Effects of Boron and Molybdenum on Sugarcane Grown in Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain Soils of Bangladesh

A field study was conducted to investigate and ascertain the effects of boron and molybdenum with recommended N P K S Zn fertilizers (RFD) for sustained sugarcane yield in the sandy acidic soil in Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain of Bangladesh. Results revealed that the treatment T7 having recommended fertilizers of N 120, P 35, K 100, S 25 and Zn 2 kg ha-1 + B 2 kg ha-1 + Mo 2 kg ha-1 produced significantly higher number of millable cane (126.96 103 ha-1) except in T9 with RFD + B 2 kg ha-1 + Mo 4 kg ha-1, and higher cane yield (92.83 Mg ha-1) among all except in T3 with RFD + B 2 kg ha-1, T5 with RFD + Mo 2 kg ha-1 and T9 where the effects were statistically identical. The increase in cane yield by T7 was 164.6% over control. The treatment T7 having RFD + B 2 kg ha-1 + Mo 2 kg ha-1 further gave the highest additional net economic benefit of Taka 16, 500.00 for added B and Mo at 2 kg ha-1 among all the treatments in the study.