Method for interplanting newly-planted sugarcane in sugarcane mature period to prolong perennial root age limit

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of sugarcane planting, and particularly relates to a method for interplanting newly-planted sugarcane to prolong the perennial root age limit in the sugarcane mature period, which comprises the following steps: in the sugarcane mature period (October to February of the next year) or 30-60 days before harvesting, digging a planting ditch with the width of 20-30cm and the depth of 20-25cm along a sugarcane row at a broken ridge of a stuffed sugarcane field; normal sugarcane stems with intact sugarcane buds are selected nearby and cut into double-bud sections or three-bud sections to serve as seed sources; planting according to a conventional method of newly-planted sugarcane, spraying water or planting after raining, covering the planting furrows with dead leaves of nearby sugarcane plants, and carrying out other management according to the conventional method. According to the method, the characteristic that newly-planted sugarcanes in autumn and winter have low requirements on the environment is utilized, the number of effective stems in the field is increased through interplanting in the slack season, the underground sugarcane stumps of the interplanted newly-planted sugarcanes enlarge a perennial root bud library, the perennial root age limit is prolonged, the planting cost is reduced, the economic benefits are improved, and the technology is simple, easy to implement and convenient to popularize.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sugarcane planting technology, specifically relating to a method for intercropping newly planted sugarcane during the sugarcane maturity period to extend the ratooning period. Background Technology

[0002] Sugarcane is one of the most important sugar crops in my country and even globally, accounting for over 90% of the country's total sugar production. Its cultivation areas are mainly distributed in southern provinces and autonomous regions such as Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hainan, with Guangxi accounting for over 60% of both the planting area and sugar production nationwide. Sugarcane is not only a core raw material for the sugar industry, but its byproducts, such as bagasse and molasses, are also widely used in papermaking, chemicals, and energy, possessing extremely high comprehensive utilization value. Therefore, stabilizing and increasing sugarcane yield and optimizing sugarcane cultivation techniques are of great significance for ensuring national sugar security.

[0003] In long-term sugarcane production practices, ratooning has become a widely adopted cultivation system in my country's sugarcane-growing areas due to its significant cost advantages and ecological benefits. Ratooning refers to leaving the underground sugarcane stalks in the field after harvest, without digging them up. Through enhanced management, underground buds are encouraged to sprout and grow, forming new sugarcane plants and achieving continuous planting. Compared to newly planted sugarcane, ratooning saves significant costs on sugarcane seeds, mechanized farming, and labor. Statistics show that ratooning can reduce costs by 3,000-5,000 yuan per hectare compared to newly planted sugarcane. Simultaneously, ratooning reduces soil disturbance, helps maintain soil structure, and reduces soil erosion, meeting the requirements of sustainable agricultural development. Currently, the common practice in my country's sugarcane-growing areas is a "1-year new planting + 2-3-year ratooning" cultivation model. After the new sugarcane harvest, the ratooning stalks are retained for 2-3 years before the entire field is turned over for new planting, forming a cyclical planting cycle.

[0004] However, ratoon cultivation faces severe challenges in practical application. The short ratoon lifespan and declining yields have consistently constrained the efficient development of the sugarcane industry. As the ratoon lifespan increases, sugarcane yields show a clear downward trend. Typically, the yield of the first ratoon is close to or slightly higher than that of newly planted sugarcane, but the yields of the second and third ratoons decrease significantly. In some sugarcane-growing areas, the yield of the second ratoon is 15%-20% lower than that of the first ratoon, and the yield of the third ratoon is even more than 30% lower, seriously affecting the economic benefits of growers.

[0005] The core reason for the decline in ratoon sugarcane yield lies in the increasingly serious problem of missing plants and broken rows. During the ratooning process, the vitality of the underground sugarcane buds gradually weakens with age, and coupled with the influence of various factors, the number of effective seedlings decreases significantly. Specifically, firstly, there is the continuous invasion of pests and diseases. The cumulative effect of pests and diseases such as sugarcane smut, stem borers, and aphids in ratoon sugarcane fields is significant. As the ratooning age increases, the base number of pathogens and pests continues to rise, leading to damage to sugarcane buds, stunted plant growth, and even the death of the entire plant, resulting in missing plants. Secondly, there is the aging of the root system and nutrient imbalance. Sugarcane roots gradually age during long-term growth, reducing their ability to absorb water and nutrients. Ratoon sugarcane has a higher demand for soil fertility, and improper fertilization management can easily lead to soil nutrient imbalance, further exacerbating plant weakness and causing broken rows. In addition, environmental stress is also an important factor. Southern sugarcane growing areas often face environmental pressures such as seasonal drought, typhoons and rainstorms, and low winter temperatures. The resilience of ratooned sugarcane decreases with age, and under extreme weather conditions, plants are more prone to lodging and wilting, exacerbating the degree of missing plants and broken rows.

