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Influence of season on the performance of an Adsali and its Ratoon crop of Sugarcane receiving Vermicompost and chemical fertilizers in different combinations.
G. K. ZENDE V. G. DESAI
S. N. JOSHI and J. H. KULKARNI
S. K. RUIKAR JAGADISH PATWARDHAN
The use of vermicompost in improving the soil conditions and increasing the crop yield and crop quality is now fairly accepted as a general practice in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujrath States. Adoption of vermiculture technology not only helps in improving the soil fertility on a sustainable basis, but it also helps in minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers to the extent of 25 to 50 percent and increase the crop yield by 15 to 20 percent due to increased supply of all essential elements. The trial conducted by INORA on a plant cane crop (CV, CoC-671) in 1996 at Kolhapur on a cultivators field revealed that the application of vermicompost at 5 to 10 tonnes per hectare, increased the juice quality and the magnitude of increase was high. (Zende et. al. 1998 a; Zende et. al. 1998 b). One of the practical way to deal with the problem of Land Management for protection of soil and crop from environment pollution is to adopt organic farming and make full use of vermiculture technology. The highlights of
work done by INORA was presented by Zende et al. 1988. Based on the limited data presented (Zende 1998 and 1999) it was noted adoption of vermiculture technology in Sugarcane Farming not only helps in reducing the dose of chemical fertilizers at least to the extent of 50 percent without sacrificing the cane yield, but it also helps in enhancing the quality of Juice considerably leading to very high recovery of Sugar.
Institute of Natural Organic Agriculture, Pune and Ugar Sugar works Limited Ugarkurd- in collaboration with each other, Jointly Conducted Vermicompost trials at R and D farm, of U.S.W. Ltd and also at Ainapur on a cultivators field from 1996 onwards. So far three crops of Adsali (CV CoC 671) and two crops of Ratoon and one crop preseasonal cane have been harvested and the third crop of Adsali and the second crop of Ratoon standing in the field which when harvested in December 1999 or January 2000 A.D. In view of variation in the fertility status of the soil at the two locations and also change in the nature of season, 1996-97 and 1997-98 (Rainfall and Minimum temperature), the sugarcane crop behaved differently. However, the overall trend noted is useful and beneficial in stressing the dire need for using vermicompost in improving the crop yield and crop quality. A consolidated picture of efforts made by INORA and U.S.W. LTD. and the outcome of these efforts in all six trials is presented in this paper.
MATERIALS AND METHODS A replicated field trial on Adsali crop of Sugarcane (CV CoC-671) was conducted on and D farm of Ugar Sugar works Ltd. Ugarkhurd as well as on a cultivators field (Shri Mohanrao Mutalik) at Ainapur. The first Adsali crop had six treatments as follows :
1) Control- No fertilizer. No manure.
2) Recommended dose of chemical fertilizers-namely, N, P and k. 400 kg N, 170 kg P2O5, 170 kg K2O per hectare.
3) Vermicompost alone- 5 tonnes/ha.
4) 3/4th dose of V.C. plus 1/4th of recommended dose of chemical fertilizers.
5) 1/2th dose of V.C. plus 1/2th dose of chemical fertilizer.
6) 1/4th dose of V.C. plus 3/4th dose of chemical fertilizers. nitrogen, phosphate and potash were added in the form of urea. Single Super phosphate and muriate of potash respectively.
for 2nd Adsali crop, two more treatments were added. namely
7) Full dose of V.C. plus recommended dose of N.P & K fertilizers.
8) Vermicompost applied at 10 MT/ha. for first Adsali crop, there were four replications and three for the second Adsali crop. Plot size was one guntha (one R) for each treatment, spacing between two rows was 3 feet.
The soil at R and D farm of U. S. W. Ltd, is alkaline rather saline, moderately calcareous and very low in available phosphate, organic carbon and available potash. It is also low in available Zinc. It is compact in deeper layers.
The soil at Ainapur is fairly a good fertile soil with better facilities for irrigation. After harvest of first Adsali crop, Ratoon crop was taken in the same field with the same treatment combination. No second Adsali crop was taken at Ainapur, By December 1998 (or January 1999). In all crop data for 3 Adsali crops and two ratoon crop was available for scrutiny of the field observations.
At harvest, agronomic observations like millable plant population, mature height, number of internodes, girth, internode length, average cane weight and hydrometer brix reading were recorded. This was based on two canes taken from each treatment. Six to eight canes collected at random from each treatment were sent to the laboratory for juice analysis, namely brix, pol, purity, N.R.Value or sugar recovery and P2O4 in juice (during the record harvest stage).
A large scale trial on 30 gunthas (30 R) was taken on a preseasonal cane crop on a cultivators field (Dr. Mohan Mutalik) with only two treatments namely vermicompost and no vermicompost, other management practices remained the same. The dates of planting and harvesting of Adsali and Ratoon crops are given below:
| Location |
Date of planting of Adsali crop |
Date of harvest of Adsali or Ratoon |
| Ugar sugar Works |
25-7-96 |
19th to 23rd |
| Ltd.R & D Farm |
|
Dec-97 |
| Ainapur |
13-8-96 |
Dec-97 |
| U.S.W.Ltd. |
11/9/97 |
30-12-98 to |
| |
|
1/1/99 |
| U.S.W.Ltd. |
1st Ratoon |
1/1/99 |
| Ainapur |
1 st Ratoon |
1/1/99 |
| Ainapur |
Large scale |
25-4-99 |
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Preseasonal |
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16-10-97 |
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After necessary tillage operations, furrows were opened and the three eye budded sets were planted by end to end method. The different dose of vermicompost and the chemical fertilizers were tried to know the role of vermicompost when applied in graded doses and whether it could be possible to reduce the dose of chemical fertilizers in the presence of vermicompost without sacrificing the crop yield, NPK splits were applied in 4 or 2 splits to both the Adsali and Ratoon crop while vermicompost was applied in two splits.
