Effect of Subsoiling and Preparatory Tillage on Sugar Yield, Juice Quality and Economics of Sugarcane (Saccharum species hybrid) in Sugarcane Plant-Ratoon Cropping System

Abstract

The experiment consisting of five subsoiling practices (no subsoiling, subsoiling at 1.0 m distance, subsoiling at 1.5 m distance, cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance and cross subsoiling at 1.5 m distance) and three preparatory tillage practices (two harrowing, four harrowing and one rotavator) was laid out in strip plot design with three replications. Juice quality viz., brix, sucrose, purity and available sugar per cent were significantly improved by subsoiling practice. Crop grown under the most intense subsoiling i.e. cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance exhibited significantly higher corrected brix, available sugar and commercial cane sugar yield over no subsoiling. Crop grown with cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance operation produced 8.9 and 9.6 t/ha commercial cane sugar yield, which was 34.8 and 50.0 % higher than no subsoiling treatment in plant and ratoon crops, respectively. Preparatory tillage practices failed to bring significant variations in juice quality. Economics was proved better in cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance which gave significantly higher gross return (Rs 261,770/ha), net return (Rs 185,175/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.42). Net return and benefit: cost ratio increased by 50.0 and 43.2 % due to cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance over no subsoiling.