2024, Vol. 7, Issue 7, Part H

author(s)
Kumbhar SB and Chavan VG

abstract
The research experiment was conducted during 2018 (plant cane) and 2019 (ratoon cane) at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri (M. S.) to study soil health and sugarcane productivity management through various integrated nutrient management by using different organic manure sources and planting geometries in lateritic soils of Konkan region in Maharashtra state. The field experiment was laid out in strip plot design with two factors consisted of six planting geometries viz., 75 cm SRP, 90 cm SRP, 60 - 90 cm PRP, 60 - 120 cm PRP, 60 – 150 cm PRP, 75 - 150 cm PRP and five integrated nutrient management treatments, viz., 100% RDF inorganic, 75% RDF N inorganic + 25% N organics, 50% RDF N inorganic + 50% N organics, 25% RDF N inorganic + 75% N organics and 100% N organics. Among the various planting geometries, planting of cane at 60-120 cm paired row recorded significantly higher number of millable cane, single cane weight, cane yield, commercial cane sugar yields compared to that of other planting geometries followed by 60-150 cm and 75-150 cm but did not showed any marked effect on various soil health parameters. Where as in integrated nutrient management treatment application of 75% RDF N inorganic + 25% N organics recorded statistically superior number of millable cane, single cane weight, cane yield, commercial cane sugar yields compared to that of other nutrient management combinations except 100% RDF inorganic, where both these treatments were found par with each other. Further, application of 100% RDF N through organics prepared from various organic sources showed marked improvement in bulk density, water holding capacity, pH, EC, per cent organic carbon, N P₂O₅ and K₂O availability, beneficial active microbial population recorded after harvest of plant and ratoon cane. Further, for each successive replacement of 25% organic N by inorganic source causes to significant decline of the various soil health parameters there by recording of lowest values, due to application of 100% RDF inorganic.