Performance of bud chip seedlings under integrated nutrient management in autumn planted sugarcane Saccharum officinarum L

Abstract

A field experiment entitled Performance of bud chip seedlings under different integrated nutrient management practices in autumn planted sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) was conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, Buralikson, Assam for two consecutive years 2017-18 and 2018-19. The experiment consisted of three crop establishment techniques in main plot viz., M1: Conventional method of planting M2: Planting of bud chip seedling at 90 cm x 60 cm, M3: Planting of bud chip seedling at 120 cm x 60 cm and five integrated nutrient management practices under sub plot viz., F1: 100 % RDF, F2: 100 % RDF + vermicompost at 1 t ha-1 + green manuring (cowpea incorporation) + biofertilizers at 10 kg ha-1 F3: 100 % RDF + enriched compost at 1 t ha-1 + green manuring (cowpea incorporation), N4: 75 % RDF + FYM at 5 t ha-1 + vermicompost at 1 t ha-1 + green manuring (cowpea incorporation) + biofertilizers at 10 kg ha-1 and F5: 75% RDF + FYM at 5 t ha-1 + enriched compost at 1 t ha-1 + green manuring (cowpea incorporation). The treatments were laid out in split plot design and replicated thrice. The soil of experimental plot was clay loam in texture, acidic in reaction (pH 5.46 and 5.48) and medium in organic carbon content (0.71 and 0.68%) and available K2O (194.33 and 187.66 kg ha-1), low in available N (231.42 and 226.77 kg ha-1) and P2O5 (19.28 and 18.64 kg ha-1) during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. newlineExperimental findings revealed that the most of the plant growth parameters were significantly affected by crop establishment techniques. The planting of bud chip seedling at 120 cm x 60 cm (M3) recorded significantly higher values of plant growth parameters viz., total number of shoots ha-1, number of shoots plant-1, plant height, root growth, above ground biomass, LAI, LAD and CGR throughout the crop growing period, but was at par with planting of bud chip seedling at 90 cm x 60 cm (M2) in respect of physiologically active leaves plant-1 and leaf area stalk-1 during both the years. However, in case of few growth parameters...