Influence of Planting Patterns and Intercropping on Growth and Yield of suru sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Pune (Maharashtra) during spring season of 2011-12 to find out the effect of different planting methods along with intercropping on growth and yield of suru sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Var. Co 86032. The experiment was comprising of four planting patterns viz., 90 x 30 cm single row planting, 90-180 x 30 cm paired row planting, 180 x 30 cm single row planting and 120 x 30 cm single row planting with sugarcane planter as main plots and two intercropping systems viz., sugarcane + groundnut and sole sugarcane, laid out in strip plot design with three replications in medium deep black, well drained, clayey textured soils with alkaline reaction (pH 7.6). The field capacity and permanent wilting point values were 36.07 and 18.45 per cent, respectively. The bulk density was 1.21 g cm-3. In single row planting system, single line of groundnut (TPG 41) was sown in inter-row space of sugarcane on one side of ridge and in paired row planting and in wide row planting two rows of groundnut was sown in inter-row space of sugarcane. Results revealed that intercropping of two rows of groundnut in paired row planting of sugarcane (2:2) was proved to be the most productive system with significantly the highest cane equivalent yield (152 96 t ha-1). The treatment combination of paired row planting of sugarcane at 90-180 x 30 cm associated with groundnut in 2:2 ratio was also found to be the most remunerative.