Application of plant growth promoters on sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) budchip under subtropical conditions

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) budchip technology is a viable alternative of conventional sett planting, where excised auxiliary buds are used as planting material. Plant growth promoters (PGPs) have ability to enhance growth of plants and thus applied to improve production. The objective of this study was to enhance the sprouting and early growth of sugarcane budchips through exogenous application of plant growth promoters and CaCl2. It was hypothesized that application of growth regulators on budchips will improve the growth and yield of sugarcane. Keeping in view, a pot study was planned to elaborate priming effects of PGPs on sprouting and growth of sugarcane budchips, prepared by budchip scooping machine. The study was executed at Agronomic Research Area, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha for two consecutive years during spring 2015 and 2016. Experiment was arranged under completely randomized design (CRD) having four treatments i.e. Control, NAA 1 mM, CaCl2 1 mM, NAA 1 mM + CaCl2 1 mM. It was observed that sugarcane budchips treated with NAA 1 mM + CaCl2 1 mM gave higher sprouting establishment percentage, produced taller and thicker plants, exhibited higher leaf area index and chlorophyll contents as compared to all other treatments during each year of study. Similarly, more root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot length, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight was achieved with application of treatment combination; NAA 1 mM + CaCl2 1 mM over all others including control during both years. Among all PGPs treatments, CaCl2 1 mM had minimum effect on all studied parameters of sugarcane but it was statistically at par with NAA 1 mM. The results of this study led to the conclusion that soaking of sugarcane budchips in NAA 1 mM + CaCl2 1 mM solution proved to be superior than all other PGPs treatments and control as it promotes early growth, better establishment of seedlings and improve its other characteristics.