Performance of High Yielding Promising Sugarcane Variety VSI-12121 for Sangareddy District, Telangana, India

Abstract

An Farm Trial (OFT) was conducted during the late rabi seasons of 2022–23 and 2023–24 in farmers’ fields of Sangareddy district, Telangana, with the objective of evaluating the performance of a promising sugarcane variety VSI-12121 in comparison with the widely cultivated popular variety Co 86032. The study was undertaken in view of the need for varietal diversification and enhancement of sugarcane productivity under real farm conditions. The trial was implemented at five representative locations under assured irrigated conditions, strictly following the recommended package of practices to ensure uniform crop management across locations and seasons. Observations were recorded on important yield-attributing characters, including number of productive tillers, internode length, stem girth, and individual cane weight, in addition to cane yield and economic parameters. The results clearly indicated the superior performance of VSI-12121 over the check variety Co 86032 across all locations and during both years of experimentation. VSI-12121 recorded a higher average number of productive tillers (12 per plant), longer internode length (15.96 cm), greater stem girth (11.4 cm), and higher individual cane weight (1.55 kg) compared to Co 86032. These improved yield attributes played a decisive role in enhancing the overall cane yield of the variety. The average cane yield of VSI-12121 was 144.55 t ha⁻¹ during 2022–23 and 138.61 t ha⁻¹ during 2023–24, registering yield advantages of 24.27% and 22.31%, respectively, over the popular variety Co 86032. The consistent yield superiority of VSI-12121 across seasons highlights its better adaptability and stable performance under farmers’ field conditions. Minor variations in yield between years may be attributed to seasonal climatic fluctuations and location-specific soil conditions. Economic analysis further substantiated the superiority of VSI-12121, which recorded higher net returns of Rs. 2,75,932 ha⁻¹ and Rs. 2,72,358 ha⁻¹ and a higher benefit–cost ratio of 3.57 and 3.35 during 2022–23 and 2023–24, respectively. The enhanced profitability was mainly due to higher cane yield with only a marginal increase in cost of cultivation. Overall, the study conclusively demonstrated that VSI-12121 is a high-yielding, economically viable, and farmer-friendly sugarcane variety, making it highly suitable for cultivation in Sangareddy district of Telangana and similar agro-climatic regions.