Abstract:
Sugarcane is a tropical plant (Humbert, 1968) and requires warm cum humid climate
for its good growth. However, it is being grown over the sub tropics land surface of
earth between latitude 30o N and 35o S (Nazir, 1994). Pakistan lies in sub tropics with
semi arid climatic conditions where sugarcane is grown on an area of 1.241 million
hectares with a total annual stripped cane production of 63.92 million tonnes giving
an average stripped cane yield of 51.51 t ha-1 (Govt. of Pakistan, 2008). Two field
experiments were conducted for two consecutive years during 2006 and 2007 at
Farm area, Sugarcane Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute,
Faisalabad, Pakistan, to explore the production potential of spring planted sugarcane
at higher levels of N and K, evaluate fertilizer application timing and to improve the
nutrient (N & K) use efficiency. The experiments were laid out according to
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) having three replications with a net
plot size of 6 m x 8 m. Results revealed significant effect of dose and time of nitrogen
application on all agronomic and physiological traits except germination, number of
shoots, number of internodes, NAR, HI and all quality parameters which were
statistically non significant. The maximum stripped cane yield (108 & 101 t ha1) and
sugar yield (12.8 & 12.1 t ha1) were recorded at T7 (126kg N ha-1 at sowing + 126 kg N
ha-1 at 90 DAS) during 2006 and 2007, respectively. K2O level and time of its
application has significant effect on all agronomic, physiological and quality
parameters except germination, number of shoots, plant height, number of
internodes, NAR, HI, fiber %, cane juice % and weight of bagasse % during both the
years. The maximum stripped cane yield (116 & 107 t ha-1) was recorded at T7 (84 kg
K2O ha-1 at sowing + 84 kg K2O ha-1 at 90 DAS) during 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Sugar yield (14.7 t ha-1) was maximum at T7 (84 kg K2O ha-1 at sowing + 84 kg K2O
ha-1 at 90 DAS) in 2006, while it was highest (14.1 t ha-1) in T10 (112 kg K2O ha-1 at
sowing + 112 kg K2O ha-1 at 90 DAS) during 2007.
