Effect of Different Nitrogen Rates and Time of Application in Improving Yield and Quality of Seed Cane of Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) Variety B41/227

A two-phase field experiment on the effect of N application was studied on growth, yield and quality of seed cane of sugarcane variety, B41/227 at Finchaa Sugarcane Plantation during 2000/2001 and 2002/2003 cropping years. Thirty two treatments comprised of four N levels – 0, 46, 92 and 138kg/ha, and applied at 2 1 /2, 5 and 7 1 /2 months after planting in whole and split applications were used in RCBD with three replications. The source of fertilizer is urea (46%N), which is the commonly used fertilizer in the plantation. The results of the experiment showed that application of high N rate resulted in better plant height, stalk population, stalk length as well as higher sett yield and improved sprouting of buds. In phase-1 experiment, significantly higher sett yield was obtained for the highest rate of 138kgN/ha applied in single, double and triple doses over the control. Apart from other treatments, application of 138kgN/ha in two doses at two and half and five months significantly increased stalk population and sett yield by 39.1 and 51.7%, respectively, over the control. In the second phase, seed setts obtained from seed cane plants treated with the same rate gave sprouting performance of average quality. Significantly higher sprouting performance was recorded for seed setts from seed cane plants treated with N rates applied at mid and late crop ages. Therefore, to get higher sett yield of average quality it is advisable that urea be applied to seed cane plants of sugarcane variety B41/227 at the rate of 300kgN/ha in two splits of 200 and 100kgN/ha at two and half and five months of crop ages, respectively. Besides, as this study is the first by its kind under Finchaa condition, it paves an opportunity for further investigation including major sugarcane varieties under cultivation in the study site and other sugarcane plantations in the country.