No abstract

Sugar losses after harvest is one of the major problem of sugar processing units. Many chemicals and biocides have been recommended to minimize post-harvest sucrose losses in the field and milling tandem, however their use is extremely limited due to environmental and economic considerations. Use of Electrolyzed Water (EW) has been recommended in food processing industry to minimize pre and post harvest losses in vegetables and many food products. Application of EW on harvested sugarcane during summer months shows relatively less decline in CCS, sucrose and purity of juice compared to untreated and water treated control. The CCS and juice purity value in untreated, water treated and EW treated cane after 120 h of storage were 9. 91, 11.74 and 12.23, & 71.68, 75.44 and 82.30, respectively. A beneficial response of EW fogging on the post-harvest quality parameters of sugarcane has been reported.

Nutraceutical, functional or fortified food not only supplements the diet but also assists in developing immunity and preventing diseases. Therefore, it also provides medical benefits apart from nutrition. Individual health and diet are receiving a lot of attention these days. Food products that are healthy, safe, and easy to use are in high demand. A lot of emphases has been directed toward food products with added health benefits. Jaggery (non-centrifugal sugar), made from sugarcane juice, is one of them. It is known to mankind for the last 3000 years and is an essential part of the diet in the rural part of many countries. Jaggery is recognized as a nutraceutical due to the presence of a variety of essential amino acids, antioxidants, phenolics, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins. Jaggery has a better natural source and nutrients for health benefits and could be used as a healthier dietary substitute to white sugar. The nutraceutical value of jaggery can be enhanced with value addition and fortification of medicinally important herbs and spices. This would not only enhance the quality of nutritive jaggery but will also offer value-added products with exciting flavors for daily use sweeteners with several nutritional health benefits.

The idea of doubling the farmers' income in next 5 years has been slated by the Government of India. The specific target of increasing sugarcane farmers' income could be achieved by developing cost-effective technologies, transferring them from laboratory to land, educating the farmers and creating a linkage between all stakeholders. Consistent efforts shall be required to harness all possible sources for increasing farmer's income in and outside the agriculture sector with respect to improvement in sugarcane and sugar productivity, enhancement in resource use efficiency and adopting various other ways and means including intercropping, management of pests and diseases, use of biotechnological tools and minimizing post-harvest deterioration. The advances in sugarcane biotechnology could become remarkable in the coming years, both in terms of improving productivity as well as increasing the value and utility of this crop substantially. In future, genetically modified sugarcane varieties with increased resistance to different biotic and abiotic stresses would serve more towards sugarcane crop improvement. Any possibility of enhancement in the income of sugarcane farmers shall also be dependent upon the profitability and sustainability of the sugar industry. Integration of sugarcane production technologies for improvement in farm productivity, diversified sugarcane production system, reduced cost of cultivation along with increased processing plant efficiency and diversification to produce value added products shall ensure smooth and higher payment to the farmers. Development of low-cost technologies to convert "waste to resource" on a smaller scale shall also help the farmers to increase their income further. This paper focuses on possible measures to be taken up in each aspects of sugarcane cultivation including biotechnological approaches to achieve the goal of enhancing the income of sugarcane farmers substantially, particularly in the subtropical region of India.

Sugarcane in subtropical areas is harvested under a wide array of temperatures, grading from 8 to 42°C. The crushing of harvested cane is often delayed for longer than 72 h leading to a steep decline in sucrose content, especially late in the harvest season when ambient temperatures are high. The average reductions in Commercial Cane Sugar (CCS) in untreated billets and whole cane during late harvest were 0.735 and 0.502 units/day. These losses were reduced to 0.310 and 0.365 units/day following treatment with a chemical formulation containing benzalkonium chloride (0.2%) and sodium metasilicate (0.5%). These chemicals also decreased the formation of reducing sugars in billets from 13.19 to 5.13 and 15.69 to 6.18 mg/ml per day in upper and lower billets, respectively. This study might be useful in minimizing postharvest sucrose losses in sugarcane at high ambient temperature.