Effect of levels of irrigation and crop geometry on quality of sugarcane under drip irrigation

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in Gang Canal Command area at 3"O” Srikaranpur, Sriganganagar during 2005-06,2006-07 and 2008-09 to find out optimum plant geometry of sugarcane through drip irrigation and to compare water use and water use efficiency in both the methods of irrigation. None of the quality parameters was influenced by different crop geometries in surface irrigation treatment. Only commercial cane sugar was significantly influenced by different crop geometries in drip irrigation. Single row planting at 75 cm & 90 cm gave significantly higher CCS (t/ha) than paired row planting at 120x60 cm but at par with paired row planting at 90x60 cm. Irrigation levels significantly influenced all the quality parameters except juice purity percent. The highest CCS in tones per hectare was recorded with drip irrigation at 100% PE which was at par with that obtained with drip irrigation at 80 % PE treatment but significantly higher than drip irrigation at 60% PE and surface irrigation treatments. The juice percentage was also highest with 100 % PE treatment but poll percentage; brix percentage and CCS (%) were highest with 80 per cent PE treatment. The mean data revealed that drip irrigation at 60, 80 & 100 % PE increased cane yield by 14.4, 26.4 & 44.6 per cent, respectively over the cane yield obtained with border strip irrigation. In addition to yield increase, the respective water saving was 32.9, 17.1 & 1.4 per cent. Drip irrigation also improved the quality of cane and the commercial cane sugar increased by 46.4, 35.8 and 15.1 per cent as a result of drip irrigation at 60, 80 and 100% PE, respectively over that obtained with conventional flood irrigation treatment.