Integrated nutrient management for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex) plant-ratoon system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Navsari during 2002-2006 to study the influence of integrated nutrient management (INM) for sustained sugarcane plant-ratoon production system. Integrated use of various organics (FYM, pressmud, vermicompost and biofertilizers) with recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (RDF) to sugar- cane plant crop followed by trash incorporation and green manuring with NPK and bio-fertilizers to ratoon sug- arcane was studied. The results revealed that integrated use of FYM @25% of recommended dose of N (RDN) with RDF (250-125-125 kg N-P-K/ha) and biofertilizer ( Azotobactor and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to plant crop followed by 10 t/ha trash incorporation with bio-fertilizer inoculation + RDF (300-6.25-125 kg N-P-K/ ha) application increased cane (13.3 to 30.6 t/ha) and commercial cane sugar (0.5 to 1.6 tonne/ha) yield. How- ever, the magnitude of variation in cane yield was marginal when total N was applied through fertilizer alone. Hence, it was possible to save 25% N when organics was applied along with bio-fertilizers Azatobacter + PSB.