Improvement in Productivity and Profitability of Sugarcane Through Drip Fertigation in North Indian Conditions

Sugarcane, an important agro-industrial crop in India, plays a pivotal role in Indian economy. Sugar industry is the second largest industry of India next to textile. In North India, rice-wheat is the predominant cropping system and Punjab has contributed 25.8% and 37.8% rice and wheat to central pool of the country during 2018-2019, respectively. But due to degradation of natural resources, over exploitation of underground water and monoculture limitations, there is need to diversify some area from rice to sugarcane which offers a good scope for diversification and to enhance profitability of the farmers. But, due to long tillering phase of sugarcane, during summer months irrigation water requirement of this crop is also high. So need of the hour is to study the water-saving technologies for getting more crop per drop. For this purpose, a field experiment was conducted for 3 years, i.e., 2014-2015, 2015-2016 (plant crop) and 2016-2017 (ratoon crop) at research farm of Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Faridkot, Punjab, India. The experiment was laid out in split plot design keeping three irrigation schedules of drip irrigation at 60, 80 and 100% cumulative pan evaporation (CPE) to wide bed and furrow paired row planting (paired row trench planting) of sugarcane at 30-30: 120 cm row spacing in main plots and three fertigation levels of 60, 80 and 100% recommended N (RDN, 150 kg N/ha for plant crop and 225 kg N/ha for ratoon crop) in subplots, with an extra control of standard practice having flood irrigation and 100% RDN by line top dressing in three replications. Drip irrigation was applied at 3 days interval in paired row planting system, and fertigation was given in ten equal splits as per treatment. During 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, crop irrigated with drip at 100% CPE recorded the highest cane yield which was significantly better than drip irrigation at 60 and 80% CPE. Fertigation with 100% RDN recorded the highest cane yield which was significantly better than 80 and 60% RDN during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, but during ratoon 2016-2017, cane yield was statistically at par between 80% RDN and 100% RDN. Drip irrigation at 100% CPE with 100% RDN recorded significantly higher cane yield than standard practice of surface flood irrigation and soil application of fertilizer to the tune of 15.6, 27.0 and 19.3% during 2014-2015, 2015-2016 (plant) and 2016-2017 (ratoon), respectively. The highest net returns of Rs. 150,900, 175808, 201666 per ha were recorded at 100% CPE and 100% RDN level during 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, respectively.