Enhancing Sugarcane Yield and Sugar Quality through Optimal Application of Polymer-Coated Single Super Phosphate and Irrigation Management

The judicious use of crop input is of prime importance for achieving a considerable output with a low-cost input. A two-year field experimentation was executed to assess the effect of varying polymer-coated single super phosphate (SSP) regimes on the yield and quality of sugarcane under differential water regimes. A two-factor study was executed under a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement. The CPF-249 sugarcane variety was planted during the 2019–2020 period and the 2020–2021 period. The experiment consisted of four levels of polymer-coated SSP, i.e., control, 90, 110, and 130 kg ha⁻¹, and three water regimes, which consisted of a number of irrigations, i.e., 18 irrigations, 15 irrigations, and 12 irrigations. Moreover, the water regimes were kept in the main plot, whereas the polymer-coated supplement was allocated in a subplot and replicated thrice. The data on the yield components and sugar-related traits were recorded during both years of study, and the treatment means were differentiated using an LSD test at a 95% confidence interval. Summating the findings of this study, a significant variation was revealed under the subject levels of both factors. Statistically, a 110 kg ha⁻¹ polymer-coated SSP dose, along with 18 irrigations, declared the highest millable canes, stripped cane yield, and unstripped cane yield, followed by the 130 kg ha⁻¹ treatment. Additionally, the highest pol% and cane sugar recovery % were recorded under 12 irrigations along with 130 kg ha⁻¹ during both years. Similarly, the °Brix value was also significantly affected by 12 irrigations when 110 kg ha⁻¹ of polymer-coated SSP was used. The unstripped cane yield had a strong positive correlation with the stripped cane yield, millable canes, and the number of internodes. Moreover, the commercial cane sugar % resulted in a strong positive correlation with the pol%, whereas the cane sugar recovery % revealed a strong positive correlation with the pol% and commercial cane sugar %.