Enhancement of Sugarcane Productivity through STCR based Balanced Fertilization

Abstract

A soil survey was conducted during September 2011 in the sugarcane dominant tracts of Theni district Tamil Nadu to find the soil fertility status and link with different cane yield potentials. The soil samples were taken from 400 spatially distributed locations from a depth of 0-30 cm and analyzed for texture, pH, EC, Organic carbon, available N, P&K and micronutrients viz., Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu. The interpolated macro and micronutrients status shows a clear deficiency of available nitrogen in 96 percent of the soil samples and DTPA -extractable Zn deficiency in almost 60 percent of the regions surveyed. However, the available phosphorus and potassium contents were reported to be moderate to high in 90 percent of the samples. Based on the above results, a field experiment was conducted during March 2012 to validate the balanced fertilization package to attain a factory average sugarcane yield of 150 t ha -1 from the present average of 95 t ha -1 at Rajshree Sugars and Chemicals Ltd. (RSCL) farm. The soils were normal in soil reaction (pH), non-saline, low in SOC and available N while high in available P and K status. The DTPA extractable Fe, Mn and Cu were sufficient while Zn was deficient. The effect of balanced fertilization on yield attributes and cane yields were significant. Among the treatments, the STCR based fertilizer application (T 6 ) on par with T 9 (RSCL package) recorded significantly the highest cane yield and sugar yield of 128 and 17.04 t ha -1 , respectively. Considering the B:C ratio, among the treatments T 9 and T 10 (TNAU package) which was on par with increase the yield from 102 t ha -1 to 128 t ha -1 could be recommended. But a revised balanced fertilization package with N at 275 to 300 kg, 112.5 kg P 2 O 5 and 150 kg K 2 O along with 50 kg FeSO 4 ha -1 and 5 t ha -1 bio-compost or any other organic manure with recommended bio-fertilizers such as phosphate solubilizing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) has to be test verified to maximize sugarcane productivity.

Geospatial Distribution of Iron in Major Sugarcane Growing Soils of Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India

“…Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a crop that acts as a natural renewable agricultural resource and provides sugar, bio-fuel, fiber and manure besides many by products. The crop is grown mainly for sugar production and for making jaggery and desi sugar [1]. It is one of the important commercial sugar crops in the world (Anon., 2005).…”