Growth, Nutrient Use Efficiency and Quality of Spring Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) under Different Planting Method and Nitrogen Level

A field experiment was conducted at Regional Research Station, Karnal, CCS Haryana Agricultural University during spring 2017 to study on different planting method and nitrogen level on growth parameter and nitrogen use efficiency of sugarcane. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications. The treatments comprises of four methods of planting viz. conventional planting at 75 cm (M1), half ridge open furrow irrigation planting at 75 cm (M2), wide bed and furrow paired row planting (M3) and wider planting (M4) at 120 cm and six different nitrogen levels viz. control (N1), 75 (N2), 100 (N3), 125 (N4), 150 (N5), 175 kg N ha-1 (N6). Germination count was significantly affected by planting methods at 30 and 45 DAP, however, it was found to be non significant among nitrogen levels. Neither the planting methods nor the nitrogen levels had any significant effect on nutrient use efficiency, brix, pol, juice purity and commercial cane sugar. Significantly higher sugar yield (11.9 t/ha) was recorded in wide bed and furrow paired row planting which was 22.7, 8.2, and 6.3 per cent higher than conventional, wider planting and half ridge open furrow method, respectively. Lower sugar yield (9.7 t/ha) was recorded in conventional method. Among nitrogen levels, sugar yield increases with successive increase in nitrogen application upto recommended dose of 150 kg N/ha.