Impact of subsoiling and preparatory tillage on productivity of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) and soil physico-chemical properties in sugarcane plant-ratoon cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2008-10 at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand to study the effect of subsoiling and preparatory tillage on productivity of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and soil physico-chemical properties. The experiment consisting of five subsoiling practices (no subsoiling, subsoiling at 1.0 m distance, subsoiling at 1.5 m distance, cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance and cross subsoiling at 1.5 m distance) and three preparatory tillage practices (two harrowing, four harrowing and one rotavator) was laid out in strip plot design with three replications. Subsoiling operations resulted in significant increase in yield attributes and yield in plant and ratoon crop. Cross subsoiling at 1.0 m distance produced significantly more cane yield of 75.8 in plant and 74.9 tonnes/ ha in ratoon crop with 28.0 and 37.9 % increase over no subsoiling treatment, respectively. A significant improvement in soil physico-chemical properties was observed due to subsoiling operations. Bulk density and soil strength decreased and cumulative infiltration increased significantly under subsoiling treatments but soil pH and EC remained unaffected. Significantly more content of organic carbon, available soil N, P and K were noticed under subsoiling practices. Preparatory tillage practices did not exhibit significant effect on productivity of sugarcane and soil physico-chemical properties.