(planing and earthing up.) Where ever chemical fertilizers and the vermicompost were to be applied at the same time, they were first mixed together and then applied in the furrow or by placement method near the root Zone.
Climatic conditions during the last months growth period of first Adsali crop in terms of rainfall recorded, average maximum temperature, average minimum temperature and humidity were noted and are presented in Table 4 and 5 while those during the growth period of second Adsali and first Ratoon crop of previous Adsali are reported in TAble 18 and 19 along with date of irrigation for the two crops of second Adsali and first Ratoon. The impact of the climatic conditions on the crop growth or crop growth or crop yield or juice quality in relation to soil characteristics is discussed separately.
Soil fertility status after the harvest of second Adsali crop at U. S. W. was determined in five selected treatments to know the impact of V.C. and C.F. on the soil practices. The information on the fertility status is reported in Table 20.
In replicated trials with Adsali or Ratoon crops, the plot size was only one R (one guntha). A large scale trial with 30 R (30 guntha) plot size was also conducted on a preseasonal can of Dr. Mohan Mutalik at Ainapur. The date on juice analysis at harvest and the climatic data are presented in Tables 1to 21.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
For convenience of interpretation of the trend noted in two levels of soil fertility and variation in the climatic conditions during the crop season, an attempt is made to discuss the Adsali and Ratoon data at two locations separately and in relations to climatic conditions either during the maturity phase of the crop or throughout the crop growth period.
1) First Adsali crop of Sugarcane at U.S.W. harvested in December 1997 :
The cane yield data, agronomic observations and juice quality at harvest are reported in Tables 1, 2 and 3 respectively and climate
data in Table 4 and 5 respectively
Effect of Vermicompost alone and in combination with chemical fertilizers on the yield on the yield of Adsali crop of sugarcane..
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TABLE -1 |
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| Year : 1996-97. |
Location U.S.W. |
Variety : CV CoC 671. |
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| Sr, No | Treatment |
Adsali cane yield in MT/acre |
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| |
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(Average of 4 replications) |
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| 1 |
Control (No fertilizer, No manure) | 52.16 |
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| 2 |
Recommended dose of Fertilizers |
56.08 |
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(400:170:170: kg/ha) |
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| 3 |
Vermicompost alone 5 MT/ha |
47.32 |
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| 4 |
V.C. 3/4th + C.F. 1/4th |
53.84 |
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| 5 |
V.C. 1/2 + C.F. 1/2 |
57.72 |
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| 6 |
V.C. 1/4th + C.F. 3/4th |
55.12 |
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Average |
53.7 |
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F.Test |
N.S |
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| TABLE -2 |
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| Summary of Results |
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| Agronomic observation |
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| (Average of 4 Replicated Adsali cane-1) |
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| Treatment |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Average |
| Total height (cm) |
444.4 |
422.5 |
418.75 |
457.4 |
452.7 |
431.9 |
438 |
| Mature height (cm) |
305.8 |
288.8 |
280.7 |
328.7 |
324.2 |
291.5 |
290 |
| No. of internodes |
35.1 |
35 |
36.9 |
38 |
38 |
36.8 |
36.7 |
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Girth (cm) |
9.6 |
9.78 |
10.25 |
10 |
10 |
9.8 |
9.9 |
| Came weight (kg) |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.02 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
2.22 |
| H.R. Brix |
23.2 |
22.44 |
22.75 |
21.2 |
22.5 |
22.84 |
22.49 |
| Average internode |
8.7 |
8.2 |
7.6 |
8.6 |
8.9 |
7.9 |
8.3 |
| lengtht in cm |
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TABLE - 3 |
| Juice quality of cane Adsali samples collected at harvest |
| Year : 1996 - 97. Location U.S.W. Variety CV CoC 671. |
| Sr. No. |
Treatment |
Brix % |
Pol % |
N.R. % |
| 1 |
Control (No Fertilizer, No manure) |
22.08 |
18.7 |
12.27 |
| 2 |
Recommended dose of Chemical |
22.89 |
20.54 |
12.9 |
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Fertilizers (400 : 170 : 170 kg/ha) |
|
|
|
| 3 |
Vermicompost alone 5 MT/ha |
22.48 |
20.15 |
12.81 |
| 4 |
V.C. 3/4th + C.F. 1/4th |
22.61 |
20.4 |
12.8 |
| 5 |
V.C. 1/2 + C.F. 1/2 |
22.35 |
20.06 |
12.57 |
| 6 |
V.C. 1.4th + C.F. 3/4th |
22.85 |
20.55 |
12.13 |
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Average |
22.54 |
20.07 |
12.58 |
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F.Test |
N.S |
N.S |
N.S |
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Molybdenum deficiency produces whip-tail in cauliflower, broccoli and other Brassica crops. The deficiency of this element reduces the activity of the symbiotic and non-symbiotic nitrogen-fixing micro-organisms.
It was in 1954 that chlorine was proved to be an essential micronutrient. Its defficiency under field conditions has not been reported so far. In water-culture solutions, the leaves of chlorosis, necrosis and an unusual bronze discolouration on tomatoes.
Sodium is not an essential element for plant growth. But some crops, such as beet, celery, cabbage, kale, knol-khol, radish, rape and turnip, benefit greatly by application of soluble sodium salts, specially if the soil is deficient in potassium. Sodium is also of direct benefit to plants indigneous to the sea-shore or to irrigated arid regions. Salts of this element are said to release more of potassium from the exchange complex and to help to maintain phosphorus in a more available form. They also serve as a partial substitute for potassium in the case of potatoes and cotton.
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