ISMA, ICAR-ISRI Join Hands to Establish Advanced Centre for Quality Sugarcane Seed Production

The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and ICAR–Indian Sugarcane Research Institute (ICAR-ISRI), Lucknow, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an Advanced Centre for Quality Sugarcane Seed Production aimed at strengthening access to disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding planting material for sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh and the wider subtropical region.

The farmer-centric initiative seeks to establish a structured, science-based system for the multiplication, quality monitoring and distribution of superior sugarcane planting material. The initiative is expected to help farmers access improved varieties more quickly, raise cane productivity, improve sugar recovery and enhance farm incomes.

The proposed centre will be established at ICAR-ISRI, Lucknow, with dedicated facilities for quality seed production, nursery raising, disease indexing, hardening, multiplication, storage and distribution of planting material. It will also provide technical and scientific support to participating sugar mills and facilitate training and capacity building of cane development personnel.

A key focus of the initiative will be the assured production and timely supply of improved, recommended, released and promising new sugarcane varieties. The centre will also facilitate rapid multiplication of elite and newly released varieties through protected and scientifically managed cultivation systems.

The partnership will support systematic varietal replacement and diversification across participating sugar mill command areas. This is expected to strengthen crop productivity and sugar recovery while improving the long-term sustainability of sugarcane cultivation in the subtropical region.

Phytosanitary quality assurance will be another major component. The programme will follow stringent protocols for disease-free seed production, certification and regular quality monitoring to maintain the health and genetic purity of planting material. Systematic tagging and digital traceability of seed lots will also be introduced to track the source, identity and quality of planting material from seed production to the field.

ICAR-ISRI experts will provide continuous technical guidance, field monitoring and scientific support to participating sugar mills. The initiative will further facilitate farmer-level adoption by ensuring wider and timely availability of quality planting material through the participating mills.

According to ISMA, access to quality planting material at the right time can significantly influence sugarcane productivity and farm returns. The initiative is expected to contribute to better crop establishment, higher cane yields, improved ratoon performance, lower disease incidence and enhanced sugar recovery.

Deepak Ballani, Director General, ISMA, said quality planting material is the starting point for higher productivity, better sugar recovery and stronger farm incomes. He said the partnership with ICAR-ISRI would help translate scientific research into field-level benefits by enabling faster and wider access to disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding planting material.

Ballani said the Advanced Centre would strengthen the quality seed ecosystem, field-level monitoring, varietal performance assessment and the capabilities of cane development teams. He added that the larger objective is to make quality planting material more accessible, improve productivity per acre and enhance the economic returns of sugarcane cultivation.

The initiative is particularly significant for Uttar Pradesh and other major sugarcane-producing areas in the subtropical belt, where improved productivity and better planting material can have a direct bearing on the livelihoods and incomes of a large number of farmers.

The collaboration brings together ICAR's scientific expertise and the sugar industry's field-level reach to create a scalable framework for quality sugarcane seed production and wider adoption of improved varieties. It is aimed at bridging the gap between agricultural research and farmers' fields while supporting higher productivity, sustainability and farm incomes.