Open Access

ARTICLE

Integrated Nutrient Management Improves Productivity and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.)

Md. Shamsul Arefin¹, Md. Ariful Islam², Md. Mokhlesur Rahman³, Md. Abdul Alim⁴, Sabry Hassan⁵, Mahmoud F. K. Soliman⁶, Mohamed M. Hassan^5,*, Rajan Bhatt⁷, Akbar Hossain^8,*

1 Physiology and Sugar Chemistry Division, Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute, Ishurdi, 6620, Bangladesh
2 On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Pabna, 6600, Bangladesh
3 Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
4 Department of Food Technology and Rural Industries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh
5 Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia
6 Nature Conservation Sector, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Cairo, 11728, Egypt
7 Regional Research Station, Panjab Agricultural University, Kapurthala, 144601, India
8 Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur, 5200, Bangladesh

* Corresponding Authors: Mohamed M. Hassan. Email: ; Akbar Hossain. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2022, 91(2), 439-469. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2022.017359

Received 05 May 2021; Accepted 14 July 2021; Issue published 26 September 2021

Abstract

Sugarcane is one of the major important sugar yielding crops in Bangladesh. As an exhaustive crop, sugarcane removes a huge amount of plant nutrients from the soil. However, the combined use of organic and inorganic fertilizers can be a good approach to deal with nutrient depletion and promote sustainable crop production as well as improve soil health. Therefore, an attempt was made to identify the most fruitful and profitable integrated nutrient management on the aspects of growth, yield and quality of sugarcane in two consecutive growing seasons. Seven treatments: T₁=Control, T₂=165:55:120:30:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹, T₃=Poultry Litter (PL) at 5 t ha⁻¹+95:51:87:9:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹, T₄=Cow Dung (CD) at 15 t ha⁻¹+ 36:52:60:17:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹, T₅=Press Mud (PM) at 15 t ha⁻¹+10:50:43:0:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹, T₆=Mustard Oil Cake (MOC) at 0.5 t ha⁻¹+140:54:115:25:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹ and T₇=GM (Green Manure) at 5 t ha⁻¹+140:53:100:28:10:2.5:4 kg N:P:K:S:Mg:Zn:B ha⁻¹ were used in this experiment. Two years data showed that treatment T₃ produced the maximum amount of tillers, total dry matter yield, millable sugarcane, cane yield and sugar yield, followed by the T₄ treatment. The highest stalk heights were recorded in the T₃ treatment, which was statistically similar to all other treatments except T₁ and T₂. The juice quality parameters viz., brix and pol in cane were found significant in treatment T₃ while the highest purity was obtained in the T₇ treatment. All the data of Jaggery (goor) quality parameters, the highest sucrose content, color transmittance, Jaggery (goor) recovery and the lowest ash content of Jaggery (goor) were observed in the T₃ treatment, which was statistically similar to the T₄ treatment in both seasons. The highest cost of production was obtained from the T₆ treatment while the highest gross return, net return and BCR were recorded in the T₃ treatment. No significant changes were found in one cycle of sugarcane in initial and post-harvest soil characteristics viz., pH, organic carbon, total N, and available P, K and S contents due to integrated use of different fertilizer packages. From the experimental findings, it was concluded that treatment T₃ followed by T₄ treatment would be the better productive and profitable integrated nutrient management technology for ensuring higher yields and quality of sugarcane without soil fertility degradation in the High Ganges River Floodplain soils.

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