Impact of planting methods, spacing and intercropping on yield, nutrient content and uptake by sugarcane under south Gujarat conditions

The present investigation entitled “Impact of planting methods, spacing and intercropping on yield, nutrient content and nutrient uptake by sugarcane under south Gujarat conditions” was conducted at College Farm, Department of agronomy, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat during the years of 2015-16 and 2016-17. The trial was laid out in a split plot design (SPD). There were total 16 treatments combination which were replicated thrice. The treatments mainly comprised of two planting methods (M), seedlings raised in nursery tray, sprouted one-budded eye. Two plant spacings (S), 90 x 30 cm and 120 x 30 cm and four intercropping practices (I), onion, cabbage, greengram and control (sole cane). Among the different treatments, sugarcane seedling raised in nursery tray (30 days old) and spacing of 120 cm x 30 cm recorded highest cane yield (112.98 and 112.27 t/ha), highest number of millable canes (105809 and 105728) and sugarcane equivalent yield (151.77 and 151.39 t/ha), respectively. Whereas, sole sugarcane obtained highest cane yield (112.75 t/ha) and highest number of millable canes (106703) but was at par with sugarcane intercropping with onion and greengram. While, sugarcane intercropping with onion reported highest sugarcane equivalent yield (186.31 t/ha). Uptake of N, P and K by crop significantly increase with seedling raised in nursery tray planting method with wider spacing of 120 cm x 30 cm under sugarcane + onion intercropping followed by greengram.