Productivity, quality and nutrient balance in spring sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex) under organic and inorganic nutrition

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during spring season of 2008-09 and 2009-10 on sandy loam soil at Pusa to as- sess the effect of farmyard manure and fertilizer levels on sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrid complex). The ex- periment 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., F , 150 + 37.1 + 49.8, RDF; F , 150 + 43.6 + 66.4; F , 200 + 43.6 + 83.0 1 2 3 and F , 200 + 54.6 + 99.6 kg N + P + K/ha. Application of 20 tonnes FYM/ha to sugarcane recorded significantly 4 higher mean growth (tillers, 1,70,200/ha; cane height, 208.9 cm; drymatter accumulation, 33.3 t/ha), yield at- tributes (millable canes, 1,13, 600/ha; cane diameter, 2.18 cm) and cane yield (87.5 t/ha) over no FYM. An in- crease of 16.2% in cane yield, 26.31% in net return, 8.5% in benefit: cost ratio and 15.6% in sugar yield was no- ticed with FYM over its control. FYM @ 20 tonnes/ha registered an increase of 20.9% in N uptake, 20.3% in P up- take, 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 F to F signifi- 1 3 cantly increased the net returns. However, further increase to F level did not proved profitable option. Fertilizer 4 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.