Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum )
Basal application of organic manures:
1. Apply FYM at 12.5 t/ha or compost 25 t/ha or filter press mud at 37.5 t/ha before the last
ploughing under gardenland conditions.
2. In wetlands this may be applied along the furrows and incorporated well.
Basal Application of Fertilizer
1. If soil test is not done, follow blanket recommendation of NPK @ [Link] kg/ha
Apply super phosphate (625 kg/ha) along the furrows and incorporate with hand
hoe.
2. Apply 37.5 kg Zinc sulphate/ha and 100 kg Ferrous sulphate/ha to zinc and iron
deficient soils.
3. Application of sulphur in the form of Gypsum @ 500 kg /ha to sulphur deficient soils
to increase the cane yield and juice quality.
Top Dressing with Fertilizers
a. Soil application
Apply 275 kg of nitrogen and 112.5 kg of K2O/ha in three equal splits at 30, 60 and 90 days
in coastal and flow irrigated belts (assured water supply areas).
In the case of lift irrigation belt, apply 225 kg of nitrogen and 112.5 kg of K2O/ha in three
equal splits at 30, 60 and 90 days (water scarcity areas). For jaggery areas, apply 175 kg of
nitrogen and 112.5 kg of K2O/ha in three equal splits on 30, 60 and 90 days.
Nitrogen Saving
Neem Cake Blended Urea: Apply 67.5 kg of N/ha + 27.5 kg of Neem Cake at 30 days
and repeat on 60th and 90th days.
Note: Neem cake blending: Powder the required quantity of neem cake and mix it
with urea thoroughly and keep it for 24 hours. Thus, 75 kg of nitrogen/ha can be
saved by this method.
Azospirillum: Mix 12 packets (2400 g)/ha of Azospirillum inoculant or TNAU Biofert –
1 with 25 kg of FYM and 25 kg soil and apply near the clumps on 30th day of
planting. Repeat the same on 60th day with another 12 packets (2400 gm). Repeat
the above on the other side of the crop row on the 90th day (for lift irrigated belt).
Band placement: Open deep furrows of 15 cm depth with hand hoes and place the
fertilisers in the form of band and cover it properly.
Subsurface application: Application of 255 kg of Nitrogen in the form of urea along
with potash at 15 cm depth by the side of the cane clump will result in the saving of
20 kg N/ha without any yield reduction.
Importance of Balanced Nutrition
The soil fertility has declined in many sugarcane growing areas of the state due to improper
and some times, distorted fertilizer schedules adopted over the years under intensive
cultivation of the crop. Hence balanced application of fertilizer based on soil test values and
crop requirement is essential.
Micro nutrient fertilizers :
(a) Zinc deficient soils : Basal application of 37.5 kg/ha of zinc sulphate.
(b) Sugarcane crop with zinc deficiency symptoms: foliar spray of 0.5% zinc sulphate
with 1%
urea at 15 days internal till deficiency symptoms disappear.
(a) Iron deficient soils: Basal application of 100 kg/ha of ferrous sulphate.
(b) Sugarcane with Iron deficiency symptoms: foliar spray of 1% ferrous sulphate with
1% urea at 15 days interval till deficiency symptoms disappear.
Soil application of CuSO4 @ 5 kg/ha in copper deficient soils. Alternatively foliar
spray of 0.2% CuSO4 twice during early stage of crop growth.
Common Micronutrient mixture : To provide all micronutrients to sugarcane, 50 kg /ha of
micronutrient mixture containing 20 kg Ferrous sulphate,10 kg Manganese sulphate, 10 kg
Zinc sulphate, 5 kg of Copper sulphate, 5 kg of Borax mixed with 100 kg of well decomposed
FYM, can be recommended as soil application prior to planting.
(Or) Application of TNAU MN mixture @ 50 kg/ha as EFYM for higher cane yield.
Recommended dosage of macro and micronutrients
Macronutrients
Sugarcane – plant crop (meant for sugar mills) [Link] kg N, P2O5 and K2O per
ha
Sugarcane – Ratoon crop (meant for sugar mills)
300 + 25% extra N : 100 : 200 kg N, P2O5 and K2O per ha
Sugarcane for jaggery manufacture (plant as well as ratoon crop) 225 : 62.5 : 112.5 kg
N, P2O5 and K2O per ha.
BIOFERTILIZER FOR SUGARCANE
Azospirillum is the common biofertilizer recommended for N nutrition which could colonize
the roots ofsugarcane and fix atmospheric nitrogen to the tune of about 50 to 75 kg nitrogen
per ha per year. Recently, another endophytic nitrogen fixing bacterium, Gluconacetobacter
diazotrophicus isolated from sugarcane can able to fix more nitrogen than Azospirillum. It
colonizes throughout the sugarcane and increases the total N content. In soil, it can also
colonize the roots and able to solubilize the phosphate, iron and Zn. It can also enhance the
crop growth, yield of sugarcane and sugar content of the juice. Since it is more efficient
than Azospirillum, this new organism was test- verified in various centres and released as
new biofertilizer Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus TNAU Biofert-I. Phosphobacteria as P
solubiliser are recommended for sugarcane crop.
Sett treatment with Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus
Before planting the sugarcane setts can be treated with ten packets (2 kg) per ha
of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus prepared as slurry with 250 L of water.
Soil application Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus
Twelve packets (2.4 kg) per ha is recommended for soil application each at 30th, 60th and
90th day after planting under irrigated condition.
Same method of application can be followed for Phosphobacteria.
If basal application is not followed apply the same with 30th day, 60th day and 90th
day after planting and copiously irrigate the field.
Biofertilizer treatment should be done just before planting. Immediately plant/
Irrigate after biofertilizer application.
Do not mix biofertilizer along with chemical fertilizer.
Reduces 25% of the recommended N to reap the benefits of biofertilizer application
Management of the Crop
1. 25% additional N application on 5-7 days after ratooning.
2. Spray Ferrous sulphate at 2.5 kg/ha on the 15th day. If chlorotic condition persists,
repeat twice further at 15 days interval. Add urea 2.5 kg/ha in the last spray.
3. First top dressing on 25th day, 2nd on 45th to 50th day.
4. Final manuring on 70th to 75th day.
Short Crop (Nursery Crop)
Apply 50 kg of urea as top dressing additionally before one month of cutting the seed
[Link]
