The suitability of sugarcane lands for tomato
| MSI99P3239 | |
| Ramasamy, S. Govinden, N. | |
| The suitability of sugarcane lands for tomato | |
| Lalouette, J. A., Bachraz, D. Y., and Sukurdeep, N. (eds), Proceedings of the fourth Annual Meeting of Agricultural Scientists, Boname Hall, MSIRI, Réduit, Mauritius, 21-22 October 1999. | |
| 4th Annual Meeting of Agricultural Scientists, Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute, Réduit, 21-22 October 1999 | |
| Book chapter | |
| 2001 | |
| p. 27-37 | |
| Réduit: Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC) | |
| En | |
| In a project initiated in 1984, sugar cane lands have been indexed with respect inter alia to their suitability for the production of potato, maize and groundnut. In the mean time tomato has become the most important vegetable in Mauritius. Since tomato is also grown in association with sugar cane, there was a need to assess the suitability of cane lands for tomato. Based on the suitability of sugar cane lands for potato, maize and groundnut and an analysis of analogies between tomato and these three food crops, a model was prepared to derive the suitability of sugar cane lands for tomato. In order to validate the model, yield was collected and profitability was estimated for 152 commercial tomato plantations in 1995, 1996 and 1998. The model was amended to make the suitability ratings conform more closely to the data gathered from the commercial plantations. The amended model was then used to rate the suitability for tomato of all sugar cane lands in the MSIRI's land index database. Results show that a higher percentage of sugar cane lands is suitable for tomato in the first season (February - June) than in the second season (July - December) because during the latter season rainfall tends to be insufficient in many localities. Lands belonging to miller- and large-scale planters are generally more suitable for tomato than those belonging to small-scale planters, partly because of irrigation and of improvements such as derocking. Growers can now obtain the suitability for tomato of their cane fields directly from the land index database. This should help in reducing the risk involved in tomato production. | |
| TOMATOES YIELDS PROFITABILITY MODELLING LAND INDEX SUGARCANE LANDS | |
| MAURITIUS | |
| Tomatoes | |
| Land use and management | |
| 1999-10-13 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| CAT | |
| FC |