CHAPTER -II

REVIEW OF LIERATURE

The sugarcane is labour intensive crop, requires human workers for various unit operations

like planting, weeding, earthing up, fertilizer application, and harvesting. Labour shortage

during planting, weeding and harvesting periods of sugarcane growing hamper agricultural

operations causing crop losses. The labour intensive methods, leads to considerable losses in

crop production (Dharmawardene, 2006).Planting technology includes harvesting and

detrashing seed cane, preparation of seed, and placement of the planting material into well

prepared seedbed. The effectiveness of planting is affected by quality and type of planting

material, layout, spacing, seed rate, nutrients and method of placement. Mechanization of

various operations reduces labour dependency and help in performing farm operations at

proper time. Mechanization of the sugarcane planting has been effected through development

of machines for different unit operations separately or in combination. This chapter reviews

the efforts made by research workers for modernization of sugarcane planting technology.

2.1 Physical and Frictional Properties of Sugarcane

The properties of the cellular material important in planting are compression, density and

friction. These properties depend on the species, variety, stalk diameter, maturity, moisture

content and cellular structure (Bright and Kleis, 1964). These physicalproperties are also

different at different heights of the plant stalk (İnce et al., 2005). Methods and procedures for

determining the most physical, mechanical and rheological properties of agricultural products

have been described by Mohsenin (1986).

Sinclair et al. (2005) measured internode volume of the sugarcane stalk of four varieties and

observed its changes with growing season and lodging. They verified data through harvesting

sugarcane mid-season (August) and end of season (January). In mid-season the internode-size

increased along the stalk with the largest internode (No.15 from top) occurring at the bottom
of the plant. Growth of variety (CP80-1743) was more concentrated in the lower internodes

of this cultivar. The internode volume reduced towards the top of stalk. The plant growth was

distributed all along the stalk and was not focused on one particular zone. Plant lodging had

the negative impact, uniformly distributed over the entire stalk, differences in varieties were

reported on decrease in the growth of the stalk.

Rípoli and Rípoli (2010) characterized the stalks of sugarcane of variety SP80-3280 used for

planting as follows: length of stalks (m) 2.44, average diameter of stalks (cm) 2.22, average

weight of stalks (kg) 1.57, internodes number per stalk 15.38, number of viable eyes per stalk

13.86, Number of non-viable eyes per stalk 10.90, total number of eyes per stalk 14.36,

average number of setts per stalk 7.40, average length of setts (cm) 32.00, number of viable

eyes per sett 1.20, number of non-viable eyes per sett 0.88, total number of eyes per sett 2.70,

percentage of viable eyes per stalk 71.36, percentage of viable eyes per sett 66.56, sett

average weight (kg) 0.24.

Taghijarah et al. (2011) determined the effect of loading rate and internode position on

shearing characteristics of sugar cane stalk. The experiments were conducted at three loading

rates of 5, 10, and 15 mm min-1 and at ten internode positions down from the flower. They

observed that loading rate had significant effect on the shear strength and specific shearing

energy of the stalk. With increasing loading rate, the shear strength and specific shearing

energy increased. The internode position had a significant effect on the specific shearing

energy only. The specific shearing energy increased towards the lower internodes. average

moisture contents of 76.4 and 73.8 per cent wet basis, respectively, were used. The

experiments were conducted at ten internode positions down from the flower for both

varieties. Based on the results obtained, the averages of stalk‟s diameter, cross-section area

and second moment of area of L310 variety were higher than those of L820 variety,

whilaverage of stalk‟s length of L820 variety was higher than that of L310 variety
Taghinezhad et al. (2013a) studied the effect of the dimensional parameters on mechanical

cutting properties. Mean specific cutting energies of cane stalks at low, medium and high

levels of moisture content were 34.071, 28.339 and 16.297 kN m-1 and for ultimate stress

were 7.086, 2.586 and 1.656 MPa, respectively. The increase in moisture level produced a

significant reduction in the ultimate stress and the specific energy.

Sime (2013) studied various physical parameters of sugarcane variety N-14 and effect of

different cane portions on sprouting, growth and yield. Percent of sprouting was remarkably

different among portion of stalk cuttings and varies between 55.2 to 85.5 percent. He reported

the stalk girth from 1.87 cm to 2.11 cm and stalk length from 2.85 m to3.01 m with average

number of internodes 31.4 to 33.5 for particular variety.

Singh et al. (2013) reported that sugarcane cultivars have close relationship between sugar

yield and its yield-related traits such as stalk diameter, stalk number, stalk weight, stalk

height, brix and fibber. They measured stalk diameter and stalk length at 300 and 360 DAP

respectively. Stalk length were observed from the first visible dewlap leaf to the stalk base.

Salk diameter was recorded at the middle of the internode (one third of the stalk length from

the base to the top) by using a vernier calliper. They observed stalk length, stalk diameter and

stalk weight in the range of 113 – 335 cm, 0.95 - 2.10 cm and 0.35 - 2.05 kg respectively for

varieties UP9530 and Co86011.