Global Study Reveals Sugarcane Lineage

Context

Recently, a research article, The genomic footprints of wild Saccharum species trace domestication, diversification, and modern breeding of sugarcane, examined the genomes of 390 varieties of sugarcane in Australia, Brazil, China, France, French Polynesia, India, Japan, and the US.

Key Highlights

• These plants were the hybrids of various genes with several chromosomes in them (polyploidy).
• This kind of polyploidy had been brought about by commercial transportation through human breeders who transported and sold sugarcane to different states within a country. 
• Polyploidy is hereditary, i.e. having more than two full sets of chromosomes. 
• On genetic analysis the researchers discovered that the most diverse breeds of sugarcane were in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The authors outlined the chemical structure of sugarcane and its possible bioactivities, examined its use in the field of medicine, and traced the possible further research direction.

Production of Sugarcane in India

• In 2024-2025, it is estimated that there was production of about 4,400 lakh tonnes of sugarcane, especially in 13 States. 
• In India, sugarcane is predominantly cultivated in two areas namely the subtropical north, and the tropical south.
• The northern belt contains Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab whereas the southern belt has Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
• Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat were the most productive States in 2018-2019 and 2023-2024. 
• India has been the greatest consumer and second largest producer of sugar in the world.

Climatic Conditions

• The sugarcane grows at a temperature ranging between 20 o C – 35 o C and needs 75 -150 cm of rainfall in a year. 
• It grows well in fertile and well drained soils and requires a lot of sunlight. 
• Ripening and harvesting in a cold and dry season would be best.

Challenges

• Water-Intensive Crop: Sugarcane needs 1,500-2,500 mm of water per year, most cultivation is based on groundwater irrigation; thus, leading to it being depleted, particularly in Maharashtra and UP.
• Yields and Regional Differences: There are significant differences in the yields produced by the different states since irrigation facilities, soil conditions, and quality of seeds are unevenly distributed.
• Climate Vulnerability: Sugarcane is a plant that is very sensitive to temperature, rainfall patterns, and humidity.
• Pests and Diseases: Significant problems: borers, white grubs, pyrilla, and red rot disease.
• Labour Shortages: Sugarcane is a product that needs intensive manual labour in planting, harvesting and loading.
• Late Payment by Sugar Mills: State Advised Price (SAP) and Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) are not always comparable to financial ability of mills.
• Post-Harvest Losses: Sugarcane is very seasonal, which has created logistical problems, since any delay of more than 24 hours after harvest results in high losses of sucrose.
• Ethanol Diversion Problems: There are increasing demands on sugar and ethanol industries to compete with each other at times, because of the growing need to produce ethanol.

Government Initiatives

• The Fair and Remunerable Price (FRP): FRP is pronounced by the Centre based on the Sugarcane Control Order, 1966 to provide farmers with a minimum guaranteed price.
  • • To 2025-26, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs sanctioned an FRP of Rs 355 per quintal with a basic recovery rate of 10.25%. 
• Irrigation Support PM-KUSUM: Solar pumps should be encouraged so that farmers of sugarcane can pay less due to irrigation.
• Crop Diversification and Intercropping: The government is encouraging additive intercropping in case of the soil degradation and improvement of farmer income with the help of ICAR. 
  • • Other sugar research institutes, which apply classical botanical techniques, and molecular biological techniques to enhance sugarcane variety and yield, are also set up by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in the country. 
• Cooperative Sugar Mill Strengthening Scheme: Cooperative sugar mills had been provided with a Rs 10,000 crore loan scheme by the government via NCDC (National Cooperative Development Corporation).
• The scheme supports: 
  • • Establishing ethanol production plants.
    • The formation of cogeneration plants.
    • Satisfying working capital needs.
• Modified Ethanol Interest Subvention Scheme: In case of cooperative sugar mills which change existing sugarcane-based ethanol plants to multi-feedstock plants, interest subversion at 6 percent per annum or half of the charged interest (whichever is lower) is given by the government over a period of five years. 
• Crop Insurance: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): under PMFBY, sugarcane is an insurable annual commercial crop which covers all the losses associated with the yield due to natural calamities, pests, diseases, and localized risks.

Way Ahead

• The extensive system of government shows multi-dimensionality where the efficiency of production, the income of the farmers and the viability of the mills, environmental sustainability and market stability are all addressed. 
• All these are meant to help improve the productivity of sugarcane in India that is currently standing at 70 tonnes/ hectare to 100-110 tonnes/ hectare by 2030.

Source: The Hindu

Prelims PYQ

(Q) With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements: (2020)

1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nurse, and transplanted in the main field.
2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts
4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

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