Shahid Zamir, Azraf Ahmad:
Integrated Application of Fertilisers and Biocane (Organic fertilisers) to Enhance the Productivity and Juice Quality of Autumn Planted Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

SHAHID ZAMIR, AZRAF AHMAD
University of Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, Pakistan

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of different levels of fertilisers and biocane on the growth, yield and juice quality of sugar cane Var. SPSG-26 at the Agronomic Research Farm, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan during the year 2007-2009. The experimental design was a completely randomised block with four replications and a net plot size of 7.5m x 7m. The study comprised of five treatments viz. T1= N:P:K- 170:85:85kg ha^-1, T2= biocane 2.5 l ha^-1, T3= biocane 2.5 l ha^-1 + N:P:K- 170:85:85kg ha^-1, T4= biocane 2.5 l ha^-1 + N:P:K- 85:42:42kg ha^-1 and T5= biocane 1.25 l ha^-1 + N:P:K- 170:85:85kg ha^-1. All doses of P, K and 12 N was side dressed at the time of sowing and remaining 12 N was top dressed at the time of 3_rd irrigation while Biocane was sprayed as foliar fertilisers in December after seedling establishment. Cultivar SPSG-26 was used as test crop for this experiment.

All growth and yield parameters were significantly affected by biocane application along with synthetic fertilisers. The highest cane yield of 109.5 t ha^-1 was found for treatment T3. Also the number of mill able canes, can length, can diameter, number of internodes per cane, internodal length, trash weight, weight per stripped cane, tops weight and stripped can yield were all significantly affected by this treatment as compared to the other treatments. The sucrose contents non-significantly differed among the treatment means and varied between 7.7-12.78%.

The present study concluded that in case of sugarcane variety SPSG-26 the application of biocane 2.5 l ha^-1 + N:P:K- 170:85:85kg ha^-1 proved to give the highest cane yield. Integrated application of synthetic and biofertilisers can improve the soil physical conditions, microbial activity, plant growth and helps to sustain the environment, therefore, reducing the fertiliser pollutants in to the atmosphere and ground water.

Keywords: Biocane fertiliser, biofertilisers, sugarcane, synthetic fertilisers

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Contact Address: Shahid Zamir, University of Agriculture, Department of AgronomyJail Road, 38040 Faisalabad, Pakistan, e-mail: zamir757gmail.com