Effect of Tata Paras Farmoola as fertilizer on yield and quality of sugarcane

Tata Paras Farmoola, a customized fertilizer, is a combination of various plant nutrients viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, sulphur, zinc and boron. A field experiment was conducted at research farm of U.P. Council of Sugarcane Research, Shahjahanpur using sugarcane variety CoSe 01434 to test the efficacy of Tata Paras Farmoola comprising five treatments i.e. T₁⁻ Flat recommendation, T₂⁻ Tata Paras Farmoola @ 200 kg/acre, T₃⁻ Tata Paras Farmoola @ 150 kg/acre, T₄⁻ Progressive farmers’ practices, T₅⁻ General farmers’ practices. The experiment was carried out in spring planting season during 2014–15 and 2015–16 using recommended dose of fertilizers. The result showed that the tillers, NMC, and cane height were found higher in T₂ (Tata Paras Farmoola @ 200 kg/acre) than in other treatments. Cane yield and CCS% were also higher in T₂ than in other treatments.

Major causes of soil health decline include nutrient unbalance in soil, excessive use of chemical fertilizers without organic supplements, soil pollution and soil erosion processes. The per capita food production in Africa is declining largely due to depletion in soil quality and soil health. A healthy soil is supposed to have values of key parameters or key soil functions in desirable and optimum range. Seventeen elements have been recognized to be essential for normal growth and development of plants of which 13 are considered as fertilizer elements. External supplementation of major and micronutrients (such as N, P, K, S, Zn and Mn) is generally done as per crop's requirement for better growth of the crop. Imbalanced use of fertilizer nutrients is gradually deteriorating soil health. The data on fertilizer consumption indicate that the ratio of N:P₂ O₅:K₂ O at India level is presently at abnormally distorted level of 8.0:27:1 instead of the ideal level of 4:2:1. The imbalance use of fertilizers leads to depletion of native P and K from soil when excess N fertilizer is added.