Effect of Agro-Technological Manipulations in Improving the Productivity of Cane under Multiratooning System

Sugarcane Research Station U. P. Council of Sugarcane Research, Muzaffarnagar (U. P.), India Abstract: A field experiment was conducted during 1998-99 to 2002-2003 at Sugar Research Station, Muzaffarnagar (U.P.) to find out the impact of various agro-technological manipulations on growth and yield of cane and sugar under multiratooning system. Results revealed that the combination of agro-techniques viz., dismantling of ridges + stubble shaving + sub-soiling along stubble rows + ploughing in between stubble rows + trash mulching @ 3.5 t hā + earthing up in July (T ) being statistically at par with T (as in T except 1 8 7 8 earthing up in June in place of July) produced significantly higher values of growth attributes (No. of shoots, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation and net assimilation rate), number of millable canes and yield of cane and sugar as compared to rest of the agro-techniques assessed. The T agro-technique produced the highest 8 cane yield of 81.48, 75.56 and 66.65 tonnes per ha which was 31.68, 41.31 and 47.20% more than that obtained under farmers' practice i.e. T (No cultural operation except trash burning) during I, II and III ratoon, 1 respectively. Experimental results further indicated that the application of any of the combination of agro - techniques viz., dismantling of ridges, stubble shaving, sub-soiling, trash mulching or ploughing in between stubble rows proved advantageous in obtaining significantly higher yield of cane over farmers' practice in multiratooning system. On mean over basis, the above results exhibited that the cane yield obtained under T7 and T treatments was higher to the time of 15.69, 16.47 and 15.84 % during I, II and III ratoon, respectively as 8 compared to combination of different agro-techniques excluding earthing up operations in June or July Yield of sugar was almost similar to the yield of cane under different treatments.