CoJ 64
Planted from three-budded setts, not true seed. A thin, early cane bred for jaggery (gur) quality over mill recovery, sought by khandsari units by name.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sugarcane
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 9–10 months to harvest
- Seed rate
- 20,000 three-budded setts per acre, or 15,000 four-budded setts — about 30–35 quintals of seed cane. Use only the top two-thirds of the cane
- Expected yield
- 700–800 q/ha, high juice quality for gur
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Thin-caned and comparatively hardy; moderate red rot tolerance
- Release
- Released 1974 by Punjab Agricultural University's Sugarcane Research Station, Jalandhar, bred by Dr Ranbir Singh Kanwar. The parentage cross is not stated in any source
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
CoJ 64 was bred by Dr Ranbir Singh Kanwar at Punjab Agricultural University's Sugarcane Research Station, Jalandhar. The 'CoJ' in its name abbreviates the two cities behind this naming series, Coimbatore and Jalandhar, rather than marking a joint Coimbatore–Jalandhar cross. It combined high sugar content with early maturity but was initially held back by susceptibility to top borer; only after a top-borer control strategy was worked out at Jalandhar in 1972 was it released for general cultivation in Punjab in 1974. Its impact was immediate and large: adoption lifted Punjab's average sugar recovery by about 1.5 percentage points, prompted the licensing of 16 new sugar mills in the state, and helped move Punjab from a low-recovery cane zone to a self-sufficient, even exporting, sugar producer. CoJ 64 was one of three landmark early-maturing, high-sugar releases from Kanwar's programme, alongside CoJ 83 and CoJ 85. For decades afterward it served as the benchmark 'check' variety that newer North-West Zone releases were measured against. Co 0238's own AICRP trial reports, for instance, state its cane-yield and sugar-yield gains as a percentage improvement over CoJ 64.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick CoJ 64 if you sell to a khandsari or gur unit that asks for it by name. Bred by Dr Ranbir Singh Kanwar at PAU's Jalandhar station and released in 1974, it is a thin, early cane harvested in 9–10 months at 700–800 q/ha, grown for juice quality rather than mill recovery. Its arrival lifted Punjab's recovery by about 1.5 percentage points and it served for decades as the check variety newer northern canes were measured against. Two cautions: it has long been described as susceptible to top borer, and the moderate red rot rating given above is not backed by any source we could find. For a mill supply in Uttar Pradesh, CoLk 14201 is the newer early option.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-February to the end of March in Punjab. Being an early variety, CoJ 64 should not be planted after March at all (PAU)
- Seed rate20,000 three-budded setts per acre, or 15,000 four-budded setts — about 30–35 quintals of seed cane. Use only the top two-thirds of the cane
- SpacingTrenches 75 cm apart and 20–25 cm deep, setts covered with 5 cm of soil. For paired rows keep the two rows 30 cm apart with 90 cm between trenches
- Sowing methodTrench planting. Soak the setts overnight in ethrel solution, or 24 hours in plain water, to lift germination. Treat them against red rot and smut before planting — this variety is now highly susceptible to red rot
- IrrigationApril to June is the hard stretch — irrigate every 7 to 12 days. Through the rains, go by rainfall and drain standing water. In November to January one irrigation a month is enough, plus one around mid-December and one in the first week of January against frost
- Fertilizer60 kg N per acre (130 kg urea) for the plant crop and 90 kg N per acre (195 kg urea) for the ratoon. Half the nitrogen with the first irrigation after germination, the rest in May or June. Phosphorus only if the soil tests low — then 12 kg P2O5 (75 kg single superphosphate) per acre in the furrows (PAU)
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Historically transformative for Punjab's sugar economy — raised the state's average sugar recovery by about 1.5 percentage points and helped license 16 new sugar mills
- Long service as the reference 'check' variety in North-West Zone trials, so decades of newer varieties' reported gains are effectively benchmarked against it
- Good juice quality for gur (jaggery) production, as sourced accounts describe
Things to consider
- CoJ 64's parentage cross is not published in any source. Its breeding record is less documented online than its impact.
- Sources describe CoJ 64 as historically susceptible to top borer. This is worth factoring in, since the variety is now roughly 50 years old and local pest pressure may have shifted since.
- No source addressed the "moderate red rot tolerance" rating (the sourced material focuses on top borer and sugar recovery), so it is unconfirmed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
Selling to a gur or khandsari unit
CoJ 64 is a thin, early cane whose reputation is for jaggery quality rather than mill recovery, and khandsari and gur units ask for it by name. That changes who you deal with: a gur unit or a crusher, often paying cash on delivery, rather than a mill with a supply ticket and a season-long payment cycle.
Fix the terms before planting. Ask the unit what rate it pays, whether it collects or you deliver, and in which weeks it will crush, since an early cane is wanted early. Cut and deliver on the same day, because juice quality falls once cut cane sits, and keep the crop clean of dry leaves. If gur prices in your area swing a lot, split the field between buyers so one soft season does not take the whole crop with it.
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) | 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 64this page | 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
What does the "CoJ" in CoJ 64 stand for?
It abbreviates Coimbatore and Jalandhar — the two cities associated with this naming series of sugarcane varieties bred at Punjab Agricultural University's Jalandhar station, not a joint cross between institutes.
Why is CoJ 64 still remembered as a landmark variety?
Its 1974 release lifted Punjab's average sugar recovery by roughly 1.5 percentage points and helped license 16 new sugar mills in the state — for decades afterward it was the benchmark 'check' variety that newer North-West Zone releases were measured against.
Why would I grow a 50-year-old cane like CoJ 64?
For the gur trade. Its juice quality makes light, good-grade jaggery, and khandsari units in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar still ask for it by name. If you sell only to a sugar mill on weight and recovery, a newer variety will pay you more.
What do I do about top borer in CoJ 64?
Plan for it from planting. Its release was held back until a top-borer control strategy was worked out, which tells you how much the variety needs one. Use clean setts, plant in time, cut and destroy dead hearts as they appear, and follow the current advisory from your cane council.
Does the thin cane mean less money?
At the mill gate, yes — 700–800 q/ha is below what Co 0238 or Co 86032 can give. The gur buyer pays for juice quality instead, so the arithmetic depends entirely on who takes your crop. Fix the buyer before you plant, not after.
How early is CoJ 64 ready?
9–10 months to harvest, the earliest cane compared here. That is why gur and khandsari buyers like it: the crop is ready when the crushing season opens, and the field comes free months before a 14-month cane would release it.
Where is CoJ 64 grown, and what soil does it want?
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on loam. It is a thin cane and comparatively hardy, which is part of why it has lasted on ordinary north Indian land where a heavy peninsular cane would need more water than the field can give.
Sourced from: Sugarcane Research Station Jalandhar, Punjab Agricultural University, Ranbir Singh Kanwar — Wikipedia, Package of Practices for Kharif Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: sugarcane planting time, sett rate, trench spacing, irrigation and fertiliser schedule. editorial policy.