Irrigation Regimes and Fertigation Levels on Sugarcane under Subsurface Drip Fertigation

Field investigations were carried out at the central farm, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India during 2008-09 and 2009-2010. The experiments were laid out in Split plot design with three replications. The main plots consisted of three subsurface drip irrigations viz., 75 per cent, 100 per cent Etc and 125 per cent Etc. The subplot consisted of six fertigations viz., 75 per cent RDF as commercial fertilizer, 100 per cent RDF as commercial fertilizers, 75 per cent RDF – 50 per cent commercial and 50 per cent water soluble fertilizers,. 100 per cent RDF – 50 per cent commercial and 50 per cent WSF, 75 per cent RDF as WSF and 100 per cent RDF as WSF. The results revealed that all the growth parmeters viz. plant height, number productive tillers, dry matter production and yield attributes viz. number of millable cane, cane girth and cane yield were substantially increased in subsurface drip irrigation at 125 per cent Etc along with fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as water soluble fertilizer. Subsurface drip irrigation regime of 125 per cent Etc registered higher total water use. Subsurface drip irrigation of 75 per cent Etc recorded higher water saving followed by 100 per cent in both the crops. Treatment 75 per cent Etc along with 100 per cent RDF as WSF recorded higher WUE and water productivity. Higher soil moisture content was observed by 125 Etc irrigation regime in soil layers in both crops. The combination of 125 per cent Etc with 100 per cent RDF as WSF registered higher cane and sugar yield but it was comparable with 125 per cent Etc along with 75 per cent RDF as WSF in both crops. Hence, it can be concluded that adoption of subsurface drip irrigation at 125 per cent Etc along with fertigation of 100 per cent RDF as water soluble fertilizer was found to record higher cane and sugar yield.