The effects of soil pH, clay content, rainfall and age at harvest on the yield response of sugarcane to Temik.

Abstract

The data from 87 nematicide experiments were reviewedto assessthe effect of pH and clay content of the soil, rainfall and age at harvest on the yield of cane growing in soils treated with Temik (aldicarb). The results showed that yield responseswere greatest in cane growing in the Fernwood series soils which have a low clay content. Responses tended to decrease as the clay content of the soil increased. Responses to applied Temik were smaller where the pH of the soil was higherthan 8,0 than they werewhen it was lower than 8,0. Rainfallhad no apparent effect on the crop's responses to Temik applied on Fernwood series soils but in Clansthal series soils, the response appeared to decrease slightly as the rainfall increased. The results indicated that the magnitude of crop responsesto Temik increased with the ageat which the crop was harvested and that the mean response to Temik of crops harvested at 20 months or older, was twice that from crops harvested at 13 months or younger. Total crop production per month was nevertheless much greater for treated crops harvested at a young agethan at an older age.