Growth, Yield, Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, Juice Quality and Economics of Sugarcane in Pusa Hydrogel Application Under Different Irrigation Scheduling

A field experiment that comprised of six treatments including three doses of Pusa hydrogel, i.e., 0, 2.5 and 5.0 kg ha−1 and two levels of irrigation, i.e., irrigation scheduling at IW/CPE ratio of 0.5 and 0.75 was laid out in randomized block design (factorial) with three replications. The soil at the experimental site was sandy loam in texture having bulk density of 1.44 mg cm−3, field capacity of 16.74% and permanent wilting point of 6.58%. Pusa hydrogel application significantly improved growth parameters in sugarcane (germination, tiller population, leaf area index, plant height) and yield attributes (cane length, cane weight, number of millable cane) over control. The cane yield increased to the tune of 11.5 and 5.2% with Pusa hydrogel application at 2.5 kg ha−1 over control under irrigation scheduling at IW/CPE ratio of 0.50 and IW/CPE ratio of 0.75, respectively. Irrigation scheduling at IW/CPE ratio of 0.75 was significantly superior in respect of cane yield (77.7 t ha−1) over IW/CPE ratio of 0.5 (70.2 t ha−1). The highest irrigation water use efficiency (1.86 t ha−1 cm−1) was obtained in Pusa hydrogel application at 5.0 kg ha−1 comparable to Pusa hydrogel at 2.5 kg ha−1 (1.80 t ha−1 cm−1), higher than control at both the levels of irrigation. The net return (Rs. 110951.00) and B/C ratio (1.95) was the highest in Pusa hydrogel application at 2.5 kg ha−1 under irrigation scheduling at IW/CPE ratio of 0.75 with the addition income of Rs. 5339 per hectare over control.