Integrated nutrient management for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid complex) plant-ratoon system

A field experiment was conducted at Navsari during 2002–2006 to study the influence of integrated nutrient management (INM) for sustained sugarcane plant-ratoon production system. Integrated use of various organics (FYM, pressmud, vermicompost and biofertilizers) with recommended dose of NPK fertilizers (RDF) to sugarcane plant crop followed by trash incorporation and green manuring with NPK and bio-fertilizers to ratoon sugarcane was studied. The results revealed that integrated use of FYM @25% of recommended dose of N (RDN) with RDF (250-125-125 kg N-P-K/ha) and biofertilizer (Azotobactor and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to plant crop followed by 10 t/ha trash incorporation with bio-fertilizer inoculation + RDF (300-6.25–125 kg N-P-K/ha) application increased cane (13.3 to 30.6 t/ha) and commercial cane sugar (0.5 to 1.6 tonne/ha) yield. However, the magnitude of variation in cane yield was marginal when total N was applied through fertilizer alone. Hence, it was possible to save 25% N when organics was applied along with bio-fertilizers Azatobacter + PSB.