Effect of planting methods and irrigation schedules on cane yield, quality, economics and water productivity of spring sugarcane (Saccharumofficinarum) in South Western Punjab

The present experiment was conducted during 2009–10 to 2011–12 at Faridkot, Punjab, to study the influence of planting methods and irrigation schedules on cane and sugar yields and water productivity of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete-block design with combinations of 3 planting methods [conventional flat planting at 75-cm-row spacing, paired-row trench planting at 30: 120-cm-row spacing and furrow irrigated raised bed (FIRB) method at 75-cm-row spacing methods] and 3 irrigation schedules [irrigation at 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 irrigation water: cumulative pan evaporation (IW: CPE)]. The paired-row trench and FIRB planting systems while being statistically at par with each other resulted in significantly higher cane and sugar yields than conventional flat planted sugarcane. The paired-row trench and FIRB planting systems provided 16.1 and 13.7, and 16.9 and 14.1% higher cane and sugar yield than conventional planting, respectively. The net returns and benefit: cost also followed the similar trends. The sugarcane and sugar yields increased significantly with successive increase in frequency of irrigation from 0.5 to 1.0 IW: CPE, while reverse trend was observed for water productivity. The highest cane and sugar yields were recorded in paired-row trench-planted crop irrigated at 1.0 IW: CPE, which was statistically at par with paired-row trench-planted cane irrigated at 0.75 and FIRB irrigated at 1.0 IW: CPE but significantly better than other combinations of irrigation schedules and methods of planting. Paired-row trench-planted sugarcane resulted in statistically at par cane yield with FIRB and significantly better than conventional planting with 25% less water.