Food Plants International

369
Names
English: Sugarcane Scientific name: Saccharum officinarum L.
Tok pisin: Suga Synonyms:
Tok ples: Plant family: Poaceae
Description: A tall thick stemmed clumpy grass. It has
many nodes. It grows 1-6 m tall. It spreads 100 cm
wide. A large number of different cultivars occur. The
leaves are long and narrow. They taper to the tip. They
are rigid and droop at the tip. The cane varies in
thickness, length of nodes, colour etc. The stalks have
distinct nodes and the bottom of the leaf is wrapped in a
sheath around the stalk. The flower is brownish. It is
surrounded by dense silky white hairs.
Distribution: It is a tropical plant. It occurs throughout
the country of Papua New Guinea. It needs a
temperature over 21°C for sprouting. It is frost
sensitive. In Nepal it grows up to about 1400 m
altitude. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Cultivation: Plants are mostly grown from tops of canes. They can be grown from sections of
the stalk or division of the root stock. It requires a good fertility and good rainfall. Plants can be
ratooned or cut back if the soil fertility is high. Tall cultivars need staking.
Production: Plants mostly take 14-18 months until they are ready for harvest.
Use: The stems are chewed.
The flowers can be cooked and eaten before the flower opens.
Food Value: Per 100 g edible portion
Edible Moisture Energy Protein Calcium Iron proVit A proVit C
part % KJ g mg mg µg mg
Stem
Flowers
78.8 343 0.3 0.7 2
Insects:
Borers
Bathytricha truncata Walker Noctuidae (LEP) Large sugarcane moth borer
Chilo terrenellus Pag. Pyralidae (LEP) Sugarcane borer
Maliarpha separatella Rag. Pyralidae (LEP) White rice stem borer
Ostrinia furnacalis Pyralidae (LEP) Maize stem borer
Rhabdoscelis obscurus (Boisd.) Curculionidae (COL) Cane weevil borer
Sesamia grisescens Wal. Noctuidae (LEP)
Sesamia arfaki B-B.
Sap suckers
Noctuidae (LEP)
Aleurodes comata Aleurodidae (HEM)
Aphis sacchari Aphididae (HEM) Sugarcane aphid
Ceratovacuna lanigera
Aphididae (HEM) Sugarcane woolly aphid
(Zehntner)
Neomaskiella bergii (Sig.) Aleyrodidae (HEM) Sugarcane white fly
Perkinsiella spp. Delphacidae (HEM) Sugarcane leafhoppers
Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cock) Pseudococcidae (HEM) Pink sugarcane mealybug
Tettigella sp. Cicadellidae (HEM)
Zinc
mg