Preface.

An Introduction to Sugercane.

The origins and spread of sugarcane; Movement and development of the noble canes; The ancestry of cultivated sugarcane; The early commercial cane varieties; The botany of sugarcane; Cultivation of sugarcane; The production of sugar; Research; Developments in the twentieth century; References.

Plant Improvement of Sugarcane.

Introduction; Germplasm; Cross-pollination; Selection; Breeding objectives; Future options; Conclusions; Acknowledgements; References.

Diseases.

Introduction; Principles of disease control in sugarcane; Selection of varieties for disease resistance; Fungal diseases; Bacterial diseases; Viral diseases; Phytoplasmal diseases; References.

Pests of sugarcane.

Introduction; Stalk borers; Soil pests; Sap feeders; Leaf feeders; Vertebrate pests of sugarcane; References.

Sugarcane Agriculture.

Introduction; Systems of cultivation; Yield; Ratoons and ratooning; Land preperation; Seedcane production; Planting; Ratoon management; Weed control in sugarcane; Irrigation and drainage; References.

Sugarcane Agronomy.

Soil management problems; Site selection; Clearing; Planning and layout; Field design; Land preperation; Nurseries; Commercial planting; Crop management; Crop control; Harvest; Field factors and cane quality; Ratooning; Monoculture; Specialty crops; Inter-cropping; Basic economics; References.

Harvest Management.

Pre-harvest burning; Green cane harvesting; To burn or not to burn; Unplanned cane fires; Fire control measures; Fire control equipment; Reaping and transport; Cane storage; Co-ordination and control of harvesting; References.

Cane Payment Systems.

Introduction; Different types of cane payments systems; Payment for which sugar products?; Incentives to improve technical performance; Sampling and testing of cane; Systems based on the average quality of growers' cane; Incentives to expand production; Impact on incentives for different socio-economic groups; Recent performance of cane payment systems; Conclusion.

Project Planning.

Introduction; The role of the consultant; Pre-feasibility study; Feasibility study; Further reading.

Author Index.

Subject Index