EFFECT OF SPACING ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF AUTUMN SOWN SUGARCANE INTERCROPPED WITH SUGARBEET

Abstract

An intercropping trial of sugarcane with sugar-beet was carried out at Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad to evaluate the effect of spacing on yield & quality and economic benefits of both the crops during the years 2003-2004 & 2004-2005. The experiment was laidout in Randomized Complete Block Design having net plot size of 3.6 x 8 m2 . Single and double rows of sugar beet were planted in sugarcane spaced at 120, 90 and 60 cm. However, the maximum cane and sugar beet yields were obtained from treatments where both the crops were planted alone. Average of two years data revealed that maximum cane yield of intercropped sugarcane (101.50 t ha-1 ) with sugar beet yield of 59.74 t ha-1 was obtained when sugarcane was planted at 120 cm apart trenches with one row of sugar-beet. Hence, maximum income was also recorded in the same treatment (1,61,245 Rs. ha-1 ) as against alone sugarcane 1,04,588 Rs. ha-1 and alone sugarbeet 99,141 Rs. ha-1.