14 August 2026, New Delhi: 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 at ICAR-ISRI.
The centre will focus on the production, multiplication and wider distribution of disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding sugarcane planting material for sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the subtropical sugarcane-growing region.
The initiative is aimed at addressing the availability and quality of sugarcane planting material and creating a more structured system for its multiplication and distribution. It will combine ICAR-ISRI’s scientific expertise with the operational network of participating sugar mills to accelerate the adoption of improved sugarcane varieties at the farm level.
The proposed centre will undertake quality seed production and supply of improved, recommended, released and promising new sugarcane varieties. It will also facilitate faster multiplication of newly released and elite varieties through protected and scientifically managed cultivation systems.
A key focus will be varietal replacement and diversification across participating sugar mill command areas. The initiative is expected to support the introduction of improved varieties while reducing dependence on older planting material, with potential benefits for cane productivity and sugar recovery.
The centre will also establish protocols for phytosanitary quality, including disease-free seed production, certification and regular quality monitoring. Seed lots are expected to be systematically tagged to enable traceability of their source, identity and quality from production through distribution and field use.
ICAR-ISRI scientists will provide technical guidance and field-level support, including monitoring of seed quality and crop performance. The programme will also include training and capacity building for cane development personnel associated with participating sugar mills.
The centre will have facilities for quality seed production, nursery raising, disease indexing, hardening, multiplication, storage and distribution of planting material. Through participating sugar mills, the programme will seek to improve the availability of quality planting material and support its adoption among farmers.
For sugarcane growers, the availability of healthy and genetically pure planting material can influence crop establishment, yield and ratoon performance. The initiative is therefore expected to support higher cane yields, lower disease incidence and improved sugar recovery, with potential implications for farm returns.
Commenting on the partnership, Deepak Ballani, Director General, ISMA, said that quality planting material is an important starting point for improving sugarcane productivity and farmer returns.
“Quality planting material is the starting point for higher productivity, better sugar recovery and stronger farm incomes. This partnership with ICAR–ISRI is aimed at translating scientific research into tangible benefits on the ground by enabling faster and wider access to disease-free, genetically pure and high-yielding planting material through participating sugar mills,” Ballani said.
He added that the Advanced Centre would strengthen field-level monitoring, varietal performance assessment and the capabilities of cane development teams, while creating a mechanism to take scientific developments from research institutions to farmers at scale.
The partnership brings together ICAR-ISRI’s research capabilities and the sugar industry’s field network. ISMA said the broader objective is to establish a scalable system for quality sugarcane seed production and distribution that can support the wider adoption of improved planting material.
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