Effect of Spacing on Performance of Sugarcane Seedcane Raised Using Single Eye Bud Technology in Western Kenya

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) production in Kenya faces increasing pressure to improve planting efficiency, crop establishment, and seedcane supply. To address this, a 12‑month field experiment (2024-2025) was conducted at Kibos (Kisumu County) and Opapo (Migori County) to evaluate the effects of inter‑row (1.2 m and 1.5 m) and intra‑row (0.45 m, 0.60 m, and 0.75 m) spacing on survival, growth, and yield of variety KEN 83‑737 using single‑eye bud settlings. A split‑plot design with three replications was employed, assessing survival, tillering, plant height, cane weight, stalk population, girth, internodes, and brix. Tillers peaked at 180 days after treatment (DAT) in Kibos and 210 DAT in Opapo before declining. Narrow intra‑row spacing (0.45 m) reduced survival in Opapo but enhanced early tillering in Kibos. Closer inter‑row spacing (1.2 m) produced significantly more stalks in Kibos and taller plants in Opapo compared to 1.5 m. These outcomes reflect the benefits of higher plant density and faster canopy closure under closer spacing. Yield was highest under 1.2 m × 0.45 m spacing, reaching 101.46 t ha⁻¹ in Kibos and 124.63 t ha⁻¹ in Opapo, although differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). This spacing combination appears most optimal for the tested sites and similar agro‑ecological conditions.