Abstract
The field experiments were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana during autumn 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 and at PAU, Regional Research Station, Faridkot and Ladhowal during 2008–2009 to study the feasibility of planting sugarcane in furrows of standing wheat sown on beds by Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) method. The treatments were, sole crop of autumn sugarcane planted at 67.5 cm spacing in October (T1), sugarcane planting at 90 cm spacing in October and two rows of wheat intercrop in between (T2); wheat sown in end October by FIRB system, (two rows of wheat on 37.5 cm wide bed) and sugarcane in furrows (30 cm wide) at monthly interval from October to March (T3–T8). In T9 and T10, the sugarcane was planted at 67.5 and 75 cm row spacing in April after harvesting of wheat. For T3–T8, irrigation was applied in furrows of FIRB wheat preferably in the evening and three budded sugarcane setts were planted next morning by pressing into the wet soil manually (wet planting). The results clearly revealed that the productivity of sugarcane varies with the planting method and time. The highest cane yield was obtained at all the locations when the sole sugarcane was planted in autumn at 67.5 cm spacing. In wheat based cropping systems, sugarcane planted in furrow of FIRB wheat during February–March gave significantly more yield than the crop planted in wheat furrows during November, December and January months at Ludhiana and during December and January at Faridkot and Ladhowal. The lowest cane productivity was recorded when planted after wheat harvesting. The wheat productivity on raised beds varied from 37.5 to 37.9 q/ha at Ludhiana, 46.0 to 47.8 q/ha at Faridkot and 32.1 to 34.9 q/ha at Ladhowal clearly pronouncing the effect of agro-ecological and adaphic factors. The net returns were highest when wheat sown on beds and sugarcane in furrows in March (T8) followed by February (T7), October (T3) and wheat (two rows) intercropped in autumn sugarcane planted at 90 cm spacing (T2).
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