Yield and soil nutrient balance of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) plant ratoon system under integrated nutrient management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v56i3.4687Keywords:
Cane yield, Integrated nutrient management, Microbial biomass, Nutrient balance, Physical properties, ProfitabilityAbstract
A field experiment was conducted during 2002 to 06 to find out suitable integrated nutrient management prac- tice for sustenance of soil health and productivity in sugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum L.) plantratoon cropping system for two cropping cycles. Integrated nutrient management strategies involving combinations of inorganics (NPK) + organic nutrient sources (FYM, pressmud, vermicompost, green manuring and trash incorporation) were tested against inorganic fertilizer (NPK) alone laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Results revealed that supply of nutrients to sugarcane plant through combined use of 120-60-40 kg N-P-K/ha + FYM (25% N) + Azotobacter + phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) 2.5 kg/ha each and integrated use of 150-60-40 kg N-P- K/ha + trash 5 tonnes/ha incorporation with cellulolytic culture 1 kg/tonne of trash + Azotobacter + PSB in ratoon gave the highest cane yield of 99.8 and 92.1 tonnes/ha under plant and ratoon cane, respectively. The treatment also showed significant improvement in soil health at the end of crop cycle by 47.9% substantial increase in soil organic carbon (0.88 to 1.05%), 165.2% increase in soil microbial biomass-C (213 to 297 mg C-CO /kg soil) and 2 128.6% enhancement in soil microbial biomassN (3.7 to 4.8 mg N-NH /kg soil) over initial value (0.71%, 112 mg 4 C-CO /kg soil, and 2.1 mg N-NH /kg soil). Besides integrated nutrient management modules resulted in significant 2 4 increase in the contribution of soil microbial-C to soil organic C varying from 2.38 to 3.03% against 1.58% of initial value. Soil physical properties were also enhanced as bulk density reduced from 1.57 to 1.42 Mg/m3, water stable aggregates swelled from 0.345 mm to 0.482 mm diameter under integrated nutrient management modules at ra- toon harvest. This practice was proved to be the most profitable (B: C ratio 1.94 and 2.90) for sugarcane plant and ratoon crop, respectively. Availability status of major nutrients (NPK) in soil after harvest of ratoon crop recorded a positive balance due to application of various treatments over the initial status.References
Indian Journal of Agronomy 56 (3): 247__253 (September 2011)
Yield and soil nutrient balance of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) plant ratoon system under integrated nutrient management
S. TYAGI*, S.K. SAINI AND VINOD KUMAR
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand 263 145
Received: October, 2010
A field experiment was conducted during 2002 to 06 to find out suitable integrated nutrient management practice for sustenance of soil health and productivity in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) plantratoon cropping system for two cropping cycles. Integrated nutrient management strategies involving combinations of inorganics (NPK) + organic nutrient sources (FYM, pressmud, vermicompost, green manuring and trash incorporation) were tested against inorganic fertilizer (NPK) alone laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Results revealed that supply of nutrients to sugarcane plant through combined use of 120-60-40 kg N-P-K/ha + FYM (25% N) + Azotobacter + phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) 2.5 kg/ha each and integrated use of 150-60-40 kg N-PK/ha + trash 5 tonnes/ha incorporation with cellulolytic culture 1 kg/tonne of trash + Azotobacter + PSB in ratoon gave the highest cane yield of 99.8 and 92.1 tonnes/ha under plant and ratoon cane, respectively. The treatment also showed significant improvement in soil health at the end of crop cycle by 47.9% substantial increase in soil organic carbon (0.88 to 1.05%), 165.2% increase in soil microbial biomass-C (213 to 297 mg C-CO2/kg soil) and 128.6% enhancement in soil microbial biomassN (3.7 to 4.8 mg N-NH4/kg soil) over initial value (0.71%, 112 mg C-CO2/kg soil, and 2.1 mg N-NH4/kg soil). Besides integrated nutrient management modules resulted in significant increase in the contribution of soil microbial-C to soil organic C varying from 2.38 to 3.03% against 1.58% of initial value. Soil physical properties were also enhanced as bulk density reduced from 1.57 to 1.42 Mg/m3, water stable aggregates swelled from 0.345 mm to 0.482 mm diameter under integrated nutrient management modules at ratoon harvest. This practice was proved to be the most profitable (B: C ratio 1.94 and 2.90) for sugarcane plant and ratoon crop, respectively. Availability status of major nutrients (NPK) in soil after harvest of ratoon crop recorded a positive balance due to application of various treatments over the initial status.
Key words: Cane yield, Integrated nutrient management, Microbial biomass, Nutrient balance, Physical properties, Profitability
Profitability of sugarcane cultivation has drastically declined owing to increased cost of cultivation and declining factor productivity of monetary inputs, such as fertilizers and plant protection chemicals. Continuous use of heavy doses of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals potentially impair the soil microbial activity, leading to poor soil health (Singh et al., 2007). Imbalanced application of fertilizers results in poor yields, deterioration of soil fertility and emergence of multiple nutrient deficiencies. Situation, therefore warrants for adoption of organic based resources that supply nutrients to plants through microbial mediation and in the process enrich soil organic carbon and microbial balance. Despite this, doubts are often raised over profitable production of long-duration crops, like sugarcane through exclusive use of organic sources only (Chhonkar and Dwivedi, 2004).
*Corresponding author Email: [email protected]
In recent past, the yield level of sugarcane is plateauing and productivity has been found to decline fast. The reasons to this effect are related to fewer amounts of organic matter and environmental pollution due to burning of sugarcane trash in intensive sugarcane growing areas and greater drain from nutrient pool of the soil (Spier et al., 2004). Maintenance of adequate soil organic carbon is, therefore, of paramount significance. At present, when sustainability of the crop and soil productivity is burning issue, the integrated use of organics and inorganics needs to be emphasized to use nutrients and energy more efficiently than conventionally managed system as reported by Mader et al. (2002). By combined use of natural nutrient resources including FYM, sulphitation pressmud, vermicompost, green manuring in-situ, trash decomposition with cellulolytic culture and bio-fertilizers plus inorganics can be adequately met the nutrient requirement
