Yanmar Agri Co. has developed deep-planting cultivation technology to improve sugarcane productivity, while minimizing environmental impact. This technology was created in collaboration with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). Following successful research outcome, Yanmar Agri is now launching full-scale sales of related products.
For the sustainable production of sugarcane, it is essential to maintain ratoon cropping, a high-productivity and environmentally friendly cultivation method, over an extended period. However, in ratoon cropping, the depth at which new shoots emerge from the underground stubble after harvest tends to become shallower, leading to lower yields and a reduced number of regrowth cycles. To address this issue, deep-planting cultivation technology was developed to increase the yield and longevity of ratoon cropping in the drought-prone northeastern region of Thailand.
Deep-planting cultivation involves planting sugarcane at a depth of approximately 30 cm—deeper than the conventional planting depth of around 10–20 cm (see figure). In the Philippines, the effectiveness of this method for stable production during drought years has been demonstrated. Additionally, improved resistance to lodging*1 is expected to help mitigate typhoon damage.
Currently, the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s Sugar Regulatory Administration is promoting block farming*2, a collective farming system for small-scale farmers. Based on the results of this research and development, Yanmar Agri is launching full-scale sales of subsoilers and deep-planting planters optimized for deep-planting sugarcane cultivation among block farming households in the Philippines. Furthermore, in Japan, demonstration trials for introducing this technology are being conducted in collaboration with a local sugar factory on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa Prefecture.
Yanmar Agri’s deep-planting technology supports the Yanmar Green Challenge 2050 by improving sugarcane productivity while reducing environmental impact. It promotes efficient land use, enhances resilience to droughts and typhoons, and minimizes resource consumption, aligning with Yanmar’s commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Left: combined subsoiler and power harrow *3 Right: sugarcane planter *4
*1: Lodging occurs when crop stems are displaced from the vertical by stem buckling or root displacement. This can be caused by factors like wind, rain, hail, or inadequate stem strength.
*2: Block farming is a policy in the Republic of the Philippines that consolidates small-scale sugarcane farms to promote irrigation and mechanization, thereby improving productivity and income.
*3: A subsoiler tills only the planting area and performs soil breaking, soil pulverization and leveling, and compaction in a single operation (compatible with tractors of 90 horsepower or more).
