoty, I. | |
| Irrigation, derocking and mechanization for sustainable sugarcane production | |
| Lalouette, J. A., Bachraz, D. Y., Bheenick, K. J.(eds), Proceedings Sixth Meeting of Agricultural Scientists, Boname Hall, MSIRI, Réduit, Mauritius, 8-9 May 2003. Réduit: Food and Agricultural Research Council. 340 p. | |
| book chapter | |
| 2004 | |
| p. 189-196 | |
| En | |
| En | |
| To overcome present and future challenges, the main stakeholders of the sugar cane industry have embarked on the implementation of measures that will allow business operation with reduced cost of production and ensure sustainable sugar cane production. Three key field measures have been clearly recognized: irrigation, derocking and mechanization. To appraise the contribution of these measures to satisfy the set objective on a national scale, the Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute has undertaken studies on each of them. About 19 000 ha of cane land have been identified that could further benefit from intensive irrigation to increase production if water was made available. Furthermore, use of more efficient irrigation systems would also increase cane yield. These actions, if implemented, could bring an additional production of sugar cane of the order of 10 to 15 percent. Derocking, which is essential to facilitate irrigation practices and mechanization of cultural operations, was moderately to highly intensive on miller-/corporate-planters' land, but was not so on large-/small-planters' land. Some 8900 ha of large-/small-planters' land would need intensive derocking and other land planning measures to allow mechanized cultural practices, and installation of more efficient irrigation systems where necessary. About 1460 ha presently under rock piles could be freed and thus contribute to increased production. Based on the suitability of land for mechanization, about 54 250 ha of cane land could be totally mechanized, whereas some 11 420 ha could be partially mechanized. Some 11 840 ha of cane land would hardly be suitable to mechanized cultural practices and could therefore, in the event of non-profitable sugar production on these areas, be released for other crops as well as other types of land development. While more cane land has been targeted for conversion to other uses in the next three to five years, the increase in production with irrigation, derocking and mechanization is expected to offset the likely reduction in total sugar cane production as a result of the land conversion. Large-/small-planters should imperatively embark on the implementation of these measures, and injudicious conversion of prime agricultural sugar cane land should be discouraged to ensure increased and sustainable sugar cane production. | |
| Sugarcane cost efficiency sugarcane production irrigation systems derocking land planning mechanization suitability mechanization | |
| Mauritius | |
| Sugarcane | |
| Water use and management: Irrigation Land use and management: Derocking Cultural operations: Mechanization | |
| 2003-05-09 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| LIB | |
| cat | |
| LRD |