Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand: Sugarcane farmers are facing losses after their crops came under the attack of red rot disease. To curb the damage, Commissioner of Cane Development and Sugar Industry, Trilok Singh Martolia, has issued directives to all assistant cane commissioners and sugar mills. He has instructed them to stop sowing the Coimbatore 0238 (Co 0238) variety of sugarcane and urged farmers to follow the advice of agricultural scientists, reported Amar Ujala.
Experts at the Sugarcane Research Center in Kashipur have also warned against planting the Co 0238 variety, which is vulnerable to red rot. Scientists advised farmers to uproot and destroy infected plants.
To control the disease, they recommended applying 10–20 grams of bleaching powder in the affected pits and covering them properly. If symptoms are visible, farmers should spray a solution of 425–500 grams of Thiophanate Methyl 70 WP mixed in 300–350 liters of water on standing crops. In addition, four kilograms of Trichoderma per acre should be applied to infected fields.
For fresh planting, only disease-free varieties of sugarcane approved in Uttarakhand should be used. Before sowing, cut cane setts must be treated in a solution of Thiophanate Methyl 70 WP fungicide (1.4 grams per liter of water) for 15 minutes.
