Effect of Compost and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Productivity at Kenana Sugar Scheme, Sudan

Abstract— Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is recognized as one of the world's most economically significant crops. The climatic conditions and soil types in Sudan, particularly within the central clay plains, are highly suitable for sugarcane cultivation. Organic fertilizer (compost) is a vital natural resource for improving soil fertility by increasing organic matter content, enhancing soil structure, and stimulating microbial activity, which collectively improve nutrient uptake and crop productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of compost and nitrogen fertilizers on the productivity of sugarcane (variety Co6806) grown on heavy clay soils (Vertisol). The experiment was conducted during the 2023/2024 season at the Research and Development Farm of the Kenana Sugar Scheme, Sudan. The experimental design was a split-plot arrangement with four replications. Nitrogen fertilizer was assigned to the main plots at four levels (0, 23, 46, and 69 kg/ha), while compost was applied to the subplots at four rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 t/ha). The results demonstrated that increasing nitrogen fertilizer rates significantly enhanced both the number of cane internodes and overall cane yield, while higher compost rates significantly improved internode number, and cane yield. Moreover, the combination of compost and nitrogen fertilizer further increased stalk population, number of internodes, and cane yield compared to their sole applications. The highest cane yield (172.0 t/ha) was recorded with the combined application of 15 t/ha compost and 69 kg/ha nitrogen. Based on the results of this study, it could be recommended that to obtain a high cane yield of sugarcane (variety Co6806), the crop should be fertilized by Nitrogen at the rate of 69 kg/ha and Compost at the rate of 15 tons/ha.