Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) manual - SRI - India

Furrow and alternate
furrow irrigation can
be followed to save
water up to 50%.
In drip system,
irrigation efficiency
improves up to 90%,
water is saved up
to 40-70% and
consumption of
electricity is
also reduced.
Providing sufficient moisture
In SSI, about 5
irrigations can
be saved as the
Germination period
(up to 35 days) is
spent in nursery.
• Furrow irrigation helps in proper application and saving of water.
Alternate furrow irrigation means irrigating the furrows of odd
numbers initially followed by irrigating the furrows of even
numbers after 7 to 15 days as per the moisture content and age
of the crop. This will ensure saving of water up to 50%.
• Drip irrigation can be practiced effectively in SSI due to wider
spacing and raising of single seedlings. Farmers who wish to
adopt drip irrigation can contact the concerned firms and install
them in their fields.
10. Earthing up
Earthing up means application of soil at the root zone to strengthen
the crop stand.
• Normally two earthing up’s (partial and full) are followed during
a crop period.
Earthing up helps in:
1. Sufficient
anchorage,
2. Prevention of
lodging,
3. Covering of
applied fertilizers,
4. Better root
development,
5. Checking further
tillering and
6. Providing better
aeration.
• Partial earthing up is done after first top dressing essentially
to cover the fertilizer and to provide anchorage to the freshly
developed roots. In this case, little soil from either side of the
Earthing up
22 Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative