Effect of mixed cultivar planting on yield in 1st ratoon crop

Abstract

Sugarcane is a monoculture plant that requires continuous sugarcane cultivation without growing other crops and also takes a long cultivation period, which extends to ratoon crop. Accordingly, the concept of growing many cane varieties all together in the same plot may be another way for the development of sugarcane production to increase ratooning ability. The development that relying on the competition of species that are different in growth. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the response of mixed two common sugarcane cultivars on yield under rainfed condition in ratoon crop. The sugar canes were tested by planting 10 pairs mixed cultivar compared with 5 single cultivars of sugarcane cultivation, a total of 15 treatments. The two mixed cultivars combination consists of KK3, Kps01-12, KKU99-02, MP02-458, and UT-13. The experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University during January 2016 to January 2017. This investigation was laid out in RCBD with 3 replications. At 12 months after harvest, the data were collected including yield, CCS, brix, and yield components (millable cane, stalk diameter, and stalk length). The results showed that yield, C.C.S., brix, and yield components were significantly different between two mixed cultivars planting compared to single cultivar. The mixed cultivar between KK3 vs KKU99-02, KK3 vs Kps01-12 and UT-13 vs KKU99-02 had provided high cane yield. Moreover, the cultivars that have narrow canopy should be planted with mixed varieties that have had a moderate or wide-canopy shape so wide it can provide high yield. Mixed planting resulted in positive competition, increased length and number of sugarcanes, and improved brix value and CCS. Furthermore, it also makes the brix and CCS directly higher as well.