EFFECT OF LEVELS, DOSES OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER AND SEEDING RATES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUGARCANE

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at Shandaweel Agricultural Research Station, Sohag Governorate, Egypt (latitude of 26 61° N, longitude of 31 52° E and altitude of 72 m above sea level) in 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons to assess the effect of levels and number of doses of nitrogen fertilizer as well as seed rates on yield and quality of sugarcane. This work included 27 treatments, represent the combinations among three rates of seeds [1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 rows of 3-budded cane cuttings (25200, 37800 and 50400 buds/fed)], three levels of N (180, 210 and 240 kg N/fed), and three N doses (each N level was split and applied as 2, 3 and 4 equal doses). The sugarcane cultivar namely G. 2004-27 (Giza-4) was used as a planting material. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used a split-split plot arrangement and replicated three times. The main-plots were devoted for seed rates, N levels were randomly applied in the sub plots, while number of N doses were distributed in the sub-sub plots, in both seasons. The results revealed that seed rates had a significant effect on all studied traits of sugarcane at harvest time. Planting sugarcane using 2.0 rows of cuttings (50400 buds/fed) improved millable cane height, number of millable canes/fed, cane and sugar yields/fed, while significant improvements in millable cane diameter, millable cane weight, brix%, sucrose% and sugar recovery% was recorded in case of growing sugarcane using 1.0 row (25200 buds/fed), in both seasons. Increasing N fertilizer level to 240 kg N/fed resulted a significant increase in millable cane height, diameter, millable cane weight, number of millable canes/fed, cane and sugar yields/fed, while the application of 210 kg N/fed led to a significant increase in brix, sucrose and sugar recovery percentages, in both seasons. The results indicated that increasing the number of N doses from 2 to 4 had significant positive effects on millable cane height, diameter, millable cane weight, number of millable canes/fed, cane and sugar yields/fed, along with brix, sucrose, and sugar recovery percentages, in both seasons. Under conditions of this work, it was found that growing Giza-4 sugarcane variety using 2.0 rows of cane setts (50400 buds/fed) with add 240 kg N/fed into 4- doses can be recommended to get the maximum cane and sugar yields