Abstract:Field experiments was conducted during rabi season of 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 at College farm, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari to study the “Effects of tillage practices and fertility levels on growth, yield and quality of sugarcane (
Saccharum officinarum L.) under South Gujarat conditions”. Total sixteen treatment combinations consisting of four treatment of tillage practices T
1: Cultivation with cultivator, T
2: Sub soiling (45 cm depth & at 2 m distance in square) + Cultivation with cultivator, T
3: Deep ploughing (22.5) + Cultivation with cultivator T
4: Rotavator + Cultivation with cultivator and four treatment of fertilizer levels F
1: 75% RDN (187.5 N kg/ha), F
2: 100% RDN (250 N kg/ha), F
3: 125% RDN (312.5 N kg/ha), F
4: 150% RDN (375 N kg/ha) was laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications. The sugarcane cultivar used in the study was Co N 13073.
Different tillage practices significantly affected the periodical dry matter accumulation by plant. Significantly higher dry matter accumulation at 90 DAP (6.8, 6.32 and 6.55 t ha-1), at 180 DAP (17.4, 16.3 and 16.9 t ha-1), at 270 DAP (23.8, 22.1 and 23.0 t ha-1) and at harvest (56.6, 52.7 and 54.7 t ha-1) were observed in the treatment T2 (Sub soiling 45 cm depth & at 2m distance in square + Cultivation with cultivator) during both the year as well as in pooled analysis while, at all periodical stages, dry matter accumulation at 90 DAP, 180 DAP, 270 DAP and at harvest found significantly higher under 125% RDN (F3) which was found statistically at par with 150% RDN (F4) during all stages in all the individual years.
All the quality parameters were not influenced significantly by the different tillage practices during both the years of study except commercial cane sugar yield which was found significantly higher under the treatment T2 (Sub soiling 45 cm depth & at 2 m distance in square + Cultivation with cultivator) during second and in pooled results. All the quality parameters were not influenced by the different fertility levels during both the years of study except commercial cane sugar yield which was found significantly higher under the treatment 125% RDN (F3) followed by the treatment 150% RDN (F4).
Treatment T2 (Sub soiling 45 cm depth & at 2 m distance in square + Cultivation with cultivator) registered maximum gross realization (₹ 4,87,243/ha) and net realization (₹ 3,79,832/ha) with B:C ratio of 3.54. While, the lowest gross realization (₹ 3,73,651/ha) and net realization (₹ 2,70,240/ha) with B: C ratio of 2.61 was obtained under T1 (Cultivation with cultivator) treatment.
The highest gross realization (₹ 4,72,537/ha), net-realization (₹ 3,69,535/ha) and B:C ratio (3.52) were obtained with the treatment F3 (125% RDN). While, the lowest gross realization (₹ 3,78,049/ha), net realization (₹ 2,70,755/ha) and B:C ratio (2.62) was obtained under the treatment F1 (75% RDN).