Intercropping of sugarcane with potato
| MSI03P3785 | |
| Govinden, N. | |
| Intercropping of sugarcane with potato | |
| Paul Khurana, S. M., Shekhawat, G. S., Pandey, S. K., Singh, B. P. (eds), Potato: Global research and development. Vol. II. Proceedings of Global Conference on Potato, December 6-11, 1999, New Delhi. Shimla, India: Indian Potato Association. | |
| Book chapter | |
| 2002 | |
| p. 755-767 | |
| 81-900419-0-10 | |
| En | |
| En | |
| Farmers in many countries intercrop sugarcane with potato in order to intensify production in time and space. However, it is only in the past three decades that research on the system has been conducted on the practice, its advantages and constraints, especially in India and Mauritius, the two countries to which this review refers. At the macro-economic level, sugarcane producers do it for its monetary benefits. Sugarcane can be intercropped because it is planted in wide rows - 1.5 to 1.6 m in Mauritius, and 0.9 to 1.2 m in India and it grows very slowly in the first 3 to 6 months after planting. When potato is planted in the vacant space in between the cane rows, it makes use of the excess resources, especially light and water, which is available and which would otherwise be wasted. It is usually harvested at three months, that is, before competition with the sugarcane can occur. In spite of the narrower cane row spacing, in India, the density of the intercropped potato is usually higher than in Mauritius. Consequently, management of the two crops and mechanization of cultural operations are more difficult in India than in Mauritius. Intercropping of sugarcane with potato has social implications in Mauritius because about 75per cent of the potato comes from intercropping and because much of this is produced by small-scale producers who do not have land and who grow potato in interrows of sugarcane leased from sugar estates. Scope exists for improving the system further by increasing the yield of the intercropped potato and by mechanizing more cultural operations. The experience gained in India and in Mauritius indicated that intercropping of sugarcane with potato may be feasible and worthwhile in countries where the climate is suitable, the market price of potato is relatively high, and land, but not labour, is limiting. | |
| Potatoes Sugarcane Intercropping Cultural practices Yields Agricultural economics | |
| Mauritius India | |
| Agricultural diversification | |
| Intercropping sugarcane/potatoes | |
| 2003-03-14 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| FC | |
| CAT | |
| FC |