EFFECT OF INTERCROPPING WITH LEGUMES, WIDER ROW SPACING AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY OF SUGARCANE

摘要

Field experiments were conducted (2004-2007) at RARS, Anakapalle on a clay loam soil in split-split-plot design, taking intercropping as main-plots (C1=without intercrop and C2=with intercrop of green gram); sugarcane row spacings as subplots (S1= Normal row space of 90cm; S2= Paired row space of 30/ 120cm; and S3= Wider row space of 150cm); and nutrient management levels as sub-sub plot treatments (T1= 100% RDF N alone; T2= 125% RDF N + PMC@12t/ha; T3= 150% RDF N + PMC @12t/ha). The experiment was planted with variety 93A145 keeping three budded setts uniformly @ four setts per meter row length in all the plots in different row spacing treatments. The experimental results showed higher mean cane yields in paired row system (30/ 120cm) (cane yield 87.2 t/ha) than in wider (150cm) (cane yield 79.0 t/ha) and normal row (90cm) (cane yield 75.1 t/ha) systems. But the seed yield of green gram intercrop (Variety, MGG 295) was found to be lower in paired row (278kg/ha) than in wider row (519kg/ha) and normal row (381kg/ha) space systems. The integrated nutrient management (INM) involving higher levels of nitrogen (125% or 150% Recommended doses of N fertilizers) in conjunction with organic manures (PMC @ 12t/ha) application and intercropping with legume crop of green gram followed by its biomass incorporation into soU (after harvest of the produce) in three different systems had helped in increase in cane yields (78.4, 89.6 and 83.0 t/ha) over application of normal recommended doses of N fertilizers (100% RDF) alone (cane yield 73.0, 85.0 and 75.9 t/ha) at 90cm, 30/120cm and 150cm row spactngs, respectively. However, the 96 conversion efficiency of shoots into millable canes is comparatively found to be less in paired row spacing over the single normal row and single wider row spactngs, although tntra row space is kept uniform in all the three systems of row spactngs. Reduction in intercrop yields is also evidently indicating competition for nutrients by the crops in paired row system compared to other two systems. Similar results were observed in ratoon crop also.