Performance of sunflower intercropped in ratoon sugarcane under NP fertilizers

A field trial was conducted during 1999 at Malakandher Farm, NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar to see the performance of sunflower intercropped in ratoon sugarcane. This experiment consisted of seven N and P2O5 levels (0-0, 60-60, 120-60,180-60, 60-120, 120-120, and 180- 120 kg ha-1). Results showed that N at the rate of 180 kg ha-1 and P2O5 at the rate of 120 kg ha-1 out yielded all the fertilizers treatments by producing 1249.2 kg ha-1 of sunflower seed while control plots only yielded 384.3 kg ha-1 Oil yield of 587.1 kg ha-1 was found to be highest in plots fertilized with 180 kg N ha-1 and 120 P2O5 ha-1 and was the lowest of 178.2 kg ha-1 in control plots. Sunflower intercropped in ratoon sugarcane reduced by 21% number of shoots per stump of sugarcane as compared to sole culture of ratoon sugarcane from 12.0 to 9.5 shoots per stump of sugarcane. Number of shoots per stump of sugarcane was not significantly affected by different N and P2O5 levels. Days to emergence and oil percentage of sunflower intercropped with ratoon sugarcane also remained non-significant against different N and P2O5 levels.