MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF AUTUMN PLANTED SUGARCANE TO AVAILABLE SOIL MOISTURE DEPLETION AND PLANTING GEOMETRY ON DIFFERENT SOILS UNDER ARID CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted on autumn planted sugarcane cv. HSF 240 at two sites, Research Farm Rukh Bibi Campus, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan during the year 2003-04 and 2004-05 on silty clay soil and MLL Land Reclamation Research Station Chak No 37 TDA (Thal Development Authority) Bhakkar on sandy loam soil. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement with four replications. There were four available soil moisture depletion levels (ASM DL) under study .i.e. ASMDL1 -20%, ASMDL2 -40%, ASMDL3 - 60% and ASMDL4 -80%, which were kept in main plots and four planting patterns viz: G1 -60cm, G2 -75cm spaced single row planting patterns and G3 -30/90, G4 -30/120cm spaced paired row strip planting pattern, which were randomized in sub plots having net subplot size of 24 m^2. It was evident from the analysis of pooled data of both locations that maximum number of millable canes m^-2, individual stripped cane weight and stripped-cane yield were obtained at 40% ASMD level followed by 60%, 20%, respectively and minimum in 80% ASMD level during both years. Where as maximum number of millable canes m^-2, individual cane weight, and stripped-cane yield were recorded in 30/90cm spaced paired row strip planting pattern followed by 75cm, 60cm and minimum in 30/120cm paired row strip planting patterns during both years. However maximum number of millable canes m^-2, individual stripped cane weight and stripped-cane yield were obtained in 40% ASMDL x 30/90cm paired row strip planting pattern and minimum stripped cane yield was recorded in 80% ASMDL x 30/120cmpaired row strip planting pattern during both years. It was concluded that under arid conditions on silty clay and sandy loam soils optimum stripped cane yield was obtained from irrigation at 40% ASMD level and 30/90cm spaced paired row strip planting pattern.