The diagnostic recommendation and integrated system for monitoring N, P and K status of sugarcane in Punjab

The Diagnosis Recommendation and Integration System (DRIS) approach was employed to monitor the N, P and K status of sugarcane plants cultivated in different areas of Punjab. The nutrient with the most negative index is considered the most relatively insufficient and most limiting. DRIS assessed the nutrient balance in plant leaf tissues and identified not only the most limiting nutrient, but also the order in which the other nutrients become limiting. The DRIS indicated that 9, 14 and 77% of the total sugarcane samples collected were suffering from the inadequacy of N, P and K, respectively. Diagnosis of sugarcane leaves varying in their position on the plant or sampled at various stages of growth irrespective of cultivar or planted or ratoon crops carried out with DRIS approach showed that only minor variation in the nutrient order occurred. The nutrient diagnosis was largely independent of type of leaf tissue sampled.