Somaiya

www.somaiya.edu

Karnataka Institute of Applied Agricultural Research

Crop : Sugarcane.

Field : Soil Science.

Collaborator : Self .

Title : Studies on response of sugarcane to trace-element nutrition on the soils of the research farm.

Author : R .S.Sachan, A.T. Yaragattikar,P,Y,Keskar , R.G.Menon and H.L.Kulkarny.

Year :1976-77

An experiment to verify the claims made by manufacturers of two brands of micro-nutrient mixtures, that their products increased the yield and quality of cane, was carried out as per details in Table XIII.

Table XIII. Experiment Study on Response to Micro-nutrient Application.

Field No. A - 11/72
Replication : Four
Date of Planting : 22nd Jan. 1976
Date of Harvest : 23rd Jan. 1977.
Treatments : A - NPK only
	B - NPK + Zymag in soil
	C - NPK + Zymag spray
	D - NPK + Zymag + Urea spray
	E - NPK + Nu-Spartin spray

Treatment	% Germi-	Shoots/	Millable	Tonnes	Juice Quality
	nation at	ha at 105	canes/ha	yield	10 Months			11 Months			12 Months			CCS/ha
	60 days	days	at harvest	at harvest	Brix	Pol	Purity	Brix	Pol	Purity	Brix	Pol	Purity
A	61.39	179679	91066	118.5	18.85	15.74	83.5	20.7	17.4	82.1	21.47	19.44	90.5	17.51
B	60.28	185565	92933	127.6	18.72	15.35	81.9	21.10	17.40	82.17	21.17	19.06	90.0	18.87
C	60.49	177272	88066	114.0	18.30	17.54	84.8	20.00	17.40	86.50	20.43	18.00	88.1	16.29
D	61.66	187166	97666	130.7	18.51	15.29	92.1	20.20	16.9	83.5	21.77	19.84	91.1	19.86
E	58.47	192781	97333	126.9	18.88	15.88	83.9	20.90	17.90	85.4	21.62	19.49	89.98	17.46

The differences between treatments both in regard to tonnes yield per acre and to juice quality were statistically non-significant. In view of the fact that the cane crops on the research farm have at no time in the past, exhibited any signs of micro-nutrient deficiency this result is not surprising. Further even in a case where deficiency of one or two trace elements is proved, the rationale behind applying a blanket treatment of all micro-nutrients is questionable.

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