incorporated after the harvest of sugar-cane in order to add organic matter and return plant nutrients to soil.

Suggestion  

1. Green manure application is suitable for starting to grow sugar-cane because it is convenient to plant and incorporate it.    

2. For planting sugar-cane again in the same area, it is suitable to incorporate sugar-cane residue after the harvest.

How to maintain sugar-cane stump

Sugar-cane can be harvested again without planting. Farmers can do the ways as the following :

1. After the harvest, chop the stumps instantly or chop them within 15 days. Chop them to soil surface in order to make sugar-cane sprouts strong and perfect.

2. Plough the soil between the rows in order to add organic matter and retain soil moisture.

3.Add chemical fertilizer (15-15-15 or 16-16-16 or 12-24-12) 100-200 kg./rai while ploughing.  4. Observe the stumps. If most of them are died, start planting sugar-cane is a better way.

Sugar-cane is one of important economic crops in Thailand. Its planting area is 6,313,653 rai and its production is 9.2 ton/rai. Area where sugar-cane is planted for a long time consists of low fertility and low level of organic matter. The soil is easily eroded. As a result, it is essential to maintain level of organic matter for improvement of soil structure and a decrease in soil erosion.

How to reclaim soil for sugar-cane planting

There are two ways for soil reclamation :

1. Apply green manure for soil reclamation. Apply Mahae seeds 6 kg./rai by scattering them in the plot 2 months before planting. After 45 days, incorporate them. Crotalaria 3-5 kg./rai can be applied as the same way as Mahae application.

 2. Apply sugar-cane residue 8-10 ton/rai by scattering them all over the plot and incorporate them in the period of soil preparation. Sugar-cane residue can be