Development of Lever Operated Sugarcane Mother Shoot Cutter for Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative

India has the second highest area under sugarcane cultivation next to Brazil. Sugarcane is cultivated in an area of 4.5 million ha with an average productivity of 79 t/ha. Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) is one of the advanced methods of sugarcane cultivation technique that involves, use of less input like seed sett, water, land, labour and optimum utilization of fertilizers to achieve maximum yield. Removal of mother shoot is one of the main techniques of SSI to get even number of tillers, increase the number of tillers and millable canes per plant. Conventional tool like secateurs, knifes and sickles being used among the sugarcane growers, even after experiencing the less efficiency of tool. In addition, more drudgery is involved, because the agricultural labourers need to bend down and hold the stem to remove the mother shoots in each sugarcane plant. Chances of getting injury to the hands and eyes are more during this operation. Hence, a hand operated tool for removing the mother shoot of sugarcane plants was developed and evaluated in sugarcane crop during 30 to 35 days after transplanting. The tool is manual operated and can be operated in standing posture for a long time. Women labourers can also cuts sugarcane mother shoots easily due to low weight (1.6 kg) of the tool. The tool saves cost and time by 47 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively compared to cutting of mother shoots with sickle. One could cut 1200 shoots/h with the tool. The tool costs Rs. 800/- and cost of operation is Rs.465 per hectare