Effect of Fertility Levels on Newly Developed Sugarcane Varieties of North-West Zone of India

Field experiments were conducted for three crop seasons of 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 (planted in spring season), in order to find out the effect of fertility levels (nitrogen and phosphorus) on yield and quality of newly developed early and mid –late maturing sugarcane varieties of North-West Zone of the country under All India Coordinated Research Project on sugarcane. Early maturing variety CoS 96258 proved significantly superior to other two early maturing varieties namely CoLk 9414 and CoJ 96191, the later two being statistically at par in respect of cane yield. Amongst the mid-late maturing varieties, CoS 93278 proved significantly superior over variety CoH 119, which in turn proved significantly superior to variety CoH 110 in respect of cane yield. There was significant increase in cane yield of early maturing varieties due to increasing doses of nitrogen and phosphorus from 75% to 125% of recommendation, but this increase was significant only upto 100% of recommended doses of nitrogen and phosphorus in case of mid –late maturing varieties. Though, there was non- significant effect of varieties and fertility levels on CCS percentage, but the production of commercial cane sugar (t/ha) varied considerably according to cane yield of varieties and influence of fertility levels.