Reduced Cost of Cultivation
The cost reduction is directly and indirectly being effected in wide row spacing. The direct reductions include reduced sett material for planting, reduction in number of rows for manual intercultural operations like detrashing, propping etc. Wide row permits the use of machineries for harvesting. Farmers feel that mechanical harvest in wider rows reduces the harvesting charge and trash burning is avoided. Stubble shaving, a ratoon management operation is not needed in the case of machine harvested plots due to cutting of cane close to ground level. Salunkhe et al. (2001) and Khandagave (2010) reported that total production costs incurred were lower in dual row planting and wider row planting systems.
Increased Cane Yield
High yield levels can be achieved in wide row by proper selection of varieties, manipulation of plant population, planting pattern and by judicious manuring (Gopalasundaram 2009). Wide row spaced planting helps to provide abundant sunlight for increasing cane yield, provides proper space for intercropping and intercultural operations and also proper adoption of mechanization thereby increasing the per unit profitability (Panghal 2010; Chaudhari et al. 2010).