Effect of Rate and Time of Nitrogen Application on Growth and Quality of Seed Cane Produced from Tissue Cultured Plantlets at Tana Beles Sugar Development Project, Ethiopia

Abstract

Sugarcane is cultivated throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world in a wide variety of soils and climates. A field experiment was conducted to determine the optimum rate and time of N fertilizer application on seed cane produced from tissue cultured plantlets at Tana Beles sugar development project. The treatments were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment was designed with four levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 65,130,195 kg N ha^-1) applied into three equal split doses (0.5 months after transplanting, 2.5 months after transplanting and 5.0 months after transplanting), two equal split doses (2.5 months after transplanting and 5 months after transplanting) and a single application of the whole dose once (5 months after transplanting). Among the parameters of seed cane crop, plant height, stalk length, stalk weight, stalk diameter, sett yield, leaf sheath moisture, leaf N and K content and sprout percent were significantly affected by applied N fertilizer. Whereas, stalk population, number of internodes per stalk and leaf P content were not significantly affected by different rates and times of N application. Highest plant height, stalk length, stalk weight, sett yield and leaf K content was attained with 195 kg N ha^-1applied in three equal split doses. On the other hand maximum leaf sheath moisture, leaf N content and sprout count was attained from plants treated with a lately single dose application of 195 kg N ha^-1 at 5 months after transplanting. Significantly higher Stalk girth/diameter, was recorded when 195 kg N ha^-1 applied in two equal split doses. However, the results of sett yield and sprout percent which received 195 kg N ha^-1 applied in different time were not significantly different from the plants which received 130 kg N ha^-1 applied in different time. Therefore, it is advisable to use 130 kg N ha^-1 applied in two equal split doses at 2.5 months after transplanting and 5 months after transplanting.

Keywords: Tissue cultured plantlets, Nitrogen fertilization, Sett yield, and Sprouting percent.