Co 86032 (Nayana)
From ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore — the standard high-yielder across the peninsular belt, valued for ratooning as much as the first cut.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sugarcane
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 11–14 months to harvest
- Expected yield
- 1,000–1,200 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Clay / black soil
- Disease resistance
- Good ratoonability; moderate smut tolerance
- Release
- Released 2000 (identified for the tropics 1994) · ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore · cross Co 62198 × CoC 671, for the peninsular/tropical zone
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Co 86032 (marketed as Nayana) was bred at ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, from the cross Co 62198 × CoC 671. It was identified for the tropical zone in 1994, began spreading commercially from 1996, and was formally notified for release in 2000. It went on to become one of the Institute's best-known releases — by some estimates it occupies over a million hectares across tropical peninsular India today, and it carries an official 'moderately resistant' (MR) rating against red rot. In practice its field record has run well ahead of that formal rating: multiple reports describe fields under Co 86032 staying largely free of red rot across roughly 25 years of cultivation, attributed to a nodal-resistance mechanism, even in seasons when susceptible neighbouring varieties saw 60–80% infection. It is also known as an exceptional ratooner — some farmers are reported to have taken 18 or more ratoon crops from a single planting — and for tolerating drought better than most north Indian canes.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Co 86032 (Nayana) if you farm Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh or Telangana and want the cane the whole belt is built around. Its 1,000–1,200 q/ha is above any of the northern canes here (900–1,000 for Co 0238, 700–850 for CoLk 14201), but it takes 11–14 months to get there against their 9–12, which matters if a rabi crop follows. Two things make it pay beyond the first cut: it ratoons exceptionally — farmers report 18 or more ratoons from one planting — and its red rot field record has held for about 25 years through what researchers call nodal resistance, even in seasons when neighbouring varieties were badly hit. Smut tolerance is not confirmed by any source. Choose CoM 0265 if you want a newer Maharashtra cane with a documented multi-disease rating.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFor the adsali crop in western Maharashtra, plant between 15 July and 15 August. MPKV's Solapur advisory names Co 86032 (Nira) among the varieties for that planting
- Sowing methodUse 9 to 10 month old, healthy, genetically pure setts. Old or mixed seed cane is where most of the field-to-field variation in this variety comes from (MPKV)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Medium to heavy soil
- pH
- 7.5–8.0
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A remarkably durable red rot field record — about 25 years of reports describing it staying largely disease-free via nodal resistance, well beyond its official "moderately resistant" rating
- Exceptional ratoonability — some farmers report 18+ ratoon crops from one planting, a real saving on replanting cost
- Reported drought tolerance on top of its yield, useful in the less-assured-irrigation tracts of the peninsular belt
Things to consider
- No source specifically addressed smut for Co 86032, so the "moderate smut tolerance" credited above is unconfirmed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
Getting more ratoons out of one planting
Co 86032 is valued for ratooning as much as for the planted crop, and some farmers are reported to have taken 18 or more ratoons from a single planting. Every ratoon you take is a planting cost you do not pay, so the management of the ratoon is where the money is.
The work starts within days of harvest, not months later. Cut the cane at ground level so the buds below the soil sprout, shave the stubble and remove the trash line or spread it between rows, and give the ratoon its first irrigation and its fertilizer early — a ratoon starved in the first month never catches up. Fill the gaps where clumps have died, using setts or seedlings of the same variety, so the field stays full. And watch the stand honestly: when gaps, smut or a falling yield say the field is tired, a fresh planting from clean seed earns more than one more ratoon.
Can you keep your own planting material?
Cane is planted from setts cut out of the stalk, so your own field can supply next season. Take setts from a young, well-grown, healthy crop, not from a ratoon cut several times over, and never from a field that showed wilt or red rot. Bring in fresh seed cane from a nursery or a government farm every few years, because the planting material carries disease forward.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Sugarcane variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Co 0238 (Karan-4) | High-recovery northern cane, only where red rot has not arrived | 10–12 months to harvest | 900–1,000 q/ha, high sugar recovery | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand |
| Co 86032 (Nayana)this page | Peninsular cane for heavy yield and many ratoons from one planting | 11–14 months to harvest | 1,000–1,200 q/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| CoJ 64 | Early thin cane for gur and khandsari buyers | 9–10 months to harvest | 700–800 q/ha, high juice quality for gur | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
| CoLk 14201 | An early north-west cane to move away from Co 0238 | 9–10 months | 700–850 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| CoM 0265 | Maharashtra cane with an all-round disease rating, including saline-alkali land | 12–18 months (Suru to Adsali) | 1,500–2,000 q/ha by planting type | Maharashtra |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Sugarcane is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Sugarcane plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Sugarcane variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Sugarcane into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Sugarcane in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Sugarcane rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
Why has Co 86032 stayed relatively free of red rot for so long?
It carries only an official 'moderately resistant' red rot rating, but multiple field reports over roughly 25 years describe it staying largely disease-free through what researchers call nodal resistance, even in seasons when susceptible neighbouring varieties saw 60–80% infection — real-world performance well ahead of its formal rating.
How many ratoon crops can Co 86032 give?
It has a strong reputation as a ratooner — some farmers are reported to have taken 18 or more ratoon crops from a single planting, reducing how often the field needs replanting from setts.
How many ratoons should I actually take from Co 86032?
The variety can carry many — reports of 18 or more exist — but each ratoon yields less than the one before unless you fill gaps, feed the stubble and keep the field clean. Take ratoons as long as the tonnage still pays your mill cost, and replant from fresh healthy setts when it does not.
Can I trust Co 86032 against red rot after what happened to Co 0238?
Its record is far better, about 25 years of staying largely clean in the tropical belt, but its official rating is only moderately resistant, and Co 0238's story shows what near-monoculture can do. Keep different varieties across your blocks, use clean seed cane, and report any red-rot patch to your mill early.
Does Co 86032 handle a dry spell?
It is reported to tolerate drought better than most north Indian canes, which is part of why it spread through tracts without fully assured irrigation. It is still a 11–14 month crop that needs water for tillering and grand growth, so a long dry spell at those stages will cost tonnage.
How long does Co 86032 take to harvest?
11–14 months, longer than an early cane such as CoJ 64 at 9–10 months. With ratoons on top of that, one planting ties up the field for years, which is the trade for 1,000–1,200 q/ha and good ratoonability.
What land does Co 86032 suit?
Heavy clay land in the peninsular belt, which is where it is listed: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. A long crop that you intend to ratoon needs soil that holds moisture and a water supply you can count on for more than one season.
Sourced from: Agromet Advisory Bulletin, District Agromet Unit, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Mohol, Solapur (MPKV): adsali sugarcane planting window, soil and pH, variety list and sett age. editorial policy.