Possible Impact of Mono-Cropping and Trash Burning for Inducing Flowering in Fields’ Sugarcane: The Rhizosphere Concern

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important industrial crop cultivated in India with the production of almost 300 million tones. In the recent years, farmers and sugar industry are concerned about the frequent occurrences of flowering in fields' sugarcane. Because it is highly undesirable trait, which affects crop productivity and sugar content. Apart from many of plant physiological and climatic variability factors, the rhizosphere microbial diversity and their functional activities on plant nutrition also play a key role in inducing flowering in sugarcane. Few of the recent studies indicated that continuous mono- /ratoon cropping and post harvest field burning of sugarcane trashes having negative impact on rhizosphere diversity and function. The present report is an attempt to explain the possibility of prevention of flowering in fields' sugarcane with emphasis on preserving/ managing the native soil microbial diversity for better nutrition and growth of crops.