Technology Commercialized

New Variety CoLk 94184 (Birendra)

The Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow has developed a new high sugar, early maturing and high yielding sugarcane variety CoLk 94184 named ‘Birendra’ after the sugarcane breeder who developed it.

            Through this variety farmers can harvest up to 75-80 tonnes per hectare as plant crop followed by about 70 tonnes from same field for next 2-3 years as ratoon crop. CoLk 94184 (Birendra) is a rare combination of two desirable attributes i.e. early maturity and good ratooning ability.

            The effort to develop it was initiated in 1993 when IISR scientists decided to tackle the problems of low sugar and poor ratoonability of prevalent sugarcane varieties. This challenge was met by making selection in the progeny obtained by selfing another IISR sugarcane variety CoLk 8001. After several generations of testing at Lucknow the variety was tested for its desirable characters by conducting rigorous field trials in different location of subtropical climate of the country under All India Coordinated Research Project on Sugarcane (AICRP). The performance obtained in the trials conducted up to 2007, finally gave this variety due recognition by the sugarcane scientists in AICRP workshop held at Agriculture College, Pune from 9-11October, 2007. They accepted this variety for commercial cultivation by the farmers in North Central Zone of the country comprising Eastern U.P. and Bihar. Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), New Delhi recognized it as promising cane variety for several mill zones. Balrampur Chini Mills, Balrampur (U.P.) grew this variety on trial basis and recorded sugar recovery of 10.23 and 11.13 percents in December 2004 and January 2005, respectively, which is far superior than the average recovery of 9 to 10 percent mostly achieved by sugar mills in U. P.

            The other desirable characters of this variety include tolerance to water logging, moisture deficit and top borer (most damaging pest of sugarcane in U.P.), resistance to red rot and smut diseases, high commercial cane sugar (ranging between 9.00 to 9.30 tonnes/ha) and high sucrose in juice i.e. 17-18 percent. Since this variety can withstand moisture stress and water logged conditions, which are mostly prevalent in North Central Zone, it can prove a boon for sugar industry and cane growers both by giving a boost to sugar recovery and cane production in U. P.  and Bihar. A limited quantity of seed material of this variety can be obtained from the Institute from October 2008 onwards on first-come-first basis.

Farm Machinery

Division of Agricultural Engineering has been actively engaged in the design and development of various equipments needed for sugarcane cultivation since the inception of the IISR. In the beginning the emphasis was laid on manual and animal operated equipments like Bullock drawn planters and inter-culture equipments but with the growing needs the emphasis has now been on tractor and power operated equipments.  The Institute has entered into an MOA with willing manufacturers viz. M/s Gobind Industries, Barabanki and M/s Sunlight Foundry, Barabanki for taking up the manufacturing  and commercialization of the equipments given below:

1.     Ratoon Management Device

2.     Two Row Pit Digger

3.     Raised-bed seeder

4.     Ridger type sugarcane cutter planter (PTO driven)

5.     Raised-bed seeder-cum-sugarcane cutter planter

6.     Multipurpose sugarcane cutter planter

7.     Modified two row sugarcane cutter planter (Ground wheel driven)

8.     Moist Hot Air Treatment (MHAT) unit