Vol. 11, Special Issue 5 (2022)

Author(s):
Rajendra Bairwa, CK Jha and SK Thakur

Abstract:
A field research was formulated for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. Hybrid complex) plant -ratoon system in calcareous soil at Crop Research Centre, RPCAU, Pusa, Bihar, to see the effect of various trash management techniques viz., sugarcane trash incorporation and trash mulching treatments activated with urea, FYM, vermicompost, and trash mulching treatments inoculated with Trichoderma / Azotobacter + PSB along with control plot. RDF (170 kg N, 60 kg P₂O₅ and 60 kg K₂O ha^-1) applied in all the treatments. The trash mulching treatments either activated with FYM, VC or inoculated with Trichoderma resulted in the significant enhancement in all the growth and yield parameters of ratoon crop and these treatment were found on par. Among treatments Trichoderma inoculated trash recorded highest cane yield and maximum uptake of nutrients (NPK) by ratoon crop. The various trash mulching treatments either activated with FYM, vermicompost, or inoculated with Trichoderma/ Azotobacter + PSB significantly enhance organic carbon and NPK availability in soil after ratoon harvest. The N, P and K availability in soil improved maximum to the extent of 15.45, 39.66 and 63.14 percent respectively in Trichoderma inoculated trash plot over control. Our findings suggest that mulching of activated / inoculated sugarcane trash @10 t ha^-1 in plant-ratoon system has an immense potential to supply organic matter and availability of nutrient in soil with significant improvement in cane yield and uptake of nutrient by sugarcane grown in calcareous soil.