Soil behaviour and growth and productivity of sugarcane ratoon as influenced by trash management and preceding intercrops

A field experiment conducted during 1998–2000 at the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, revealed that intercropping blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) though adversely affected the growth and yield of plant crop, it had no adverse effect on the productivity of subsequent ratoon compared to that after sole sugarcane. Trash management practices, however brought about significant effects on ratoon growth, soil and plant nutrient status, cane yield and the juice quality. Trash mulching just after ratoon initiation resulted in greater availability and uptake of nutrients and enhancement in soil microbial population over trash burning. Further, there was an apparent increase in relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, leaf area and dry-matter partitioning to cane stalk with trash mulching. However, ratoon raised after trash burning suffered moisture stress during grand growth phase as indicated by drastic reduction in relative water content of leaves as well as cell membrane permeability and palpable increase in proline and epicuticular wax content.