Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF TRASH MULCHING ON QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE PARAMETERS OF SUGARCANE

Sanjeev Kumar, Gireesh Chand, Devendra Mandal1, Anand Kumar and Sunil Kumar

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of levels of sugarcane trash mulch and P2O5 on growth, yield and juice quality of autumn planted sugarcane in calcareous sandy loam soil of Bihar. Trash mulching @ 10 L/ha recorded the highest values of number of tillers (89.15 thousand/ha), millable canes (70.47 thousand/ha), plant height (176.51 cm), cane girth (2.21 cm), average cane weight (1.29 kg), cane yield (90.96 t/ha). sucrose (17.62%) and CCS (12.15%) per cent of cane juice and sugar yield (11.06 t/ha) and were found significantly superior to those obtained with no mulch (79.46 thousand/ha, 64.05 thousand/ ha, 170.90 cm, 2.11 cm, 1.19 kg. 76 t/ha. 17.19%, 11.85%. 9.01 t/ha. respectively) and mulching @ 5 L/ha (83.22 thousand/ha. 66.41 thousand/ha. 174.37 cm, 2.18 cm, 1.22 kg, 80.8 l/ha. 17.32%, 11.96%, 9.68 t/ha). Significant improvement in cane and sugar yield was recorded up to 80 kg/ha level of P2Os application. Mulching@ 10 t/ha along with 80 kg/ha of P2O5 application was found as the best treatment combination