Productivity, quality and nutrient balance in spring sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex) under organic and inorganic nutrition Kumar Navnit, Junior Scientist–cum–Asstt. Professor Sugarcane Research Institute, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar 848 125 1Department of Agronomy Corresponding author Email: navnitsri@sify.com
Online published on 10 April, 2012. Abstract An experiment was conducted during spring season of 2008–09 and 2009–10 on sandy loam soil at Pusa to assess the effect of farmyard manure and fertilizer levels on sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex). The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice with two FYM viz., 0 and 20 tonnes/ha and four fertilizer levels viz., F1, 150 + 37.1 + 49.8, RDF; F2, 150 + 43.6 + 66.4; F3, 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 and F4, 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg N + P + K/ha. Application of 20 tonnes FYM/ha to sugarcane recorded significantly higher mean growth (tillers, 1,70,200/ha; cane height, 208.9 cm; drymatter accumulation, 33.3 t/ha), yield attributes (millable canes, 1,13, 600/ha; cane diameter, 2.18 cm) and cane yield (87.5 t/ha) over no FYM. An increase of 16.2% in cane yield, 26.31% in net return, 8.5% in benefit: cost ratio and 15.6% in sugar yield was noticed with FYM over its control. FYM @ 20 tonnes/ha registered an increase of 20.9% in N uptake, 20.3% in P uptake, 20.2% in K uptake, 10.0% in available N, 23.3% in available P and 6.4% in available K over no FYM. Net gain of N (65 kg), P (6.1 kg) and K (31 kg) were also highest in FYM added plots. Crop receiving 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg N + P + K/ha gave significantly higher tillers (1,83,800/ha), cane height (213.8 cm), drymatter (34.5 t/ha), cane diameter (2.22 cm) and number of millable cane (1,20,800/ha) though, it was statistically at par with 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 kg N + P + K/ha. There was an increase in cane and sugar yield with each successive increase in N + P + K level from 150 + 37.1 + 49.8 kg/ha to 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 kg/ha. Increasing N + P + K levels from F1 to F3 significantly increased the net returns. However, further increase to F4 level did not proved profitable option. Fertilizer application increased the N uptake from 164 to 238 kg/ha, P uptake from 14.9 to 21.9 kg/ha and K uptake from 191.3 to 277.6 kg/ha. Significant increase in available N status was recorded with an application of 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 kg N + P + K/ha. However, available P status in post harvest soil increased significantly with each successive increase in fertilizer up to highest levels i.e. 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg N + P + K/ha. Available K status was the highest (121 kg K/ha) at 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg N + P + K/ha though it was on par with 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 kg N + P + K/ha. Net gain of N, P and K were progressively increased with increase in N + P + K levels from 150 + 37.1 + 49.8 to 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg/ha. Top Keywords Farmyard manure, Inorganic fertilizers, Nutrient balance, Productivity, Profitability, Quality, Sugarcane. Top |