Influence of Levels of Water Soluble Fertilizer on Yield, Quality and Economics of Sugarcane Through Fertigation

A field experiment was conducted at Zonal Agricultural Research Station, V. C. Farm, Mandya during 2018-19 to study the effect of water-soluble fertilizer levels (urea, MAP, MOP) under drip fertigation on yield, quality and economics of sugarcane. The investigation was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of four levels of fertigation viz., 150, 125, 100 and 75 per cent Recommended Dosage of Fertilizers (RDF) through water soluble fertilizers, 100 per cent RDF through conventional fertilizers without FYM, 100 per cent RDF through conventional fertilizers with FYM and control. The results revealed that application of 125 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizers recorded significantly higher yield and yield parameters viz., number of millable canes clump-1 (14.33), cane length (346.33 cm), number of internodes cane-1(21.00), cane girth (13.80 cm), single cane weight (2.97 Kg) and cane yield (212 t ha-1) and was on par with 150 per cent RDF and 100 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizer application. Least number of millable canes clump-1(8.67), cane length (220.00 cm), number of internodes cane-1 (17.87), cane girth (10.2 cm), single cane weight (1.72 Kg) and cane yield (112.60 t ha-1) was recorded in control. Quality parameters like pol (18.0%), CCS production (12.44%), sugar yield (26.38 t ha-1) and juice extraction per centage (69.65 %) were observed significantly higher with 125 per cent RDF through drip fertigation and was on par with 150 per cent RDF and 100 per cent RDF through water soluble fertilizer application. Economic perspectives such as higher gross returns (Rs. 487600 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 368532 ha-1) and B: C ratio (4.10) was noticed with application of 125 per cent RDF and hence concluded that fertigation at 125 per cent RDF found optimum for higher yield and net returns.