[0006] To address the declining yield of ratooned sugarcane, the current main practice in sugarcane-growing areas is to replant the entire field with new sugarcane. However, this method has several drawbacks. Firstly, replanting the entire field significantly increases costs. It requires substantial investment in mechanized farming (costing 1500-2000 yuan per hectare), high-quality sugarcane seeds (8-10 tons per hectare, costing approximately 4000-6000 yuan), labor costs (2000-3000 yuan per hectare), and initial management expenses, drastically increasing overall planting costs. Secondly, the timing of replanting is strictly limited by climate and agricultural seasons. New sugarcane is typically planted in spring, but prolonged rainy weather in spring can lead to excessively high soil moisture, making mechanized farming impossible and delaying planting. Conversely, planting too late misses the optimal growth period for sugarcane, resulting in a shortened growing season and reduced yield. At the same time, newly planted sugarcane itself has the problem of "low initial yield". From the sprouting of seed stalks to the seedling stage, newly planted sugarcane grows slowly and is susceptible to competition from weeds and pests and diseases. Its initial yield is generally lower than that of the first ratoon sugarcane, which further affects the overall economic benefits.

[0007] In existing technologies, growers and researchers have tried various measures to extend the ratooning period and increase ratooning yield, such as optimizing fertilization programs, strengthening integrated pest management, and using chemical regulators to promote sugarcane bud germination, but the results have been unsatisfactory. Optimized fertilization can improve soil fertility to some extent, but it cannot solve the problems of root aging and declining sugarcane bud vitality; pest and disease control measures can reduce damage, but it is difficult to completely eliminate the accumulation of pathogens and pests in ratooning sugarcane fields, and it increases the cost of pesticide use and environmental risks; the application of chemical regulators has problems such as unstable effects and susceptibility to environmental influences, and has not been widely promoted in production.

[0008] In addition, traditional intercropping methods are occasionally used in sugarcane cultivation, but they often fail to achieve their intended effects due to problems such as unreasonable intercropping timing and inappropriate seed selection. For example, some intercropping attempts are carried out during the vigorous growth period of sugarcane, when the original sugarcane plants are tall and dense, and the newly planted seedlings are easily affected by strong sunlight shading and space competition, resulting in low germination rates and weak growth. Relying on purchased sugarcane seeds not only increases transportation costs and the risk of pest and disease transmission, but may also reduce survival rates due to poor seed adaptability. These traditional methods fail to fully utilize the phenological characteristics of sugarcane growth and cannot fundamentally solve the core problems of missing plants and shortened growing years in ratoon sugarcane.

[0009] In summary, existing sugarcane ratoon cultivation techniques suffer from prominent problems such as short ratoon lifespan and rapid yield decline. Complete field replanting with new sugarcane is costly and highly dependent on climate and timing, while other auxiliary measures have limited effectiveness. Therefore, developing a new sugarcane cultivation technology that can effectively extend ratoon lifespan, increase ratoon yield, reduce planting costs, and is easy to operate and highly adaptable has become a critical issue urgently needing to be addressed in the current sugarcane industry, and is of significant practical importance for promoting the sustainable development of the sugarcane industry.

[0010] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This invention provides a method for intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage to extend the ratoon life, aiming to solve the technical problems pointed out in the background art above.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0013] A method for intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage to extend the ratoon life is characterized by the following steps:

[0014] (a) Timing: During the sugarcane ripening period, i.e., from October to February of the following year, or 30 to 60 days before the sugarcane harvest, and when the sugarcane has not lodged;

[0015] (ii) Site selection: Dig planting trenches along the sugarcane rows at the broken sections of the sugarcane fields where the sugarcane is left overnight. The width of the planting trenches is 20-30cm and the depth is 20-25cm.

[0016] (III) Seed selection: Select healthy sugarcane plants from nearby sugarcane fields as seed sources for new planting. Select sugarcane stems with intact buds, cut the sugarcane stems into two-bud or three-bud segments, and plant the two-bud or three-bud segments in the planting trench in step (II).

[0017] (iv) Water and fertilizer management: water after planting or plant after rain; after planting, remove the dead leaves of nearby sugarcane plants in the overnight sugarcane field and use the dead leaves to cover the planting furrows; other production management measures shall be carried out in accordance with the conventional planting methods for newly planted sugarcane.

[0018] Preferably, in step (ii), the planting trench has a width of 5cm and a depth of 23cm.

[0019] Preferably, in step (iii), the intact sugarcane stalks are sugarcane stalks free from diseases, pests, and mechanical damage.

