Don't Blame Sugarcane. Let's Change the Way We Irrigate

 The Time Has Come to Rewrite India's Sugarcane Irrigation Story

India is the world's second-largest producer of sugarcane. During 2025-26, sugarcane occupied approximately 57 lakh hectares of cultivated land, making it one of the country's most important commercial crops. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu together account for the majority of the nation's sugarcane area. 

State	Estimated Sugarcane Area 2025-26 (Lakh ha)
Uttar Pradesh	22.57
Maharashtra	14.93
Karnataka	6.76
Gujarat	2.22
Tamil Nadu	2.05
Others	8.67
India Total	57.2

Figures are based on industry and Government estimates for the 2025-26 sugar season.

For decades, sugarcane has been labeled as a "water-guzzling crop." Every drought, every discussion on water scarcity, and every debate on irrigation eventually points fingers at sugarcane.

But is the crop really responsible?

Or is it the way we irrigate it?

This is the question India must answer.

The Plant Has Never Demanded Excess Water

A sugarcane plant does not ask for one crore litres of water.

It only asks for the water it actually needs for photosynthesis, growth, nutrient uptake, and sugar accumulation.

Unfortunately, across almost every sugarcane-growing state, the crop is still irrigated using the same traditional row and furrow (flood irrigation) method. Whether the crop is grown in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, or Tamil Nadu, the irrigation practice remains remarkably similar.

The disturbing reality is this:

Nobody accurately measures how much water is actually applied.

Water is released into the furrows until the field appears sufficiently wet. No one knows how much infiltrates, how much evaporates, how much percolates below the root zone, and how much is simply wasted.

The result is alarming.

The Hidden Cost of Traditional Irrigation

In Maharashtra, sugarcane is cultivated in three major planting seasons:

• Adsali (July–August)
• Pre-seasonal (October–November)
• Suru (January–February)

Other states follow different planting windows.

• Uttar Pradesh: Spring (February–March), Autumn (September–October), Summer (April–May)
• Tamil Nadu: Early (December–January), Mid (February–March), Late (April–May)
• Karnataka and Gujarat: Similar planting schedules to Maharashtra.

Although planting dates differ, irrigation practices remain almost identical.

The average quantity of water supplied through conventional irrigation is approximately:

Crop Type	Water Applied (mm)	Water Applied (Litres/Acre)
Adsali	3200–3500	1.29–1.42 crore
Pre-seasonal	2900–3000	1.17–1.21 crore
Suru	2700–2800	1.09–1.13 crore
Ratoon	2700–2800	1.09–1.13 crore

Think about these numbers.

A single acre of sugarcane often receives more than one crore litres of water every year.

Is every litre actually used by the plant?

The answer is No.

In Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka, the quantity of water applied through conventional row-and-furrow irrigation is also broadly similar, with only minor regional variations depending on climate, soil type, rainfall, and crop duration.

What Does the Crop Actually Need?

Scientific studies and field experience under well-managed drip irrigation demonstrate that the crop's physiological water requirement is far lower.

Crop Type	Actual Crop Water Requirement (mm)	Recommended Water Applied Through Drip (mm)	Water Applied Through Drip (Litres/Acre/Year)
Adsali	1100–1300	1400–1500	56.7–60.7 lakh litres
Pre-seasonal	1000–1050	1235–1250	50.0–50.6 lakh litres
Suru	900–1100	1100–1200	44.5–48.6 lakh litres
Ratoon	900–1100	1100–1200	44.5–48.6 lakh litres
Ratoon with Trash Mulching	810–990	990–1080	40.1–43.7 lakh litres

In Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka, the quantity of water applied through conventional row-and-furrow irrigation is also broadly similar, with only minor regional variations depending on climate, soil type, rainfall, and crop duration.

This means that 40–60% of the water currently applied can potentially be saved while maintaining or even improving productivity when irrigation is precisely scheduled through drip systems. The exact saving depends on soil type, climate, rainfall, and management.

This is not about giving less water.

It is about giving the right amount at the right time.

More Water Does Not Mean More Yield

Many farmers still believe:

"More irrigation means more production."

Unfortunately, the field tells a different story.

Excess irrigation causes:

• Poor root aeration
• Reduced root growth
• Nutrient leaching
• Increased lodging
• Higher disease incidence
• Lower sugar recovery
• Higher electricity costs
• More weed growth
• Soil degradation

Ironically, despite supplying enormous quantities of water, average sugarcane yields in many regions have stagnated or declined because crop performance depends on balanced irrigation—not excessive irrigation.

Drip Irrigation: Still an Untapped Opportunity

Despite decades of awareness, adoption remains limited.

Approximate area under drip irrigation in sugarcane:

State	Sugarcane under Drip
Maharashtra	~18-20%
Tamil Nadu	~8-10%
Karnataka	~3–4%
Gujarat	~3–4%
Uttar Pradesh	~2–3%

This means that most sugarcane fields in India still rely on conventional flood irrigation, leaving enormous potential for water conservation and productivity improvement.

The Real Problem Is Not the Farmer

Farmers are not intentionally wasting water.

Most are following irrigation practices passed down through generations.

Sugar mills, extension agencies, researchers, irrigation departments, and policymakers all share the responsibility to replace outdated practices with scientific irrigation scheduling.

The solution is not to discourage sugarcane cultivation.

The solution is to modernize sugarcane irrigation.

A National Call for Change

Every drop of water saved in sugarcane can irrigate additional farmland, recharge groundwater, reduce energy consumption, and strengthen climate resilience.

India does not need less sugarcane.

India needs smarter sugarcane.

The future of sugarcane lies in precision irrigation, drip systems, fertigation, soil moisture monitoring, trash mulching, and scientific water scheduling—not in flooding fields simply because "that is how it has always been done."

The challenge before us is not technological; the technology already exists.

The challenge is changing our mindset.

If India can transform irrigation on its 57 lakh hectares of sugarcane, the impact will be extraordinary—not only for farmers, but also for groundwater, rivers, electricity, and future generations.

The question is no longer whether we can save water.

The question is whether we can afford not to.

Vijaykumar Sarur

General Manager, Marketing

Kothari Irrigation

Mob: 7972815345