INFLUENCE OF ZINC AND IRON ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SUGARCANE PLANTED UNDER VARIOUS TRENCH SPACINGS

A field trial was conducted for two years to evaluate the effect of different trench spacings and doses of Zinc (Zn) and Iron (Fe) on yield and quality of sugarcane. The treatments comprised of three trench spacing at 75, 90 and 120 cm and three foliar applications of Zn+Fe @ 2.5+5, 5+10 and 7.5+15 Kg ha^-1, along with a check. Different trench spacing and levels of zinc and iron significantly affected the yield and all the quality parameters of sugarcane crop except cane juice purity. Crop planted at 120 cm spaced trenches produced the maximum yield of stripped cane in both years. Sub plot treatment with applied Zn+Fe @ 5.0+10 Kg ha^-1 gave the maximum stripped cane yield of 106.4 110.4 t ha^-1 during 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively. The higher sucrose contents (18.61%) were obtained with foliar application of 5.0+10 Kg ha^-1 of Zn+Fe, while 90 cm and 120 cm apart trenches gave similar sucrose contents but the higher than 75 cm apart trenches. The maximum sugar yield of 14.97 t ha^-1 was obtained from crop grown at 120 cm spaced trenches. Foliar application of zinc and iron @ 5+10 kg ha^-1 provided higher sugar yield of 15.25 t ha^-1. On the basis of two years study, it is recommended that sugarcane crop should be planted at 120 cm spaced trenches fertilized @ 5+10 kg ha^-1 of Zn+Fe for better yield and quality production.