CONCLUSION
Sugarcane is an important commercial crop
however, sugar productivity per se in many cane
growing areas is low due to physio-biochemical and
climatic constraints. In order to mitigate the impact
of bio-productivity barriers such as sub-optimal
cane germination, tillering, sucrose accumulation,
ratoon sprouting, poor quality of stand-over crop
and flowering in commercial plantation, semicommercial
scale trials were carried out at different
locales using ethephon. Applie'ation of ethephon has
been found to promote seed cane sprouting (13-17%),
improved tillering and millable cane formation (12-
16%) and helped in initiation and formation of ratoon
shoots/tillers of winter harvested cane (8-10%). It's
beneficial response had been observed in the
advancement of cane maturity with appreciable gain
in CCS per cent, giving adequate flexibility to cane
growers on the time of harvest. Additionally, its
efficacy has been demonstrated in minimizing sucrose
losses in stand-over crop at high temperature and
control of flowering in large scale sugarcane
plantation. Ethephon, therefore, seems to be the only
chemical with wide-spectrum of beneficial activity
on sugarcane and has the potential to augment sugar
productivity under diverse agro-climatic conditions.