With reference to the current trends in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, consider the following statements:

1. A substantial saving in seed material is made when ‘bud chip settlings’ are raised in a nurse, and transplanted in the main field.
2. When direct planting of setts is done, the germination percentage is better with single-budded setts as compared to setts with many buds.
3. If bad weather conditions prevail when setts are directly planted, single-budded setts have better survival as compared to large setts.
4. Sugarcane can be cultivated using settlings prepared from tissue culture.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 4 only

(d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (c)

Explanation:

• The use of single-bud/bud-chip settlings for transplanting sugarcane can result in significant seed cane savings of up to 80 percent, as well as better field establishment and healthier plants. This method is less costly and requires less labor compared to conventional sett planting. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• When setts are directly planted, larger setts have a better survival rate than single-budded ones if bad weather conditions occur. However, when it comes to germination, setts with multiple buds have a higher percentage than those with a single bud. Thus, statements 2 and 3 are not correct, and they have been reversed in the question.
• Vegetative propagation techniques such as tissue culture can be employed to grow these settlings, which can be transplanted into the field later. Therefore, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.