Ratoon management is an essential part in cane farming. In Thailand, most cane can provide up to 4 to 5 ratoons In Brazil, good cane planation can produce as high as 6 ratoons for one cane stalk. High ratoon means lower planting cost as farmers only plant once but the cane can be harvested several times before replanting again. For Mitr Lao, most cane can only provide 1 to 2 ratoons. This leads to a higher cost of cane.
In addition to low ratoon, the widespread of white leave disease adversely impacts the cane yield of Mitr Lao. The initial symptom of sugarcane white leaf disease (SCWL) is a white line that runs vertically down the middle of the leaf blades. Parallel to the initial line, white or yellow lines appear, eventually covering the entire leaf length. The change of green to white leaves is the total loss of cholorosis. Other symptoms that appear are stunted stalks, the absence of side shoots on the upper part of infected stalks, failure to set fruits and eventually kill off the plant entirely.