Abstract

                                A field experiment was conducted at Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore during special season of 2017 - 18 (July - February) to select an appropriate planting material of sugarcane seed crop and to ascertain the effective integrated nutrient management package to enhance the productivity of the same. The sugarcane variety used was CoC 25. The experiment was laid out in split plot design and the treatments were replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of three different sugarcane planting materials viz., double budded setts (S₁) , single bud setts (S₂) and chip bud seedlings (S₃) were allocated to the main plots and four integrated nutrient management practices viz., 100 per cent recommended dose of NPK (N₁), 75 per cent of recommended NPK + Azophos + insitu incorporation of sunnhemp (N₂), 75 per cent of recommended NPK + insitu incorporation of sunnhemp + foliar spraying of sugarcane booster (N₃), 75 per cent of recommended NPK + Azophos + insitu incorporation of sunnhemp + foliar spraying of sugarcane booster (N₄) were accommodated in sub plots. Planting of chip bud seedlings recorded higher establishment percentage (87.01), plant height (229.46 cm), tiller population ( 113.01 ‘000 ha^-1), dry matter production (85.87 t ha^-1), single cane weight (1.80 kg/cane), seed cane yield (98.32 t ha^-1), gross return (Rs. 2,94,962 / ha), net return (Rs. 1,83,040) and B:C ratio (2.63). Among integrated nutrient management practices, application of 75 per cent of recommended NPK + Azophos + insitu incorporation of sunnhemp + foliar spraying of sugarcane booster resulted in higher establishment percentage (78.20), plant height (217.06 cm), tiller population (105.45 ‘000 ha^-1), dry matter production (86.77 t ha^-1), single cane weight (1.59 kg/cane), seed cane yield (88.71t ha^-1), gross return (Rs. 2,66,138 / ha) net return (Rs. 1,56,819) and B:C ratio (2.42).

Key words : Sugarcane, Planting materials, Integrated Nutrient Management, Seed cane yield.