Sugarcane Trash and Sesbania aculeata Effects on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties under Ratoon Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

摘要

Crop residue mulch and green manures have potential to modify the soil physical and chemical properties for sustainable soil productivity. Therefore, field experiments were conducted to study the effect of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) trash and dhaincba (Sesbania aculeata) as mulch on soil physico-chemical properties and yield of ratoon sugarcane during 1997-98 and 1998-99. The experiment consisted of four mulch treatments namely control, no mulching material; sugarcane trash mulch (SM), sugarcane trash at 6 Mg/ha; enriched sugarcane trash mulch (ESM), sugarcane trash at 6 Mg/ha with industrial glue waste at 4 Mg/ha and Mussoorie rock phosphate at 500 kg/ha; and green mulch (GM), dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) at 4 Mg/ha. Various doses of N (urea) and P (single super phosphate) fertilizers were applied as sub-treatments. Soil bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), pH and organic carbon (OC) were determined using standard methods. In situ saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kd1) was measured using constant head method. The mulches significantly decreased the soil bulk density and EC by 1.5 and 11.8%, respectively and increased Kd1, OC and soil moisture content by 20.7, 18.1 and 19.5%, respectively as compared to control during 1997-98 and 1998-99. The decrease in EC was observed highest in GM treatment. The mulches also increased the cane yield. The average yield over the two years in ESM was 3.1 Mg/ha higher as compared to the SM. The mulches decreased maximum and average temperatures during summer season as compared to control. The results conclude that industrial waste may be disposed off beneficially for enriching the crop residue mulch and dhaincha may be used as mulch to improve soil physico-chemical properties besides solving non-availability of crop residue at farmers field.