Effect of Time of Planting and Harvesting on Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of time of planting and harvesting on growth, yield and quality of sugarcane at Main Sugarcane Research Station, Junagadh Agricultural University, Kodinar during 2010–11 to 2012–13. The treatment consisted of four dates of planting (last week of October, November, December and January) in column strips, five dates of harvesting (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 months after planting) in row strips and two varieties (CoC 671 and CoN 91132) in ultimate plots. The experiment was laid out in strip split plot design and replicated thrice. Experimental results indicated that planting of sugarcane during last week of October recorded significantly highest cane yield (106.84 t/ha) but it remained at par with planting during last week of November (104.83 t/ha). Cane yield declined progressively with successive delay in planting. Different planting dates did not influence the quality parameters significantly. Early maturing variety CoC 671 gave significantly higher cane yield when harvested at 12 months (115.31 t/ha) and remained at par with 11 months harvest date. Similarly midlate maturing variety CoN 91132 produced significantly higher cane yield (98.98 t/ha) at 13 months harvest date and remained at par with 12 and 14 months harvest date, respectively. Different time of harvesting had significant effect on juice quality parameters like brix, sucrose, purity, commercial cane sugar and extraction per cent.