Sugarcane and Wheat Productivity Under Different Cropping Systems

Abstract

Under wheat- and sugarcane- based cropping system in North India, wheat is taken either as intercrop in autumn sugarcane or as a sole crop followed by sugarcane planting in summer months (April–May). The shading of wheat plants as intercrop adversely affects the emerging shoots of autumn sugarcane in March–April. Moreover, wheat yield is also less as an intercrop than its sole crop as only two rows of wheat are there in 90 cm spaced autumn sugarcane. When sugarcane is planted after wheat harvesting, sugar and sugarcane yield is low due to less time available to late-planted cane. So, there is a need to develop production technologies for getting better cane and wheat yield under sugarcane–wheat cropping system. Furrow irrigated raised bed (FIRB) system may be a better option for higher productivity and net returns, as both the crops can be sown timely and gave better yields. To evaluate FIRB system, field experiments were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Faridkot, during 2011–2013, 2012–2014 and 2013–2015 in a randomized block design with nine treatments {T1: autumn sugarcane, T2: T1 + wheat (1:2), T3: T1 + wheat (1:3), T4: wheat sown in November—late sugarcane, T5: wheat sown in December—late sugarcane, T6: FIRB wheat November (75 cm with three rows of wheat) + sugarcane in furrows in February, T7: FIRB wheat November (75 cm with three rows of wheat) + sugarcane in furrows in March, T8: FIRB wheat December (75 cm with three rows of wheat) + sugarcane in furrows in February, T9: FIRB wheat December (75 cm with three rows of wheat) + sugarcane in furrows in March}. Wheat was taken as an intercrop and also as sole crop sown in November and December month, while sugarcane was also planted as sole autumn crop and as spring crop in furrows of standing wheat on beds (45 cm) as wet planting method. The results showed that the average yield of wheat sown under FIRB system was 44.2 q/ha that was significantly higher than the average yield (41.7 q/ha) of bed sown wheat. Under FIRB system, both timely and late sown wheat with spring sugarcane (T7 and T8) produced higher number of millable canes, i.e., 107.2 and 105.8 thousands/ha, respectively, than remaining treatments, while cane yield (82 t/ha) of timely sown wheat with sugarcane planted in furrow during the third week of February (T6) produced 2–40% more production than other treatments. This combination (T6) also recorded high wheat yield (49.6 q/ha). Maximum cane equivalent yield was also obtained from T6 and T7 treatments. Thus, for getting high production from both crops, the FIRB system with three rows of wheat and furrow planted sugarcane during spring season can be advisable to the farmers for additional benefits with high monitory values.