Abstract
<p>A field experiment was carried out during the spring seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to find out exact time of earthing up with level of earthing up and optimum doses of nitrogen for getting higher productivity, monetary returns, and changes in the fertility status of soils after harvest of ratoon sugarcane (<em>Saccharum officinarum</em> L.). Twentieth fifth April earthed crop produced significantly more height of tillers, leaf area index at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage and at harvest, dry matter/tiller at maximum tillering stage at grand growth stage and at harvest, cane length, cane diameter of top, middle and bottom, weight of cane, cane yield, monetary returns, B/C ratio, N, P and K uptake except number of tillers/ha, number of millable cane/ha and net available soil nutrient after the harvest of ratoon crops as compared to 25<sup>th</sup> May and 25<sup>th</sup> June respectively. Twentieth cm height of earthing up from the ridge also significantly increased all the above parameters such as height of tillers, LAI of maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage and harvest, dry matter/tiller at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage and at harvest, cane length, weight of cane and cane yield than that of 10 cm earthed crop in both the ratoon crops. Application of 210 kg N/ha linearly and significantly increased number of tillers/ha at 60 and 120 days after ratooning, height of tillers at 120 days after ratooning, LAI at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage, and at harvest, dry matter/tiller at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage and at harvest, number of millable cane, cane length, cane weight, cane yield, monetary returns, B/C ratio and N, P, K uptake followed by 180 kg N/ha. Ratoon crop showed that there was a build up of nitrogen and phosphorous but depletion in potassium content of the soil. 210 kg N/ha with earlier earthed at 25<sup>th</sup> April to a level of 20 cm was found optimum for obtaining higher yields and monetary returns.</p>
Highlights
A field experiment was carried out during the spring seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to find out exact time of earthing up with level of earthing up and optimum doses of nitrogen for getting higher productivity, monetary returns, and changes in the fertility status of soils after harvest of ratoon sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)
Application of 210 kg N/ha linearly and significantly increased number of tillers/ha at 60 and 120 days after ratooning, height of tillers at 120 days after ratooning, LAI at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage, and at harvest, dry matter/tiller at maximum tillering stage, grand growth stage and at harvest, number of millable cane, cane length, cane weight, cane yield, monetary returns, B/C ratio and N, P, K uptake followed by 180 kg N/ha
Ratoon crop showed that there was a build up of nitrogen and phosphorous but depletion in potassium content of the soil. 210 kg N/ha with earlier earthed at 25th April to a level of 20 cm was found optimum for obtaining higher yields and monetary returns
Summary
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is an important agricultural commercial cash crop and unique in the sense that a number of succeeding cane crops are raised from a single planting which is an integral component of sugarcane production system. Even a small improvement in ratoon crop would add considerably to overall sugarcane production and productivity in the country It will as well benefit cane growers by vacating the fields earlier for sowing of wheat and other rabi crops timely, as well as mill owner’s by providing mature cane earlier in the crushing period. In order to reduce the number of excessive tillers and converting them into millable canes, earthing up plays important role in maintaining the growth, yield, and juice quality of the sugarcane plant as well as for ratoon. It has added advantages in terms of pruning/cutting of old roots, moisture conservation, addition of organic matter, enhanced availability and uptake of plant nutrients, efficient utilization of solar www.ccsenet.org/sar. Considering the above facts into consideration this experiment was designed to test the ratoon sugarcane with different time and level of earthing up along with different levels of nitrogen fertilizers for higher growth, yield, economics and changes in soil fertility status of Indo-Gangetic alluvial soils of Uttar Pradesh
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