At the time of land preparation

• Apply compost or cattle manure, 10 t/ha or pressmud 5 t/ha as basal dose preferably in furrows and mix well with soil before planting
• Dolomite 500 kg/ha or calcium carbonate 750 kg/ha in the field before final preparation of the land

Fertilizer dosage

Method of application

• Basal dose:
  • Entire dose of P₂O₅
• 45 Days after planting
  • Half dose of N
  • Half dose of K₂O
• 90 Days after planting
  • Half dose of N
  • Half dose of K₂O

Note:

• Do not apply N beyond 100 days after planting.
• In sugarcane tracts of Palakkad where sett treatment with Azospirillum @ 500g/ha together with soil application 5 kg/ha is done, sugarcane need be given only 175kg/ha N.
• When Azospirillium and Phosphobacteria at 5 kg each per ha is integrated with FYM 10t/ha, sugarcane need be given only 75 per cent of the recommended dose of N, P₂O₅ and K₂O (165:82.5:82.5) for deltaic areas.
• When pressmud at 10t/ha is applied sugarcane grown in Palakkad need be given only 50 per cent of the recommended dose of P as rock phosphate.
• In the black soil of Palakkad apply S at 60 kg/ha in the form of gypsum as a soil ameliorant before the final land preparation.
• Among the sources of sulphur, gypsum is found to be beneficial in sugarcane