Effect of drip fertigation levels on growth, yield and quality of adsali sugarcane

A field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 and 2020-21 at Agricultural Research Station, Hukkeri (Dist. Belagavi) in strip block design with three drip irrigation levels as vertical strip and three fertigation levels as horizontal strip along with two control treatments i.e., farmers’ practice of drip irrigation and surface irrigation as per recommended package of practice. Irrigation treatments were drip irrigation at 0.6 ETo at germination + 0.85 ETo at tillering + 1.0 ETo at canopy establishment + 1.15 ETo at grand growth + 0.85 ETo at maturity stage (I₁), drip irrigation at 0.6 ETo at germination + 1.0 ETo at tillering + 1.5 ETo at canopy establishment + 1.5 ETo at grand growth + 0.85 ETo at maturity stage (I₂) and drip irrigation at 0.8 ETo at germination + 1.0 ETo at tillering + 1.75 ETo at canopy establishment + 2.0 ETo at grand growth +1.0 ETo at maturity stage (I₃). Fertigation levels were viz., 100% RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer) through fertigation (F₁), 150% RDF through fertigation (F₂) and 200% RDF through fertigation (F₃) and two control treatments i.e., RPP and farmers’ practice. Drip irrigation at 0.8 ETo at germination+ 1.0 ETo at tillering + 1.75 ETo at canopy establishment + 2.0 ETo at grand growth +1.0 ETo at maturity stage (I₃) recorded significantly higher cane yield (275.98 t ha^-1). Application of fertilizers at 150% RDF through fertigation recorded significantly higher cane yield (251.11 t ha^-1). Interaction of drip irrigation at 0.8 ETo at germination + 1.0 ETo at tillering + 1.75 ETo at canopy establishment + 2.0 ETo at grand growth + 1.0 ETo at maturity stage along with 150% RDF through fertigation (I₃F₂) recorded significantly higher cane yield of 297.40 t ha^-1 with yield increase of 60.5 and 74.0%, respectively over RPP (185.5 t ha^-1) and farmers’ practice (170.70 t ha^-1).