Mode of Gluconacetobacter inoculation with different levels of nitrogen and its effect on growth and yield of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex)

The experiment was conducted during 2007–08 at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), India to assess the effect of Gluconacetobacter blended with N levels on growth, yield and quality of sugarcane cultivar ‘CoS 8436 ’. Sett treatment with Gluconacetobacter produced the highest number of millable cane (100900 ha⁻¹). It also improved cane length (156. 9 cm), diameter (2.89 cm) and weight (891.1 g). It was followed by soil treatment with Gluconacetobacter in increasing growth and yield of sugarcane. Significantly higher cane weight (12.4%) was recorded with sett treatment (891.1 g) as compared to foliar application. Sugar yield (7.82 t ha⁻¹) increased with sett treatment by 13.7% over foliar application (6.88 t ha⁻¹). Increasing levels of nitrogen increased growth parameters, cane and sugar yields. Cane and sugar yield increased appreciably by 24.8 and 23.7% with the application of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ over no N, respectively. Sett treatment of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus application was found to be the best in terms of colonizing population of G. diazotrophicus in shoot and root of sugarcane. Foliar application could not induce colonization of inoculated strain, as the population level was comparable with the natural incidence of G. diazotrophicus. Overall the response of inoculation was better with the application of 75 kg N ha⁻¹.