Association of Agricultural Machineries and Nitrogen Application with Sugarcane Crop at Selected Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Pakistan

Abstract

This study was initiated to find out association of agricultural machinery and nitrogen application in sugarcane crop at two selected districts (Mardan and Charsadda) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A sample of 336 sugarcane growers was drawn through multistage sampling. An interview schedule was used to solicit responses from growers. It was found that 74, 25 and 2 per cent respondents used a hired tractor-drawn cultivator and engine driven rotovator as main agricultural implements in soil preparation. Their average yields were 65.01 and 57.55 t ha^-1. The sugarcane growers were using wooden ploughs had the highest average yield 74.52 t ha^-1 and used the most fertile land ‘silt loam’. They applied 220-270 kg ha^-1 of Nitrogen to achieve relatively high yield (around 100 t ha^-1). Those who used recommended methods of agricultural machinery by advice of agricultural extension department achieved 114.01 t ha^-1 yield while those who depended on their own resources to access information got only 58.67 t ha^-1. It is concluded that the use of recommended inputs, farming fertile land, and using better techniques for land preparation led to increased sugarcane yield. The government extension service and NGOs should create greater awareness about recommended input rate and soil preparation techniques among sugarcane growers.