Growth, cane yield and water-use efficiency of sugarcane as influenced by irrigation and planting dates

A field experiment on sugarcane having treatment combinations of 4 irrigation levels and 6 dates of planting was conducted during 1994-95 and 1995-96 at Chiplima, Sambalpur, on sandy clay-loam soil. Irrigation at 1.2 IW:CPE recorded maximum plant height, millable canes, plant girth and weight of cane and cane yield (127.31 tonnes/ha). Irrigation and water requirement were also maximum with irrigation at 1.2 IW : CPE, but water-use efficiency was maximum with irrigation at 0.6 IW: CPE. Planting during third week of October was the best with the maximum values of all the yield-attributing characters and the yield. Cane yield declined progressively with successive delay in planting. Water requirement, irrigation requirement and water-use efficiency were also maximum with October planting. The highest cane yield of 156.65 tonnes/ha was recorded from planting sugarcane during the third week of October at 1.2 IW : CPE with corresponding irrigation and water requirement of 132 and 218 cm. Crop extracted more moisture from 0-30 cm in all the treatments.