Precision Nutrient Management in Sugarcane Saccharum officinarum L

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted to study the precision nutrients management in newlinesugarcane during 2005-2008 at Research and Development Farm, Krishna Nagar. Initial newlinenutrients status of soil varied in farmers field from 149 kg N/ha to 325 kg N/ha and in grids of newline10 m x 10 m it ranged from 140 kg N/ha to 245 kg N/ha. Yield variations in grids of uniformity newlinetrial was 82.7 t/ha - 128.2 t/ha. Nutrients uptake by the crop ranged between 148.9 547.4 kg newlineN/ha, 2.48 15.61 kg P/ha and 124.8 434.2 kg K/ha. Drip irrigated plant cane crop and newlinefertigated plots recorded significantly superior yield (146.7 t/ha) over furrow irrigated plots newline(124.0 t/ha) (check). Fertigation interval or for fertilizer doses did not exhibit marked variations newlinein yield under drip of irrigation. Significantly higher values of quality traits were observed in newlinefurrow irrigated plots over the drip plots. Sugarcane yield in drip irrigated ratoon crop was also newlinesignificantly (84.62 t/ha) more over furrow irrigated check plot (63.60 t/ha). In farmers fields, newlinethe crop recorded significantly higher yield (139.7 t/ha) in relatively high nitrogen containing newlinesoils over the low soil nitrogen containing groups (119.0 t/ha). Relatively high soil nitrogen newlinecontaining group recorded high ratoon yield (126.2 t/ha) than soils with throw nitrogen (109.4 newlinet/ha). Drip irrigation with fertigation at monthly intervals of nitrogen (urea) and potassium newline(MOP) from 90 days after planting/ratooning to 240 days in 6 equal splits and basal newlineapplication of phosphorus (SSP) and vermicompost or FYM recorded higher net returns. The newlineB:C ratio of drip irrigated plots were lower than those of the furrow irrigated split applied newlinenutrients plots due to higher cost of drip irrigation system. newlineThe economic returns are much higher either in drip or split applied nutrients in furrow newlineirrigated crop compared to the general practices followed by the farmers particularly in ratoon newlinecrop. newline