Organic sugarcane production implies, among others, the non-use of herbicides and inorganic fertilizers. Currently, weed control in sugarcane is mostly achieved by use of pre- & post-emergence herbicides; non-chemical means to minimize weed infestations remains mainly exploitation of cane trash as a mulch. In Réunion Island, with their severe restrictions on herbicides, eRcane and CIRAD are testing the use of some “Plantes de Service – PdS” to manage weed infestations in sugarcane and organic vegetables/pineapple production. In Mauritius, inclusion of leguminous crops as PdS (e.g. Canavalia
ensiformis or Lablab purpureus cv. Highworth) in sugarcane interrows is also expected to supply partly the organic N requirements of the crop through atmospheric fixation. The aim of this project is, firstly, to develop and adapt a sowing machine to establish the “PdS’ through cane trash under our local conditions, and then to evaluate their agronomic contributions and limitations. The successful inclusion of PdS in our sugarcane cropping systems will enable us to embark in the production of organic sugar, a commodity with a more lucrative price. In the conventional sugarcane cropping system, PdS may minimize herbicides and fertilizers costs. Similar sowing machines will be required by the various sugarcane producers, including possibility of producing seeds locally.
Keywords
Organic Sugarcane,leguminous crops,cover crops (Plantes de Service),weed control,N fixation,sowing machine
Language
English
Publisher
Mauritius Research Council
Content Classification
Brief
Funding Agency(ies)
Mauritius Research Council; Mauritius Chamber of Agriculture
