EFFECT OF CROP GEOMETRY AND METHOD OF PLANTING ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUGARCANE UNDER SUBSURFACE DRIP FERTIGATION SYSTEM

摘要

A field, experiment was conducted at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to evaluate the crop geometry and method of planting on growth and yield of sugarcane (saccharam offtcinarum L.) under subsurface drip fertigation. The treatments comprised of lateral spacing and method of planting viz., 120, 135, 150, 165 and 180 cm as single side planting (SSP) and double side planting (DSP). The growth attributes like germination percentage, survival percentage, plant height, and leaf area index were higher under subsurface drir: fertigation with 180 cm lateral spacing as DSP (T_(10)). The same treatment recorded higher yield attributes like millable cane length, girth and weight. Whereas, the higher tiller count, number of millable canes and dry matter production were recorded at 120 cm lateral spacing as DSP (T_2). Recording yield, higher cane and sugar yield of 180 t/ha~(-1) and 18.63 t/har~(-1) were registered in 120 cm lateral spacing as DSP (T_2) and this was comparable with 165 cm (T_8) and 180 cm (T_(10)) lateral spacing as DSP. But the maximum net income (Rs. 1,06,956/ha) and B:C ratio (2.01) were recorded under sub surface drip fertigation with 180 cm lateral spacing as DSP (T_(10)).