A Trickle Irrigation Experiment in the South African Sugar Industry

A trickle irrigation experiment on sugarcane was established in October 1985 on the SASA Experiment Station farm at Shakaskraal. The objectives were to establish suitable operating procedures, to measure cane yield potential, and to study the effects of factors such as fertigation and crop row spacingon yieldsoftrickle irrigated sugarcane. The results ofthe plant and first ratoon crops of this experiment are presented. Cane rows were planted either at a standard 1,3 m row spacingor in a tramline pattern with rowsspaced alternately 1,8 and 0,8 m apart. Fertilizer was applied as a topdressingof granuleson the soil surfaceto some plots and dissolved in the irrigation water and applied over a period of time to other plots. Results from plant and first ratoon crops indicate that no marked benefitscan be expected from fertigation or tramline spacing. Better growth in the cane rows below the trickle irrigation lines on the slope was observed.