Abstract
High yield production and juice quality is essential in commercial sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) production. And this is possible is partly influenced by fertilizers. However, especially the effect of phosphorus and blended fertilizers was not known at study area. Field experiment was conducted at Fincha Sugar Estate, Ethiopia in 2018-2019 aiming to determine the effect of blended fertilizers and levels of phosphorus on yield and juice quality of sugarcane. The treatments were arranged in factorial combinations of three blended fertilizers (NPS, NPSB, and NPSBZn) and five phosphorus levels (0, 57, 76, 114, and 152 kg ha-1) and the experiment was laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications. Data on sugarcane yield and juice quality parameters (Brix%, pol%, purity) and sugar yield were collected and analyzed. The result revealed that the main effect and interaction effects of blended fertilizers at different levels of phosphorus were highly significantly (p<0.001) for all parameters studied except for cane yield and Brix%. Accordingly, maximum cane yield was recorded in blended fertilizer NPSBZn at levels of phosphorus 152 and 114 kg ha-1 producing 242.5 and 233 t ha-1, respectively. Thus, cane yield ranged from 106.04 to 242.5 t ha-1 depending on blended fertilizers and levels of phosphorus. The juice quality Brix%, pol%, purity and sugar yields of NPSBZn at a level of 114 kg ha-1 phosphorus was superior. Therefore, the finding show the application of blended fertilizer NPSBZn with a level of 114 kg ha-1 phosphorus was resulted in high cane yield and juice quality of sugarcane.
Highlights
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinurum L.) is originated from complex hybridization of Saccharum officinarum, Saccharum Spontaneum, Saccharum Barberi, Saccharum Sinense, and related species [17]
Sugarcane was unique in the sense that the storage of sucrose in the parenchymatous tissue of internodes has taken at higher concentrations
Lack of blended fertilizer type and optimum rate of phosphorus is the major problem in limiting sugarcane yield and juice quality at Fincha Sugar Estate farm
Summary
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinurum L.) is originated from complex hybridization of Saccharum officinarum, Saccharum Spontaneum, Saccharum Barberi, Saccharum Sinense, and related species [17]. The present level of national production from the eight-sugar estates was about 305,956.7 tons of white sugar per annum [33] This shows high sugarcane production potential of the environment but not efficiently utilized and the annual demand was not yet satisfied. Higher cane and sucrose yield was achieved by the application of the correct fertilizer rates in sugarcane crop production. Lack of blended fertilizer type and optimum rate of phosphorus is the major problem in limiting sugarcane yield and juice quality at Fincha Sugar Estate farm. The phosphorus rate and blended fertilizer at Finchaa sugar estate area has not been studied so that this research was meant to fill this gap to improve sugarcane yield and quality. This study was initiated with the aim of investigating the optimum level of Phosphorus and blended fertilizer on growth, yield, and juice quality of sugarcane
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