Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TARGETED YIELD APPROACH IN SUGARCANE BASED CROPPING SYSTEM

N.B. More, A.V. Patil and G.D. Patil

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2002-04 and 2004-05 for plant cane-ratoon-wheat cropping system at Central Sugarcane Research Station, Padegaon to assess the feasibility and economics of fertilizer application based on soil test and targeted yield approach in sugarcane based cropping system. The yield target for sugarcane was short by 10 to 22 per cent. Significantly highest cane yield and CCS t ha-1 was obtained in treatment of 150 t ha-1 target with FYM in both the plant and ratoon crop. NPK-0 treatment gave lowest yield with least CCS per cent in cane. Higher CCS per cent was observed in the treatments where FYM was used. Organic carbon was slightly increased in the treatments where FYM was used. Soil available N, P and K were minimum in the NPK – 0 treatments. The lowest uptake of NPK kg ton-1 and kg ha-1 was observed in control treatment (NPK – 0). In case of wheat crop the yield targets were short by 14 to 21 per cent. Significantly highest yield (34.5 q ha-1) was obtained by 40 q ha-1 yield target with FYM followed by the treatment of 40 q ha-1 yield target (31.5 q ha-1).