Chouhan Announces ICAR Sugarcane Team to Replace Vulnerable CO 0238
The step responds to CO 0238’s red rot vulnerability, prioritising replacement varieties with a research‑policy roadmap.
Overview
- ICAR will house a dedicated unit for sugarcane with a mandate that spans scientific research and sector policy.
- CO 0238, introduced in 2009 for high sugar recovery, saw its red rot resistance erode between 2020 and 2023 as more virulent pathotypes emerged under adverse weather.
- ICAR chief M. L. Jat set four priorities that include sharpening research goals, unlocking developmental bottlenecks, addressing industry needs, and proposing policy measures.
- ICAR’s Devendra Kumar Yadav said alternatives exist but each candidate requires three years of testing for disease, pest resistance, and yield before wider adoption.
- Chouhan flagged delayed farmer payments, mill stress, labour shortages, mechanisation and training needs, new bioproducts, natural farming, water‑use efficiency, and a careful look at intercropping and drip irrigation costs.