[0020] Preferably, in step (iv), the thickness of the dead leaves covering the surface is 2-4 cm.

[0021] Preferably, in step (iv), the conventional planting method for newly planted sugarcane includes placing the seed, applying pesticides, applying fertilizer, and covering with soil, wherein the thickness of the soil covering is 3-5 cm.

[0022] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0023] 1. This invention provides a method for intercropping newly planted sugarcane during the sugarcane maturity period to extend the ratoon life. The method can effectively extend the ratoon life. The underground sugarcane stumps formed during the growth of the intercropped sugarcane expand the number of sugarcane buds in the underground bud bank of the ratoon sugarcane, providing a sufficient number of effective buds for the subsequent germination of the ratoon sugarcane, thus effectively extending the ratoon life.

[0024] 2. This method can significantly increase sugarcane yield. The newly planted sugarcane intercropped with this method has a high stem formation rate. Its plant height, stem diameter, single stem weight and stem formation rate are not significantly different from those of ratooned sugarcane plants, which increases the number of effective stems in the field and significantly improves sugarcane yield.

[0025] 3. This invention can reduce planting costs by using a method of selecting seed sources nearby, making full use of the normal parts of sugarcane buds in autumn bamboo shoots, broken-tailed plants, lodged plants and insect-damaged plants, thus reducing the cost of transporting sugarcane seeds and the labor required for field handling; planting is carried out during the off-season of sugarcane ripening, avoiding the peak labor demand of sugar mills during the crushing season, thus reducing labor costs.

[0026] 4. This invention does not affect the production of the original sugarcane field. The germination period of newly planted sugarcane is long in autumn and winter (40-60 days). The seed stalks or seedlings are less affected by sunlight and above-ground space. When the sugarcane is harvested, it has no adverse effect on the newly planted sugarcane seedlings and does not interfere with the normal growth of the original sugarcane field and the harvesting of raw sugarcane. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] I. Implementation Examples

[0029] The experiment was conducted in a sugarcane field belonging to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Academy of Agricultural Sciences, using the Guitang 42 variety. The field had undergone one year of new planting and two years of ratooning, resulting in some gaps in the rows and missing plants. The intercropping method of this invention was employed, with the specific steps as follows:

[0030] (a) Timing; Planting should be carried out in November of the same year when the sugarcane is ripe (about 45 days before harvest), and when the sugarcane has not lodged.

[0031] (ii) Site selection: Dig planting trenches along the sugarcane rows at the break points of the sugarcane fields where the sugarcane is left overnight. The planting trenches are 25cm wide and 22cm deep.

[0032] (III) Seed selection: Select healthy sugarcane plants from nearby sugarcane fields as seed sources for new planting. Select sugarcane stems with intact buds, cut the sugarcane stems into two-bud or three-bud segments as seed sources, and plant the two-bud or three-bud segments in the planting trench. Then apply insecticide and base fertilizer, and finally cover with soil to a thickness of 3-5cm.

[0033] (iv) Water and fertilizer management: Water the plants on the day of planting to ensure the soil is moist; remove the dead leaves from nearby sugarcane plants the next day and cover the planting furrows with the dead leaves evenly to a thickness of about 3cm; subsequent management measures such as weeding, topdressing, and pest and disease control shall be carried out in accordance with the conventional methods for newly planted sugarcane.

[0034] After harvesting the original ratoon sugarcane, the growth of the newly planted sugarcane was observed: the new sugarcane was already in the 2-4 leaf stage with well-developed underground root systems. Once the old stalks sprouted from the ground, the new sugarcane held its own against the ratooned sugarcane in competition for growth space and nutrients. By the following year's elongation stage, the height and stem diameter of the intercropped sugarcane were not significantly different from those of the ratooned sugarcane; at harvest, the number of effective stems in the field increased by 15%-20% compared to similar sugarcane fields without intercropping, resulting in a significant increase in yield. Furthermore, the number of ratooned seedlings in the third year of this sugarcane field was sufficient, extending the ratooning period.

[0035] II. Setting up control group and experimental group

[0036] This invention selected a typical sugarcane-growing area in Guangxi (sandy loam soil, average annual temperature of 22℃, and annual precipitation of 1200mm) for a control experiment.

[0037] The trial period was 4 years (covering 1 new planting + 3 ratooning cycles). A control group (conventional cultivation mode) and an experimental group (intercropping technology mode) were set up, with 3 replicates for each group. The sugarcane area was set at 300㎡, and field management was kept consistent (except for the core cultivation measures).

[0038] III. Scheme Design

[0039] 1. Control group (conventional cultivation method)

[0040] The conventional model of "1 year of new planting + 2 years of perennial rootstock" is adopted:

[0041] Year 1: Spring (March) all new sugarcane is planted in the field, using conventional sugarcane varieties and planting methods;

[0042] Year 2: First-year ratoon sugarcane (preserve the first-year underground sugarcane stumps to germinate naturally);

[0043] Year 3: Second ratoon sugarcane (preserve the underground sugarcane stumps from the second year to sprout naturally);

[0044] Year 4: Due to severe gaps in the rows of ratooned sugarcane in the third year (gap rate > 30%), the entire field was replanted with new sugarcane.

[0045] 2. Experimental Group (Intercropping Technology Model)

[0046] The technical solution adopted in this application is:

[0047] Year 1: Same as the control group, newly planted in spring; first year maturity period (November, 45 days before harvest): intercrop newly planted sugarcane at the broken rows according to the technical plan (planting furrow 25cm wide and 22cm deep, select double bud segments nearby, and cover with dead leaves).

[0048] Year 2: The original ratoon sugarcane and the newly planted intercropped sugarcane grow together (the newly planted intercropped sugarcane enters its first year of growth).

[0049] Year 3: The original ratoon sugarcane is eliminated, and new sugarcane is intercropped to form the first ratoon sugarcane;

[0050] Year 4: Intercropping with newly planted sugarcane forms the second ratoon sugarcane (no need to replant).

[0051] IV. Test Indicators and Data

[0052]

[0053]

[0054]

[0055] V. Data Conclusion Analysis

[0056] 1. As shown in Table 1, the total yield of the experimental group in the 2nd to 4th years was 23.6%, 74.2%, and 0% higher than that of the control group, respectively (because the control group had no yield after replanting in the 4th year). The main reason for this was that intercropping increased the number of effective stems (the number of effective stems in the experimental group was 23.6% higher than that in the control group in the 2nd year) and reduced the rate of missing plants (the rate of missing plants in the experimental group was 53.1% lower than that in the control group in the 3rd year), resulting in a significant increase in yield.

[0057] Furthermore, the plant height and stem diameter of the newly planted sugarcane and the ratooned sugarcane in the experimental group were not significantly different (the weight of a single stem was similar), which proves that the competition was coordinated, the stem formation rate was stable, and the growth coordination was good.

[0058] 2. Analysis of the data in Tables 1 and 2 shows that the actual ratoon life of the experimental group reached 3 years, which is 1 year longer than that of the control group (2 years). In the fourth year, the effective number of effective stems was still 51,000 plants / hm², which met the production needs. The ratoon life was effectively extended.

[0059] 3. As shown in Table 3, the total cost of the experimental group was 35.9% lower than that of the control group over the four-year period. The main savings were in machine farming costs, sugarcane seed costs, and labor costs for replanting. Intercropping and using nearby seeds significantly reduced transportation costs, resulting in a substantial cost reduction.

[0060] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this disclosure (including the claims) is limited to these examples. Within the framework of this invention, technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can be combined, implementation steps can be implemented in any order, and many other variations of different aspects of the invention as described above exist, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage to extend the ratoon life, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (a) Timing; During the sugarcane ripening period, from October to February of the following year, or 30 to 60 days before sugarcane harvest, and when the sugarcane has not lodged; (ii) Site selection: Dig planting trenches along the sugarcane rows at the broken sections of the sugarcane fields where the sugarcane is left overnight. The width of the planting trenches is 20-30cm and the depth is 20-25cm. (III) Seed Selection: Select healthy sugarcane plants from nearby sugarcane fields as seed sources for new planting. Select sugarcane stems with intact buds, cut the sugarcane stems into two-bud or three-bud segments, and plant the two-bud or three-bud segments in the planting trench in step (II). (iv) Water and fertilizer management: Water the plants after planting or plant them after rain; after planting, remove the dead leaves from nearby sugarcane plants in the overnight sugarcane field and use the dead leaves to cover the planting furrows; other production management measures are carried out according to the conventional planting methods for newly planted sugarcane.

2. The method for extending the ratoon life of sugarcane by intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step (ii), the planting trench is 5cm wide and 23cm deep.

3. The method for extending the ratooning life of sugarcane by intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step (iii), the intact sugarcane stalks are those free from pests, diseases, and mechanical damage.

4. The method for extending the ratooning life of sugarcane by intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step (iv), the thickness of the dead leaves covering the surface is 2-4 cm.

5. The method for extending the ratoon life of sugarcane by intercropping newly planted sugarcane at the sugarcane maturity stage as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step (iv), the conventional planting method for newly planted sugarcane includes placing the seed, applying pesticides, applying fertilizer, and covering with soil, wherein the thickness of the soil covering is 3-5 cm.

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