UP Sugar Output Falls as Red Rot Hits Key Cane Variety; New Co-20016 Offers Hope
UP's sugar output fell from 126.4 lt to 89.5 lt as Co-0238 cane succumbed to red rot; new Co-20016 shows resistance and higher yields.
Uttar Pradesh, India's largest sugarcane-growing state, has witnessed a sharp decline in sugar production, falling from 126.4 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2019-20 to 89.5 lt in 2025-26. The primary cause is the widespread susceptibility of the Co-0238 sugarcane variety, also known as Karan 4, to red rot fungal disease. The resulting yield losses have reduced the total cane crushed by the state's roughly 120 sugar mills by more than a fifth over the past six years. The state is scheduled to hold Assembly elections in February-March 2027.
Co-0238, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) in Coimbatore and released in 2009, was initially evaluated as moderately resistant to the prevalent CF07 and CF08 pathotypes of the red rot fungus. However, intensive monoculture planting led to the emergence of the highly virulent CF13 pathotype. As the fungus mutated, Co-0238 suffered varietal breakdown, losing its resistance and becoming susceptible to red rot.
The variety's contribution to UP's sugar industry was substantial. Its share of the state's cane area rose from negligible levels to 82.2% in 2019-20, during which sugar production soared from 69.7 lt in 2011-12 to 126.4 lt. UP overtook Maharashtra as India's top sugar producer by 2016-17 and held that position until 2020-21. Between 2011-12 and 2019-20, cane crushed by UP mills increased from 768.6 lt to 1,118 lt, while average sugar recovery rose from 9.1% to over 11.7%. The variety's thicker sticks and early maturity boosted yields from below 60 tonnes to over 80 tonnes per hectare, allowing mills to achieve higher recoveries from November through April.
By 2020-21, Co-0238 covered 86.7% of UP's cane area and about 84% of subtropical northern India. Dr. Bakshi Ram, former director of ICAR-SBI and breeder of the variety, warned against over-cultivation, particularly in waterlogged belts prone to red rot. The fungus attacks the vascular system, clogging water and nutrient transport, leading to wilting and shrivelled, hollow canes. Dr. Ram stressed that no single variety should exceed 40-50% of a region's cane area to preserve genetic resistance.
A new variety, Co-20016 (Karan 20), developed by ICAR-SBI, has been selected as a potential replacement by a Varietal Identification Committee under the All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Sugarcane, which met on May 27. It will next be placed before the Central Varietal Release Committee, expected to meet in October. Once approved and released for commercial cultivation, farmers can plant it in the coming spring, summer, or autumn seasons.
The Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) launched a joint initiative with ICAR-SBI in August 2023 to conduct evaluation trials of improved cane varieties across subtropical and tropical India. For the subtropical region, clones of Co-20016 and Co-21012 were tested over three years through two plant-cane and one ratoon crops. Sixteen sugar mills participated, including 11 from UP.
ISMA's Director-General Deepak Ballani said trials for both varieties are complete and results are very encouraging. The three-year average cane yield for Co-20016 at ISMA trial locations was 144.6 tonnes per hectare, compared with 116.4 tonnes for Co-0238. Mean sucrose content at 10 months was 18.7% for Co-20016 versus 18.3% for Co-0238. Crucially, Co-20016 has shown resistance to red rot, including the highly virulent CF13 pathotype. AICRP trials under ICAR are complete for Co-20016 and in progress for Co-21012.
ISMA trials showed Co-21012 with average cane yield of 129.4 tonnes per hectare and sucrose content of 18%, higher than Co-0238's 119.7 tonnes and 17.8%. However, its resistance to red rot, including CF13, will be tested only after AICRP trials conclude in mid-2027.
The ultimate test will be in farmers' fields. Jitender Singh Hooda, a grower from Kheri Bairagi village in western UP's Shamli district, reduced his sugarcane area from eight acres to six in 2025 and further to four acres this year, planting maize, urad, and short-duration Pusa-1509 basmati paddy on the vacated land. He said yields that were previously 38-39 tonnes per acre are now just 22-23 tonnes, and red rot has dented farmer confidence in cane.