Sugarcane Seed Rate & Setts & Seed Cane per Acre
Plants setts
Enter area, row spacing, setts per metre and sett weight to get the seed cane in tonnes, the total setts, setts per acre and the total buds — plant at the right rate.
Enter your field
Next: plant 35,972 setts (~3.6 t seed cane); treat setts with fungicide, and consider a single-bud nursery to cut seed cane.
Rates vary with row spacing, sett size and germination; spaced/single-bud planting needs far less seed cane.
Sugarcane seed rate — key facts
- Furrow length
- area ÷ row spacing
- Setts
- furrow length × setts/metre
- Seed cane
- setts × sett weight
- Planting unit
- three-budded setts
- Seed cane share
- ≈ 7–8% of the crop
- Treat setts
- fungicide before planting
- Save seed
- single-bud / spaced planting
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Seed cane is a major cost — cut and order the right amount
A sugarcane crop is planted from itself: three-budded setts cut from last season's cane, laid end-to-end in the furrows. That seed cane is no small thing — it takes back roughly 7–8% of a harvest and is one of the biggest input costs in establishing the crop. Order too little and rows go short; cut too much and you waste saleable cane. The seed rate hinges on row spacing, how densely you lay setts, and how heavy each sett is.
This tool computes the seed cane in tonnes, the total setts, setts per acre, total buds and the furrow length from your area, spacing, setts per metre and sett weight. Use it to budget seed cane, plan cutting and treatment, and see how much single-bud or spaced planting could save. Pair it with the Plant Spacing & Population and Crop Yield tools to plan the whole cane crop.
Order the right seed cane
Seed cane tonnes for your exact field.
Plant at the correct rate
Setts per metre across every furrow.
Budget a big input
Seed cane is ~7–8% of the crop.
Compare planting methods
See how spaced planting saves seed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is sugarcane planted?+
Sugarcane is planted vegetatively from seed cane cut into three-budded setts, laid end-to-end in furrows so the buds sprout into a new crop. The setts are usually placed in the furrow and covered with soil, sometimes with a light overlap. Seed cane is a real cost — roughly 7–8% of the harvested crop goes back as planting material.
How is the seed cane requirement calculated?+
Furrow length = area ÷ row spacing; setts = furrow length × setts per metre; seed cane = setts × sett weight. The tool chains these so you enter your field area, row spacing, sett density and the weight of each sett, and it returns the total seed cane in tonnes along with the sett and bud counts you need to order and cut.
What is a three-budded sett?+
A sett is a cut piece of cane carrying buds (eyes) that sprout after planting. The traditional unit is a three-budded sett — a length of cane with three viable buds. Laying these end-to-end along the furrow gives the standard planting density; the calculator counts both the setts and the total buds going into the ground.
How much seed cane do I need per acre?+
It depends on row spacing, setts per metre and sett weight, but conventional planting commonly uses several tonnes of seed cane per acre. Enter your own spacing and sett figures and the tool gives the exact seed cane tonnes and setts per acre for your field rather than a rough rule of thumb.
Why treat setts before planting?+
Treating cut setts with a fungicide (and sometimes hot water for disease control) protects the buds from rot and soil-borne disease in the critical days before they sprout, improving germination and a uniform stand. Healthy seed cane from a disease-free nursery is the foundation of a good ratoon-capable crop.
How does single-bud or spaced planting save seed cane?+
Cutting cane into single-bud setts and planting them at a measured spacing in a nursery (then transplanting) uses far less seed cane than laying three-budded setts end-to-end — often cutting the seed cane needed sharply. It costs more labour but stretches scarce or expensive seed cane and can raise multiplication of new varieties.
How does row spacing change the result?+
Wider rows mean fewer furrows across the field, so less total furrow length and fewer setts — but each row may carry the same density per metre. Narrowing the rows packs in more furrow length and more setts, raising the seed cane needed. The tool recomputes furrow length and setts whenever you change the spacing.
What is the sett weight and why does it matter?+
Sett weight is the average weight of one cut sett, which depends on cane thickness and the length per bud. Multiplying setts by sett weight converts a count into the tonnes of seed cane you actually cut and haul. Heavier, thicker cane raises the tonnage for the same number of setts.
Does this work in acres or hectares?+
Yes — enter your area in the unit you use and the matching row spacing, and the tool scales furrow length, setts and seed cane accordingly. The setts-per-acre output gives a per-area figure you can plan and budget around regardless of total field size.
Are the figures exact?+
They're solid planning figures. Real seed cane use varies with sett length, overlap in the furrow, gap-filling, germination losses and how thick your cane is, so add a margin for cutting waste and skips. Measure a few setts and a length of furrow on your own field to calibrate the inputs.