Improving Sugarcane Productivity and Yield through Single-Bud Planting in Dryland Smallholder Systems for Sustainable Agriculture

One of the main challenges in dryland sugarcane cultivation is the limited availability of soil moisture, which reduces productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of transplanting systems on sugarcane productivity and sugar yield. The experiment was conducted in Andong District, Boyolali, Indonesia, during two growing seasons (2023–2025), using a randomized block design with three treatments: (T1) Single bud planting (SBP) with seedlings raised in polybags, (T2) SBP with direct soil-seeded bud sets pulled at transplanting, and (T3) the conventional method. Each treatment occupied 0.8 ha. Observed variables included yield components, sugar recovery, and crystal sugar yield. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results showed that the SBP system with polybag seedlings produced the highest productivity in the plant cane (115 t ha⁻¹, p < 0.05), while the SBP with pulled seedlings achieved the highest productivity in the first ratoon (134 t ha⁻¹, p < 0.01). The superior performance of the pulled SBP system in the second year was attributed to better root development. Both SBP systems significantly increased stalk weight, internode number, internode length, and millable stalk weight compared with the conventional system, resulting in higher millable cane productivity. Although SBP systems did not significantly affect brix or sugar recovery, they increased crystal sugar yield (8.15–9.5 t ha⁻¹, p < 0.05) due to higher cane productivity. Therefore, the SBP system can be recommended as an effective technology to enhance sugarcane productivity and sugar yield under dryland conditions.